Fact Check: Can Garlic cure tuberculosis ?

A social media site claiming that Garlic can cure tuberculosis.

Claim: A  post on the social media site X (earlier twitter) mentioned various benefits of garlic such as Garlic can cure Stroke, Atherosclerosis, gout, constipation, diabetes, dysentery, earaches and headache, hypertension, rheumatism, symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections (cold, fever, coughs, bronchitis, sinus congestion. Among the various claims one such claim was consuming garlic can cure tuberculosis. Moreover the post is not giving a proper instruction on how to consume The post just states" Just infuse in hot water".

The post can be accessed here.

Fact Check:

The claim is Moslty False.

What is Tuberculosis ?

According to World Health Organization "Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that most often affects the lungs and is caused by a type of bacteria. It spreads through the air when infected people cough, sneeze or spit."(1) Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It primarily affects the lungs but can also impact other parts of the body.

Tuberculosis (TB) can manifest in different forms, primarily categorized into two types: Latent TB: This form of tuberculosis is non-contagious. People with latent TB are infected with the bacteria but do not exhibit symptoms and are not infectious. Active TB: This is the contagious form of the disease. Active TB primarily affects the lungs but can also impact other parts of the body.

Resistance to tuberculosis (TB) medication is categorized into several classifications based on the specific drugs to which the bacteria show resistance. Mono-resistance involves resistance to only one first-line anti-TB drug. Poly-resistance refers to resistance to multiple first-line drugs, excluding simultaneous resistance to both isoniazid and rifampicin. Multidrug resistance (MDR) is defined as resistance to at least isoniazid and rifampicin, the two main first-line drugs. Extensive drug resistance (XDR) occurs when the bacteria are resistant to any fluoroquinolone and at least one of three injectable second-line drugs (capreomycin, kanamycin, and amikacin), in addition to having multidrug resistance. Lastly, Rifampicin resistance (RR) includes any resistance to rifampicin, whether it is mono-resistance, poly-resistance, MDR, or XDR, and can be detected using phenotypic or genotypic methods.(2)

Risk factors and Symptoms of Tuberculosis:

Speaking to the medical dialogues team Dr Kamal Kant Kohli, Chest Specialist explained " Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Certain health conditions can elevate an individual's risk of developing tuberculosis disease, such as diabetes, a weakened immune system (like those with HIV or AIDS), malnutrition, and tobacco use. When someone develops active tuberculosis disease, they may exhibit symptoms that can be mild initially, making the disease highly contagious without obvious signs. Common symptoms include a persistent cough that may produce blood, chest pain, weakness, fatigue, weight loss, fever, and night sweats. These symptoms can develop slowly, sometimes over many months, which allows the disease to spread to others." 

Incidence of Tuberculosis:

In 2022, an estimated 10.6 million people fell ill with tuberculosis (TB) worldwide, including 5.8 million men, 3.5 million women and 1.3 million children. TB is present in all countries and age groups.(1)The pooled TBI prevalence for India based on the community-based cohort studies was estimated as 41 per cent [95% confidence interval (CI) 29.5-52.6%] irrespective of the risk of acquiring it, while the estimation was 36 per cent (95% CI 28-45%) prevalence observed among the general population excluding high-risk groups.(3)

Can Garlic Cure Tuberculosis?

Allicin a compound in garlic does have antibacterial properties against the bacteria causing tuberculosis, but no definitive evidence support the claim that consuming garlic alone can cure tuberculosis.

A study by Gupta et al Garlic extracts or compounds have a good potential as antitubercular(s) drug if given as a supplement to antitubercular therapy(ATT).(4)

Study by Dwivedi, et al Allicin/garlic extract alone or as an adjunct to classical antibiotics holds great promise for treatment of drug-sensitive as well as drug-resistant TB. This study was done in mice hence the researchers mentioned "These results warrant further study and validation of allicin for treatment of TB."(5)

This study by Rajani et al demonstrated that the garlic extract has showed its effectiveness against clinical isolates of multi-drug resistant (MDR) tuberculosis. It is worthwhile to utilize garlic as natural supplement with other standard antitubercular therapy( ATT).(6)

Despite the studies showing antibacterial effects of allicin, no scientific evidence have been  found that dietary garlic consumption or as the claim states infusing in hot water can cure tuberculosis.

Responding to the claim, Dr Mrigakshi Aggarwal Clarified "The treatment for TB is specific and involves a combination of antibiotics prescribed over a period of at least six months, sometimes extending to a year or more, depending on the case. The notion that garlic can cure TB likely stems from its general antimicrobial properties. Garlic contains allicin, a compound that has been shown to have antibacterial effects in vitro, meaning in laboratory settings. However, the concentration and method of delivery required to treat an infection like TB cannot be achieved through dietary intake of garlic. For TB, specifically, the bacteria have a complex structure and are known for their ability to evade the immune system and develop resistance to drugs. This complexity makes the treatment of TB particularly challenging and requires a regimented course of multiple antibiotics to ensure the eradication of all bacteria and to prevent the development of drug-resistant strains. While garlic is beneficial for general health and has mild antibacterial properties, it is not effective as a treatment for TB. People diagnosed with TB should follow the treatment plan prescribed by healthcare professionals."

Medical Dialogues Final take:

Allicin does have some antibacterial effect and in concentrated form showed some benefits in managing tuberculosis. However, no scientific study or evidence supported the fact that garlic consumption can cure tuberculosis. Moreover the post is not giving a proper instruction on how to consume. The post just states" Just infuse in hot water". Hence, the claim that Garlic can cure tuberculosis is Mostly false.

References:

1.https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tuberculosis.

2.https://www.who.int/teams/global-tuberculosis-programme/diagnosis-treatment/treatment-of-drug-resistant-tb/types-of-tb-drug-resistance.

3.Chauhan A, Parmar M, Dash GC, Solanki H, Chauhan S, Sharma J, Sahoo KC, Mahapatra P, Rao R, Kumar R, Rade K, Pati S. The prevalence of tuberculosis infection in India: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Indian J Med Res. 2023 Feb-Mar;157(2&3):135-151. doi: 10.4103/ijmr.ijmr_382_23. PMID: 37202933; PMCID: PMC10319385.

4.Gupta, R.L., Jain, S., Talwar, V. et al. Antitubercular activity of garlic (allium sativum) extract on combination with conventional antitubercular drugs in tubercular lymphadenitis. Indian J Clin Biochem 14, 12–18 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02869146.

5.Dwivedi, V. P., Bhattacharya, D., Singh, M., Bhaskar, A., Kumar, S., Fatima, S., & Das, G. (2019). Allicin enhances antimicrobial activity of macrophages during Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 243, 111634.

6.Rajani, S. D., Desai, P. B., & Rajani, D. P. (2015). Anti-mycobacterial activity of garlic (Allium sativum) against multi-drug resistant and reference strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Int J Appl Res, 1(13), 767-70.