Fact Check: Does rubbing Garlic on feet help with fever and inflammation?

Fact Check:  This claim is Mostly False

Understanding Fever

Fever is the elevation of an individual's core body temperature above a 'set-point' regulated by the body's thermoregulatory centre in the hypothalamus. This increase in the body's 'set-point' temperature is often due to a physiological process brought about by infectious causes or non-infectious causes such as inflammation, malignancy, or autoimmune processes. The normal temperature of the human body is approximately 37 degrees Celsius (C), or 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (F), and varies by about 0.5 C throughout the day. (1)

What is Inflammation?

Inflammation is a broad and ancient medical term referring to a set of classic signs and symptoms, including edema, erythema (redness), warmness, pain, and loss of function (stiffness and immobility). Currently, inflammation can be recognized as a set of complex changing responses to tissue injury primarily caused by toxic chemicals, some environmental agents, trauma, overuse, or infection. (2)

Does garlic have anti-inflammatory properties?

Traditionally Garlic (also known with the scientific name as Allium sativum L.) is a spice, widely used in medicine mainly because of organosulfur compounds.In an article published in 2023 by Silvana Zugaro in Bioactives and Inflammation wide range of therapeutic effects of garlic has been observed. Garlic also possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunostimulant properties exerted by the bioactive compounds of garlic. Garlic may help with inflammation as it has anti-inflammatory properties. (3) Garlic can have enhancing effects on the immune system as stated by Georgia Schäfer in Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry.

Can Garlic help with fever and inflammation?

There have been scientific studies in the past that have focused on exploring the benefits of garlic due to anti-inflammatory properties

In many studies, Garlic has been found to possess important biological properties with high therapeutic potential, which is influenced by the mode of its utilization, preparation, and extraction. An review article published in Food & Function, by Lucia Melguizo et. al. in the year 2022 found that compounds derived from garlic attribute to anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. (5)

Another article published by S Ankri et. al., Microbes and Infection, highlighted that one of the active compounds found in crushed garlic “Allicin” exhibits antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic and antiviral activities. The antimicrobial effect of allicin is due to its chemical reaction with thiol groups of various enzymes present. (6)

Traditionally, people have used garlic for treatment of fever. (7) However, while Garlic is known to have certain anti-inflammatory properties, there is no scientific evidence to prove antipyretic properties. Further, we could not find any scientific evidence that showed that the consumption of garlic can directly have an impact on reducing fever and inflammation 

Can rubbing garlic on feet help with fever and inflammation?

While there is some weak evidence in literature pointing out to anti-inflammatory properties of garlic, most of the studies have focused on consumption of garlic and not its topical application. We could not find any scientific evidence or medical consensus that supported that topical application or rubbing garlic on feet can help in management of fever and inflammation.

On the other hand, there has been evidence of burns and harmful effects of topical application of garlic .A case study published in Pediatric Emergency Care, showed of unintentional burns to the feet of a 15-month-old child following the application of raw garlic as a home remedy for fever was found. (8)

What do the experts say? 

The Medical Dialogues fact check team spoke with Dr Naresh Goel, MBBS, MD, Public Health Specialist, he said, ”The claims that garlic can help with fever and inflammation are based on weak evidence and cannot be considered reliable for therapy or treatment. More research is warranted to fully understand and validate the use of garlic for these purposes. Therefore, while garlic can be beneficial when consumed as part of a healthy diet, its application for treating fever and inflammation should not be solely relied upon.”

Dr. Amit Vij, Senior Consultant Dermatologist, PSRI Hospital, New Delhi added, “Garlic is one of the highest researched remedies and has been commonly used for treating various health problems for ages. Different types of garlic preparations have different pharmacologic properties and are available in these formats --raw garlic juice, heated garlic juice, dehydrated garlic powder and aged garlic extract. Oral intake of garlic in these formats have been proved by studies to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, increased micro circulation, anti UVB and cancer effects but as topical applications of garlic has not proved any beneficial effects. but adverse reactions especially contact irritant & allergic dermatitis, contact urticaria, and blisters, have been observed on the scalp and skin due to vigorous rubbing of raw garlic or juice. so, garlic can be used for oral intake for its anti-inflammatory effects but topically should be avoided as far as possible.”

Medical Dialogues Final Take:

There is scientific evidence that garlic has anti-inflammatory properties. Studies have shown that compounds in garlic, such as allicin compounds, can reduce inflammation. However, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim that garlic has antipyretic (fever-reducing) properties. Additionally, no scientific evidence or medical consensus supports the practice of rubbing garlic on feet to help with fever and inflammation.

Hence, the claim that rubbing Garlic on feet helps with fever and inflammation is Mostly false.

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562334/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534820/
3. Zugaro S, Benedetti E, Caioni G. Garlic (Allium sativum L.) as an Ally in the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Curr Issues Mol Biol. 2023 Jan 11;45(1):685-698. doi: 10.3390/cimb45010046. PMID: 36661532; PMCID: PMC9858111.
4. Schäfer G, Kaschula CH. The immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory effects of garlic organosulfur compounds in cancer chemoprevention. Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2014 Feb;14(2):233-40. doi: 10.2174/18715206113136660370. PMID: 24237225; PMCID: PMC3915757.
5. Melguizo-Rodríguez L, García-Recio E, Ruiz C, De Luna-Bertos E, Illescas-Montes R, Costela-Ruiz VJ. Biological properties and therapeutic applications of garlic and its components. Food Funct. 2022 Mar 7;13(5):2415-2426. doi: 10.1039/d1fo03180e. PMID: 35174827.
6. Ankri S, Mirelman D. Antimicrobial properties of allicin from garlic. Microbes Infect. 1999 Feb;1(2):125-9. doi: 10.1016/s1286-4579(99)80003-3. PMID: 10594976.
7. White D. Healthy Uses for Garlic. Nurs Clin North Am. 2021 Mar;56(1):153-156. doi: 10.1016/j.cnur.2020.12.001. PMID: 33549282.
8. https://journals.lww.com/peconline/Abstract/2019/12000/Burns_Due_to_Application_of_Raw_Garlic_to_the_Feet.20.aspx