Antimycobacterial activity of garlic Helpful in addition to treatment?

I doubt that the vapors would help,but it is an interestimg thought for perhaps some relief. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Patty

Hi Patty - actually, inhaling the vapors is exactly what they are testing, in conjunction with using antibiotics. There are all kinds of folk remedies that have you lean over a steaming pot with garlic in it and a towel over your head...you get the idea. There again - how much are you getting, how long do you steam, and is the steam causing conversion of any substances from helpful to harmful, etc.
The dilemma at this point is to figure out how to get a precisely measured amount of allicin into a stable suspension in a solution that can be inhaled or nebulized (without damaging delicate tissues.)
I'm waiting for the researchers to figure this out - I have enough problems without taking a risk of further damaging my lungs.
Sue

topically. the allicin would first enter the veinous system, then into the lungs, then eventually spread among the general arterial system. i have not seen any main stream papers on it, though topical oils in general have been used in "alternative medicine" for ages. this would be a way to avoid liver "first pass" metabolism.

do you know where they are studying the vapor/inhalation method?

I posted a bunch of references above, but I think it is this one:
https://www.spandidos-publications.com/10.3892/etm.2019.8387
Otherwise you would need to read through all of them them (and possibly even some of the cited papers) to find the specifics.
Sue

vapors of garlic are nearly equally toxic to bacteria and lung tissue, this may be improved by good enough levels of glutathione (can this be increased in lung tissue?)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29023413/
“the sensitivity of rat precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) to allicin was decreased by raising the [GSH] to the approximate blood plasma level of 1 mM”

Looks like garlic might be a good helper for people with lung disease. It inhibits pseudomonas in particular, bacteria, viruses and is antiinflammatory.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9779154/
best wishes of great health to all!

@gigiv This is an interesting and potentially important adjunct therapy, and has been discussed in the group before. I read this paper, and even dived into a few of the cited studies, and it looks like it is still a work in process.
Here are a few of the earlier discussions:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/anti-mycobacterial-activity-of-garlic/
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/garlic-for-mac-lung-not-replacement-for-treatment-but-additional/
Maybe you would like to read the earlier posts.

We are still lacking read world testing on people, n explanation of how to use the most effective chemical components and dosage guidelines.
As I understand it, just eating garlic has no particular benefit. And although their are people promoting inhalation of allowing, no safe method has been validated.

@sueinmn thank you for those links, I did not know the subject had been discussed before. I guess I should have looked that up before posting.
I started taking one capsule of garlic yesterday and, maybe it is placebo effect, it helped my sinuses greatly and my lungs felt a lot better: I have never been so fast on the elliptical. So I am going to keep taking it, maybe even up it to twice a day, if it is just the placebo effect that is helping, well I take that too.
Have a great day!

And I'll keep eating garlic in prolific quantities as I have all my life - but I got lots of lung issues in spite of it!
If you have read much of what I write, I'm not a big proponent of huge amounts of supplements - if it is more than your body requires, it just comes out the "other end." 😉How much is too much? If you taste it in your mouth or smell it on your body or breath, and haven't eaten garlic fries, it's more than you need.
And sniffing garlic or many fragrant herbs like rosemary, eucalyptus or wormwood does help clear your sinuses.