Health
9 January 2008
Garlic may provide some relief for millions of Bangladeshis and Indians whose drinking water is contaminated with arsenic.
Keya Chaudhuri of the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology in Kolkata, and her colleagues gave rats daily doses of arsenic in their water, in levels equivalent to those found in groundwater in Bangladesh and West Bengal. Rats which were also fed garlic extracts had 40 per cent less arsenic in their blood and liver, and passed 45 per cent more arsenic in their urine (Food and Chemical Toxicology, DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2007.09.108).
Chaudhuri says that sulphur-containing substances in garlic scavenge arsenic from tissues…
Advertisem*nt
Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox! We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.
To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers
No commitment, cancel anytime*
Offer ends 2nd of July 2024.
*Cancel anytime within 14 days of payment to receive a refund on unserved issues.
Inclusive of applicable taxes (VAT)
or
Existing subscribers
Advertisem*nt
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
The new evidence that explains what anxiety really is
2
Could an MRI scan make prostate cancer screening more accurate?
3
Five scientific ways to help reduce feelings of anxiety
4
Bisexual women expect to have an org*sm with women more than with men
5
Microsoft and Quantinuum’s quantum computer may be most reliable yet
6
There are hints that dark energy may be getting weaker
7
Great apes threatened by mining for electric vehicle batteries
8
Unprecedented GPS jamming attack affects 1600 aircraft over Europe
9
Why some songs make our heart swell and others give us butterflies
10
How mastering the art of being alone can boost your mental health
Advertisem*nt
