The Results
Overall, it was observed that individuals who took garlic had much fewer episodes of the common cold compared to individuals who took the sugar pill. Further, the number of days of illness was lower in the garlic group. However, the number of days to recovery was similar in both groups.
Overall, garlic ingestion was deemed safe but few individuals did develop a rash. On the other hand, many individuals had complaints of bad breath.
So what about the consumer?
This was only one trial and only limited conclusions can be drawn. All the data are self-reported and there are always inherent errors in such a study. Statements of effectiveness to date are based on weak quality evidence. Garlic pills are relatively cheap and one does not require a prescription. Therefore, if you have a cold, the choice is simple. Either drink fluids, rest, and perhaps take an over the counter medication or take garlic, have fewer episodes of the common cold and have bad breath. At the moment, there are no data from randomized controlled trials about whether taking garlic at the time of a cold diminishes either symptom intensity or number of days of illness. http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab006206.html
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