Pilot study: awareness of university students in Jordan of the positive health effects of garlic

Background One of the most popular herbal remedies, garlic, is used for its many medicinal applications. These historically valuable applications could be summarized by its cardiovascular, antineoplastic, and antimicrobial properties. However, public knowledge of the health benefits of taking garlic is much better known than the adverse events that may result when garlic interacts with other medications. Aim This study aims to investigate the public’s knowledge in Jordan regarding garlic’s healthy effects as well as the possibly undesired interactions with Western-style medications that may occur. Method This cross-sectional randomized study investigated participants’ knowledge regarding the healthy effects of garlic. Selected individuals of the sample were interviewed by 117 well-trained senior pharmacy students (4th and 5th year students). Each individual was asked to fill out a questionnaire on his/her knowledge of the beneficial effects of garlic on health and its serious drug interactions. The interviewer checked the completed form and counseled the participant on the questions which were not known or answered incorrectly. Results Participants were found to be very aware of the healthy effects of garlic. However, a smaller percentage (19–30%) of them knew it could have significant interactions with some medications. Conclusion Public awareness in Jordan of the beneficial healthy effects of garlic is better than the awareness of its serious interactions with some drugs.