Alliin The chemical in garlic By: Eric Coleman, 3rd yr Chemist, Bristol University, Molecule of the Month, July 2002

The Egyptians extracted essential oils from fragrant herbs more than 5000 years ago by pressing the herb or by extracting the fragrant material with olive or palm oil.

There are also records of garlic being used in India for the treatment of diseases of the heart and circulation dating back about 1000 years, and more evidence several thousand years earlier for garlic generally being used for medicinal purposes, so it literally has been around as long as the pyramids if not longer!