Eating raw garlic twice a week can halve the risk of developing lung cancer. Also lower the danger for smokers, a new study has claimed.

Chinese researchers found who consumed raw garlic were 44 % less likely to suffer from lung cancer.

Researchers allowed the smokers to consume raw garlic; the scientists found garlic reduces the dangers by around 30 per cent.

Previous research suggested that the popular herb can cure stomach cancer and colon cancer, and a study at the University of South Australia suggested that it could reduce the risk of bowel tumors by nearly a third.

Scientists at Jiangsu Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention compared 1,424 lung cancer patients with 4,500 healthy adults.

They found that those who ate raw garlic at least twice a week were significantly less likely to get lung cancer, even if they smoked or were exposed to high-temperature cooking oil fumes, which is thought to be another trigger for the disease.

The key ingredient in garlic releases a chemical called allicin, when the clove is crushed or chopped. This chemical dampen down the inflammation in the body and act as an anti-oxidant, from so-called free radicals to the body`s cells.

However, it is not clear whether cooked garlic would have the same effect. “Garlic may potentially serve as a preventive agent for lung cancer,” researchers said.