Garlic, chili ineffective against A/H1N1: Officials

Despite popular belief, neither garlic nor chili is an effective weapon against A/H1N1 influenza, health officials said yesterday.

The price of garlic - a popular flu remedy in traditional Chinese medicine - has skyrocketed by more than 500 percent this winter amid public fear about the spread of the potentially deadly virus. Recent media reports said that the demand for chili is also increasing.

But Wu Jiang, head of the immunity division under the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said garlic and chili are not a cure for H1N1.