Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Garlic Medicinal Uses

Nature has gifted us lots of things to keep our self healthy. One of those gifts is Garlic. There are lots of saying & proverbs about Garlic which reflects its importance & quality such as Garlic is as good as 10 mothers & Garlic a day keep sickness at bay. Moreover, it is regarded as a miracle by naturopaths & herbalists. Various researches have proved it that Garlic is good for health and is beneficial in curing various health problems.

The garlic clove contains various nutrients as water soluble nutrients include vitamins, enzymes, amino acids and natural sugars & oil soluble nutrients includes sulphur compounds originating from an amino acid named alliin which is converted to a pungent compound called allicin which has natural antibiotic properties. Presence of sulphur in garlic is the cause of its pungent smell. However, the quality of Garlic cannot be over hidden due to this smell. In several scientific studies it has been found that:

Garlic Medicinal Uses

  •     Garlic acts as an antiseptic & helps in curing the wounds very quickly.
  •     One of the health benefits of garlic is that it helps in fighting against various infection & acts against inflammation and infection, including colds, coughs by adding a freshly cut raw clove to food three times a day or take kyolic garlic capsules but raw is always best.
  •     In certain studies in China it has been shown that it contains chemicals that prevent cancer. They suggest that eating garlic on regular basis provides some protection against cancer.
  •     Fresh or cooked garlic or 500 mg garlic capsules twice daily helps in lowers down the blood pressure & cardiovascular problems. It increases the levels of high density lipoproteins & reduces harmful cholesterol in the blood & keeps arteries and heart healthy.
  •     It thins the blood, reduces clotting and helps in controlling blood pressure and poor circulation.
  •     Garlic stimulates the immune system of body & helps in fighting against various diseases.
  •     Prevents & relieves chronic bronchitis, respiratory problems, and catarrh.
  •     It acts as a nasal decongestant & expectorant.
  •     It is also helpful for hum oral asthma, hysteria, dropsy & scurvy.
  •     Garlic works as a cleanser of the digestive system, helps in curing flatulence, kills internal parasites and is an excellent internal antiseptic.
  •     Researcher recommends daily dose of fresh garlic of about 4 gm, equivalent to one or two small cloves for each & every person who wants to keep himself healthy.

There are various historical facts which prove that Garlic has been used from centuries for its medicinal uses. From around 3000 B.C. Chinese scholars are praising garlic. Moreover, workers who were engaged in constructing the Great Pyramids of Giza lived mainly on garlic & onion. During World War I, Garlic was used to control infections in wounds. It was also used for controlling a raging epidemic of flu in 1963 in Russia. So now start taking garlic as a diet in your food & enjoy your life without lots of disease. Most important thing is that it doesn't have any side effect. So you can take it without any doubt. I know now you can't avoid such a nice gift of nature which can help you out in various ways. Oh! I am very sorry I forgot to tell you one of the most important things that, it is also helpful in getting rid of VAMPIRES.

Garlic is an important medicinal herb that is readily available everywhere, unlike some of the other herbs mentioned on these pages.  It is one of the safest herbs, and as such can be taken often.  It does, however,  have its drawbacks, as we all know.  Bear this in mind when using remedies (especially internal ones), and cut back when family and friends start avoiding you. 

Garlic does indeed have scientifically-proven medicinal properties.  It contains a substance called Allicin, which has anti-bacterial properties that are equivalent to a weak penicillin.  It appears that cooked garlic weakens the anti-bacterial effects considerably, however, so don't count on cooked garlic with meals for much in the way of a curative. 


Garlic appears to have anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties.  The list is long when it comes to its uses as a remedy.  This list includes wounds, ulcers, skin infections, flu, athlete's foot, some viruses, strep, worms, respiratory ailments, high blood pressure, blood thinning, cancer of the stomach, colic, colds, kidney problems, bladder problems, and ear aches, to name a few.  It is believed to cure worms in both people and animals - try giving the dog a clove of garlic daily (but he's not gonna like it).

For most internal problems, eating garlic raw is probably the most potent way to take it.  However, due to the obvious lingering odors associated with this, a tincture can be made by soaking 1/4 pound of peeled and separated garlic cloves in 1/2 quart of brandy.  Seal tightly and shake every day.  Strain and bottle after two weeks of this, and take in drops - 25-30 a day, if desired. 

For cough, flu, and respiratory ailments, make a cough syrup out of garlic.  Slice 1 pound of fresh garlic and pour one quart of boiling water over it.  Let sit for 12 hours, then add sugar until you reach the consistency of a syrup.  Add honey for better taste, if desired.

For sore throat, make a garlic tea by steeping several cloves of garlic in half a cup of water overnight. Hold your nose and drink it.

Externally, garlic is a known anti-bacterial and anti-infection agent.  An interesting use for ear aches is to slice a garlic clove, heat briefly in a small amount of virgin olive oil, and let cool.  Then use a drop of two in the affected ear (strain the mixture beforehand, of course).

Make an Ointment out of garlic (use cloves instead of leaves, stems, or flowers as described in Ointments) for wounds, cuts, athlete's foot, or any other external skin irritation, fungus, or infection.  Also, try a few drops of Oil on a toothache for pain relief. 



Garlic is classified as both a food and medicinal herb. It can and should be eaten as food, but it can also be taken in supplement form to augment a healthy diet when more serious health problems arise. Here's how this alternative medicine works:

Healing Properties

Garlic has many healing properties, but the most research has been done on its potential to help reduce heart disease. Garlic has been intensively studied, and numerous large studies have shown that taking supplements that mimic fresh garlic can significantly lower LDL cholesterol levels without hurting beneficial HDL cholesterol levels. Garlic appears to act by blocking the liver from making too much LDL cholesterol.

There is also some evidence that garlic supplements can mildly lower blood pressure by dilating or expanding blood vessels. And garlic helps prevent blood clots -- and therefore reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke -- by decreasing the stickiness of platelets, which are tiny disk-shaped bodies in the blood that are necessary for blood clotting. When platelets are too sticky, they form clumps that can adhere to artery walls and contribute to clogged arteries.

Garlic has also been shown to reduce pain and other symptoms in people with rheumatoid arthritis. And it reduces the size of some cancerous tumors and helps prevent some cancers, particularly those in the intestines. However, the research on this is not nearly as far advanced as that for garlic and heart disease, so do not use garlic supplements without consulting with a natural health care professional.

One of the oldest uses of garlic, however, is as an antibiotic. Garlic kills a range of microbes, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites, and can be effective against such conditions as athlete's foot, thrush (a fungal infection of the mouth), viral diarrhea, and the ulcer-causing bacteria Helicobacter pylori. Only fresh garlic or supplements that mimic it have these effects.
Preparation and Dosage

For best results, fresh garlic or preparations that mimic it need to be used. Dried or cooked garlic, as well as garlic oil, lose a significant amount of potency during processing (though they aren't worthless and are still beneficial to eat as food). Preparations used for medicinal purposes should state that they have allicin potential of at least 6,000 mcg on the label. Alternately, eat one chopped clove of fresh garlic per day. (The fresh garlic that has been peeled and sometimes minced and sold in jars in the grocery store is not potent enough.)

Good quality garlic supplements list the "allicin potential" they contain and not a certain amount of allicin. This means that when the supplement gets to the stomach, it releases 6,000 mcg of allicin, the pungent chemical that accounts for garlic's sharp flavor. The supplements do not contain actual allicin, because this compound is extremely unstable and quickly breaks down. Instead, good garlic supplements contain alliin, the stable precursor to allicin. It is released only upon digestion, so your body can make the best use of it.
Storage

Store garlic in a cool, dark, dry place with good air circulation. Check on it occasionally, and remove any cloves that have gone bad, being careful not to nick the remaining cloves.



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