Garlic! Nature's remedies!

Garlic!

Nature’s overlooked natural remedies and treatments. [Start Disclaimer] I am not a doctor so you may need to consult with your physician before attempting any suggested treatments. [End disclaimer] This will be a collection of many resources found on the internet.

Garlic!
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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….
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.

I have eaten garlic for a few days before I go on a camping trip and mosquitoes stay away. Others too since garlic seem to permeate throughout every pore. But at least I will not have to deal with bug bites!

Medicinal Ingredients of Garlic
There are two main medical ingredients which produce the garlic health benefits: allicin and diallyl sulphides.

What Is Allicin?

Allicin is the most powerful medicinal compound derived from garlic and provides the greatest reputed health benefits.

Allicin does not occur in "ordinary" garlic, it is produced when garlic is finely chopped or crushed. The finer the chopping and the more intensive the crushing, the more allicin is generated and the stronger the medicinal effect….

As well as having antibiotic properties, allicin is an excellent anti-fungal and garlic preparations have been used in folk medicine to treat skin infections such as athlete's foot. Be cautious: too much contact with crushed garlic can result in skin blistering. You should also be aware that a few people are allergic to garlic. Garlic is powerful and needs to be treated with respect

What are Diallyl Sulphides?

The diallyl sulphides (sulfides) obtained from garlic are less powerful than allicin but can still reportedly provide some benefits to health.

Diallyl sulphides are also less volatile than allicin. They do not degrade as quickly and, importantly, the health benefits survive cooking. Note that garlic still needs to be chopped or crushed to produce the sulphides - if garlic is cooked whole then it has almost no medicinal value or health benefits.

Diallyl sulphides do not share the antifungal properties of allicin. However they are reportedly good for the blood and circulation in some cases. The sulphides might also help to lower the levels of "bad" cholesterol, hence garlic might help to keep the heart and cardiovascular system healthy.

Diallyl suphides also have a reputation for boosting the immune system.

[edit on 5/22/2009 by Amaxium]

2nd part

General List of Health Benefits

Colds: One of the most common ailments garlic has been touted to treat is the cold. Upon the onset of the sniffles, many people testify that consuming a clove or more of raw garlic takes them away. How can a clove of garlic possibly help? Studies have shown that garlic extract improves immune function, giving our natural defense system a boost, and helping it conserve our levels of antioxidants in our system. It is this strengthening of the immune system that aids in its support for other health related conditions.


Cancer: For years research has been conducted on the effects of garlic on cancer. A healthy immune system is necessary to fight cancer, and we already know conclusively that garlic supports that system. Studies have been done on the population and in animals, as well as in test tubes. What is determined is that garlic has the ability to reduce the formation of cancerous cells. Garlic is shown to actually block cancer causing compounds from forming, and slow the growth of tumor cells. Garlic is especially helpful in blocking oesophagal, breast, stomach, prostate and bladder cancer. Research has proven that compounds in garlic not only slow the rate of growth in a tumor, but can reduce the tumor size by half.

When studying the effects on breast cancer, these compounds can actually prevent carcinogens from attaching to breast cells. What are these wondrous compounds? They are diallye disulphide and s-allycystein. These compounds form when garlic is crushed. Among the sulfur components of garlic there are some called ajoenes, which are also noted for their "antitumor" abilities.

Heart Disease: Just as there are many factors that cause heart disease, there are many benefits of garlic that aid in preventing and treating it. So how can garlic help keep our heart in check? First, it helps lower our cholesterol levels. It raies our HDL (good) cholesterol levels, prevents LDL (bad) cholesterol from building up on arterial walls. This reduces the chances of plaque forming in our arteries. It has also been shown to lower cholesterol levels by 9% in people who ate 2 cloves of garlic per day.

Recent studies have also shown it to protect the aorta. The aorta is the heart blood vessel that maintians blood pressure and flow while the heart is pumping. Age, poor diet and environmental factors such as smoking can damage the aorta, causing it to stiffen. Studies have also shown that regular consumption of garlic slows the aging of the aorta and helps keep it flexible.

Hypertension: Another heart benefit of garlic is its ability to help control our blood pressure by thinning our blood. Once again the chemical found in garlic, called ajoene, thins the blood and keeps clots from forming. Studies done with general populations have shown that where there is more garlic consumed in a population, there is also a reduced incidence of hypertension and heart disease. Although garlic's heart healthy benefits may be new to some, for centuries Chinese herbalists have been using garlic to treat people with angina attacks and circulatory disorders.

Infection: Since 1858 garlic has also been known for its anti-bacterial properties. At this time Louis Pasteur discovered that bacterial cells died when they were saturated with garlic. Other cases of it being used as an antibiotic in history include WW II, when British doctors used it to treat those wounded in battle, and Albert Schweitzer used garlic to treat typhus and cholera. Garlic is known to have not only antibacterial but antiviral and antifungal abilities as well. It is effective against intestinal parasites, recurrent yeast infections and the growth candida albicans is slowed by garlic. With this in mind, it should be condsidered only as an aid to antibiotics in fighting infections, as it is not enough to replace them. Garlic can help by stimulating T-cells that help fight infection.

Impotence: Garlic has also been found to be helpful to those dealing with impotence. Folklore dating back centuries has hailed garlic as an aphrodisiac, and now studies have proven this legend to be true. We know that garlic aids in blood circulation and keeps veins and arteries youthful, but that is only one way it helps with impotence. According to researchers, to obtain an erection an enzyme is required called nitric oxide synthase, and compounds in garlic stimulate the production of this enzyme in people who suffer from low levels of it.

Pregnancy: One can also benefit from garlic during pregnancy. According to a study done by doctors in a London hospital, garlic supplementation may help weight-gain for babies that may be at risk for low birth weight. The study also found that the chance of other at-birth risk factors could be reduced, such as pre-eclampsia, which is associated with hypertension.

Post any additional information ya’ll have tried or found on garlic to add to this Garlic specific post.

Cheers!


[edit on 5/22/2009 by Amaxium]

[edit on 5/22/2009 by Amaxium]

no use eating all that garlic, u can by allicin in supplement section of grocery store.

but garlic makes everything taste better. Find youself forced to eat an old tennis shoe? no problem, add a bit of garlic, and voila! (cheese helps too)

For real though, I put garlic on almost everything. As long as eveyone in the house eats it, nobody notices. And I don't have much problem with pesky neighbors always coming over to borrow stuff.

Originally posted by bigspud
no use eating all that garlic, u can by allicin in supplement section of grocery store.

The point of this post is not chemically enhanced or processed supplements but herbal remedies provided by nature you can grow and or find in the wild in a SHTF situation.

Well, I use fresh garlic on pretty much everything (chopped very fine by my wonderful magic bullet) and I'll tell you, I'll take fresh garlic over supplements anyday. And in an SHTF situation, garlic would definitely make roadkill taste a lot better...

Good flavor+good benefits+good info=good post

Thanks for this post; I knew that garlic is healthy and some applicances, but there is stuff I didn't know.

Good thing my grilfriend and I both like garlic

Yes, garlic has a lot of great properties as a natural remedy. It has its side effects problems too, though. Less then medications such as antibiotics or potent anti-coagulants, but it is less effective then them too.
I always say that if something really does influences way our body works for the better, then it has potential to do harm too since our body is influenced by it.
So garlic is a great first line cheap option for lot of stuff. By for not remedy for all illneses (there could be no such thing by definition) and not free of side effects - and i do not speak about smell. More like stomach irritation and other things.

Two of the worlds best things: garlic and hot peppers (the hotter, the better).
I had a friend a few years ago who was diagnosed with severe blockage in his neck. After one year of taking garlic and caspaicin supplements, the blockage was minimal (from 80% blocked to 15%) and his body had enlarged the arteries and veins to allow almost the equivalent blood flow of a healthy 20 year old (he was 43, overweight and diabetic), thus reducing the threat of stroke and heart attack. It was amazing (in retrospect) to watch the guy go from a heavy breather, almost always out of breath even when sitting behind a desk, to one who would go out and help me move things around in the shop we were working at. He didn't loose the weight (was about 6'1" and 290 lbs) but sure didn't act like he weighed that much.

Me, on the other hand... I eat a raw garlic clove at least once a week (wife hates me for it) and most everything I eat has some sort of heat added whether cayenne powder, jalapeno or habenero. At the least, a liberal shaking of black pepper and tabasco sauce is added.

But don't fool yourself: even though nature offers everything you need to lead a long life, there are no miracle cures. Life isn't for ever, yet.

Has anyone ever noticed how greek guys are always horny? It's the garlic!
Has anyone ever noticed how vietnamese people are always thin? It's the garlic and chili!

Garlic is great, I use it all the time, but a word of caution.
DO NOT OVER USE IT.

It makes your sweat smell all garlicky, do not have the embaressment that I had after using crushed garclic cloves in cooking for a week, sure, it made my blood better and myself feel healthier but I couldn't talk to anyone , garlic breath is not good.

Mnd you a guy I used to work with used garlic to cover up his alcohol breath problem first thing in the mornings Yuck...
So it does have its uses , and yes makes crap food taste even better, I use it on the wifes cooking when she cooks, which is not often..

reply to post by Amaxium


Okay now all of this is making so much sense. My husband is a chef, so naturally we use a lot of garlic, we use it everyday, onions, celery, and carrots, with natural herbs, salt and pepper. We also eat a lot of mushrooms, and just tons of veggies. Maybe eating all of this stuff is what's keeping us healthy? I wonder if people actually took the time to prepare a meal, instead of grabbing fast food, they we would all be healthy, lose weight, and not have health problems. Hrmm something to think about. Thanks for posting this!

I love garlic and use a lot of it in my cooking... I dated an Italian girl once... she tasted of garlic in the most interesting places... I kept fighting the urge to sprinkle Parmesan cheese on her

I've always said that garlic helps keep away both Republicans and vampires... though it works better on vampires... I have never once been bothered by vampires.

[edit on 27-5-2009 by grover]