Garlic may be best known for its pungent aroma, fending off Vampires or as a popular addition to Italian and Asian cuisine. But this potent veggie has hugely powerful effects on your health!
Garlic has been used as both food and medicine for thousands of years, dating all the way back to when the Egyptian pyramids were built. In early 18th-century France, gravediggers drank crushed garlic in wine believing it would protect them from the plague. Hippocrates even promoted the use of garlic for treating respiratory problems, parasites, poor digestion and fatigue. During both World Wars I and II, soldiers were given garlic to prevent gangrene, and it was also used as an antiseptic, applied to wounds to prevent infection.
Today, garlic is used as an antibiotic, antiviral, antimicrobial and antifungal. It is also used to reduce cholesterol and triglycerides, hardening of the arteries and blood clotting, to reduce blood pressure, to prevent cancer, to protect the liver, to boost the immune system, reduce blood sugar levels, and to reduce menstrual pain. Garlic has also been used topically (on the skin) to treat corns, warts, calluses, ear infections, muscle pain, nerve pain, arthritis, and sciatica.
HIV/AIDS Treatment with Garlic
The HIV virus attacks the immune system and can effectively destroy its ability to fight diseases. When the virus has destroyed too many blood cells, the body succumbs to all sorts of infections and diseases, including pneumonia, herpes, meningitis, tuberculosis, and cancer among others. This is when the HIV infection is refereed to AIDS, and when patients die from complications of the infections, not from the HIV itself.
Although antiretroviral drugs are being used on a worldwide scale to fight HIV and AIDS, the drugs’ effectiveness to permanently suppress the virus are still shaky, as the HIV virus has shown an ability to replicate and mutate to become drug-resistant. The U.S.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates a number of Homeopathic remedies and herbs such as garlic have shown great promise in curbing the proliferation of the HIV infection and boosting the immune system in fighting AIDS.
A number of studies have found garlic to be effective against the common infections caused by AIDS, including, herpes and mycobacteria, cryptococcus, as well as cryptosporidia and pneumocystis. Garlic has also been shown to obstruct the spread of HIV virus in the AIDS patient.
Fights Cancer
Garlic helps to prevent many forms of cancer, especially cancers of the digestive system, while preventing certain tumors from growing larger and reducing the size of tumors. The presence of allyl sulfur in garlic can slow down the progress of cancerous cell growth. Daily intake of garlic is important for those who have a family history of cancer to lower their risk.
Garlic is magnificent at helping strengthen the immune system, and aiding the body in warding off diseases. In test tubes, garlic seems to kill cancer cells, and population studies also show that people who eat more raw or cooked garlic are less likely to get colon, stomach and esophageal cancer. In fact, researchers who reviewed 7 studies and found a 30% reduction in risk of colorectal cancer among people who ate a lot of raw or cooked garlic, however, garlic supplements don’t seem to have the same effect.
In a study of 50 people with inoperable colorectal, liver, or pancreatic cancer, immune activity improved after they took aged garlic extract for 6 months. Another study carried out at the Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention in China, found that people who ate raw garlic at least twice a week had a 44% lower risk of developing lung cancer.
Doctors at the Department of Urology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China, carried out a study evaluating the relationship between Allium vegetable consumption and prostate cancer risk. They gathered and analyzed published studies up to May 2013 and reported their findings in the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, and wrote, “Allium vegetables, especially garlic intake, are related to a decreased risk of prostate cancer.”
Sulfur compounds found in garlic have been identified as effective in destroying the cells in glioblastomas, a type of deadly brain tumor. Scientists at the Medical University of South Carolina reported in the journal Cancer that three pure organo-sulfur compounds from garlic demonstrated potency in eradicating brain cancer cells.
Reduce Arthritis Pain
A team at King’s College London and the University of East Anglia, both in England, reported in the journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders that women whose diets were rich in allium vegetables had lower levels of osteoarthritis. The long-term study, involved more than 1,000 healthy female twins, and found that those whose diet included plenty of fruit and vegetables, “particularly alliums such as garlic”, had fewer signs of early osteoarthritis in the hip joint.
Garlic has also been shown to reduce pain and other symptoms in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Ground garlic mixed with hot aloe lotion calms and eases pain in inflamed and aching joints due to rheumatism. Various chemical compounds present in garlic also are believed to aid in reducing inflammation associated with various forms of arthritis.
Powerful Antibacterial, Antiviral, Antifungal & Antimicrobial Properties
From a medical history standpoint, the antibacterial and antiviral properties of garlic are perhaps its most legendary feature. This allium vegetable has been studied not only for the benefits in controlling infection by bacteria and viruses, but also infection from other microbes including yeasts/fungi and worms.
The Campylobacter bacterium is one of the most common causes of intestinal infections. Diallyl sulfide is a compound in garlic that was found to be 100X more effective than popular antibiotics in fighting bacteria, according to a study published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. Senior author, Dr. Xiaonan Lu, from Washington State University, said:
This work is very exciting to me because it shows that this compound has the potential to reduce disease-causing bacteria in the environment and in our food supply.
Overgrowth of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori in the stomach is a key risk factor for stomach ulcers. Garlic has been shown to wipe out this form of bacteria, and has been another key area of interest for researchers wanting to explore garlic’s antibacterial benefits.
Fighting The Common Cold, Flu & a Cough
Raw garlic is used to treat colds, the flu and coughs. At the very onset of a cold, you should eat at least two cloves of crushed garlic to help lessen the severity of your cold or stop it completely. When I use garlic at the onset of symptoms for either a cold or the flu, they will completely go away within a matter of hours. I have yet to suffer from a cold or the flu in more than 4 years of using this method.
Julia Fashner, MD; Kevin Ericson, MD; and Sarah Werner, DO, at St. Joseph Family Medicine Residency, Mishawaka, Indiana which is very close to where I live, carried out a study titled“Treatment of the Common Cold in Children and Adults”, published in American Family Physician, and they also found that garlic was able to decrease the frequency of colds.
Garlic is a surprisingly good source of vitamins C, B6 and the minerals selenium and manganese, all of which strengthen the immune system. Its antibacterial properties make garlic a wonderful treatment for coughs and other throat irritations. The strong antiviral properties kill the viruses that cause colds and the flu. Garlic can also reduce the severity of upper respiratory infections. Garlic supplements can be taken on a regular basis to reduce the frequency of colds. Garlic also is highly beneficial in treating various disorders of the lungs such as asthma. It also promotes expectoration with coughs, making it irreplaceable for those with chronic bronchitis.
Asthma
Evidence suggests that compounds naturally present in garlic can help treat asthma as well as reduce and cure symptoms associated with other respiratory ailments. Fresh garlic provides more than twice as much vitamin C as tomatoes, and helps neutralize free radicals that cause contraction of airway smooth muscles in asthma sufferers. Vitamin C rich foods, such as raw garlic help promote histamine breakdown and reduce histamine release in the body. Histamine is a natural chemical generated by the body, and it is involved in many allergic reactions and is known to promote inflammation in asthma sufferers.
Fights Allergies
The antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties also help the body fight different types of allergies. It also has been shown to reduce airway inflammation due to allergies. It is highly recommended that people with allergies take a daily garlic supplement during the allergy season. Raw garlic juice is a good option for rapid relief from itching due to rashes, bug bites or any other kind of allergy.
Ear Aches
Garlic is commonly used for curing ear aches, due to the antiviral, antifungal and antibiotic properties. Garlic oil can be made at home by squeezing the juice of garlic cloves and adding it to olive oil. The mixture should be kept at room temperature for a few days, but shouldn’t be saved indefinitely.
Heart Health
Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine found that Diallyl trisulfide (a component of garlic oil) helps protect the heart during cardiac surgery and after a heart attack. They also believe diallyl trisulfide could be used as a treatment for heart failure.
In another study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, scientists found that garlic oil can help protect diabetes patients from cardiomyopathy. Cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of death among diabetes patients, and is a chronic disease of the heart muscle, which is abnormally thickened, enlarged and/or stiffened.
Reduces High Cholesterol & High Blood Pressure
Researchers at Ankara University performed a study involving 23 volunteers, all with high cholesterol. At the end of the four months the researchers concluded the garlic extract supplements reduced high cholesterol levels, and also blood pressure in the patients with hypertension.
Alcohol-Induced Liver Injury
Alcohol-induced liver injury is caused by the long-term over-consumption of alcoholic beverages. Scientists at the Institute of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Shandong University, China, found that diallyl disulfide, a garlic-derived organosulfur compound, has protective effects against ethanol-induced oxidative stress.
Relieve Intestinal Issues & Aid Digestion
Eating Garlic daily aids in eliminating digestive problems. Garlic assists in the normal functioning of the intestines for good digestion. Even swelling or irritation of the gastric canal can be rectified with garlic as a treatment.
Garlic is phenomenal at clearing up most intestinal problems like dysentery, diarrhea, colitis, and even worms It destroys the harmful bacteria present in the intestines, but does not affect the functioning of good bacteria in the intestine, which aid in digestion.
Heal Infected Wounds
Garlic can be placed on infected wounds as an herbal treatment. It should be mixed with a few drops of water, apple cider vinegar or coconut oil, rather than using it in raw form as the undiluted juice can irritate the skin.
Fight Acne
Half the people in the world suffer from mild to severe forms of acne. Garlic may be used, along with other ingredients like honey and turmeric, to prevent the initial development of acne, and treat acne scars. Garlic acts as a cleanser and an antibiotic substance for soothing skin rashes.
Aids Weight Reduction
Many researchers believe that the anti-inflammatory property in garlic helps regulate the formation of fat cells in the body, one of the primary factors in obesity. Garlic also is highly diuretic in nature due to its essential oils and its low molecular weight sugars. Regular consumption of raw garlic or garlic supplements can help you maintain a healthy body weight.
Helps A Toothache
Among the most popular of home remedies for a toothache is the use of garlic. This remedy has been passed down for years and works because garlic contains a powerful compound called allicin, which partly makes up garlic’s antibiotic properties. When garlic is crushed, this compound is released, helping to slow bacterial activity upon application and ingestion. Try applying a crushed garlic clove or garlic powder to the area. It may burn, but the pain from the garlic will vanish within minutes, and the pain from the bacterial should subside withing a few hours. Repeat this over the next 3-4 days, or longer if necessary.
Reduce Risk Of Premature Delivery
Several studies have shown that microbial infections during pregnancy raise a woman’s risk of preterm delivery. Scientists at the Division of Epidemiology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, wanted to find out what impact foods might have on antimicrobial infections and preterm delivery risk. The study and its findings were published in the Journal of Nutrition. Researchers concentrated on the effects of Alliums and dried fruits, because a literature search had identified these two foods as showing the greatest promise for reducing preterm delivery risk.
The study authors concluded “Intake of food with antimicrobial and prebiotic compounds are of importance to reduce the risk of spontaneous PTD. In particular, garlic was associated with overall lower risk of spontaneous PTD.”
At A Glance Guide of The Benefits Of Garlic
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