Garlic Health Benefits
In the
eighteenth century in France, gravediggers used garlic to protect themselves from getting
the Plague. In WW1 and WW2 soldiers took garlic to protect themselves from gangrene.
People today use garlic to prevent plaque buildup on the arteries, improve high blood pressure, reduce coughs, colds, bronchitis, and even pneumonia.
Did you know that the antibiotic activity
of one milligram of allicin (the active ingredient in garlic), equals 15 units of
penicillin? In research, it has been diluted to 1
part per 125,000 and still killed bacteria. It is an extremely effective, broad-spectrum
antibiotic, killing gram negative and gram positive. Garlic's use has been proven to
destroy many types of bacteria including Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Typhoid,
Diphtheria, Cholera, E. Coli, Bacterial Dysentery (Traveler's Diarrhea), Tuberculosis,
Tetanus, Rheumatic bacteria, Bacillus cereus, bacillus subtilis, Mycobacterium smegmatis,
Streptomyces griseus, Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Klebsiella,
pneumoniae, and Xanthomonas maltophilia and many others.
Another one of garlic's health benefits is
its expectorant properties and its powerful effect on the lungs. I have taken raw garlic
crushed and put into salsa at the beginning of a cough and was
completely cured of it. However, this has to be done the first day of a cough in order to have maximum benefits. Taking garlic for
pneumonia or tuberculosis has also been shown effective, since garlic also has antiviral
and antibacterial properties.
When our kids have been sick, we have put
crushed garlic mixed with olive oil on the bottom of their feet, then put socks on them
while they slept. Using this method gets garlic's healing properties into the blood
stream. After doing this our children were fine the next day. A garlic wash (crushed
garlic mixed with warm water) is great for bites, stings and cuts. Make sure always to
check to see if any irritation or burning occures if garlic is left on the skin longer
than 20 minutes. Garlic can blister and burn the skin, even if you do not feel anything
burning, especially if applied without oil.
In studies, garlic has also been shown to
be effective against parasites. Recently, in another study, a combination garlic extract
effectively worked against children's ear infections.
One study found garlic to significantly
lower blood pressure. In this study, people with high blood pressure were given just one
clove of garlic a day for 12 weeks. Their diastolic blood pressure and cholesterol levels
were then significantly reduced.
Many more studies have been and are being done on the
benefits of garlic. Garlic is an awesome herb God has given us.
Garlic remedies have also been used to
treat cancer, the common cold, diabetes, high cholesterol,
atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), and more.
Garlic is best eaten raw and the most
potent garlic preparations are the ones made at home. It should only be taken raw for
short periods of time for temporary conditions. Garlic in its raw form (chopped and let to
sit for about 30 minutes), is good for any kind of bacterial, viral, or fungal infections,
bites, etc. Garlic should be chopped and slightly cooked if taking for high blood
pressure, asthma, arthritis, etc. Click here
to read this informative page about some very effective garlic remedies and how to prepare
them.
Ask your doctor before taking garlic if you
are taking any kind of blood thinning medications or if you are about to have surgery of
any kind.
Always inform your doctor of any herbs or
other medicines you are taking to avoid any drug interactions.
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