Garlic Healing Properties
Garlic Help for Colds
For more than 5,000 years, garlic has been valued for its healing properties and its ability to increase the body’s strength and energy.
Fresh garlic mixed with honey is an effective home remedy for colds, hoarseness and inflammation of the throat.
Use a garlic press or mini food processor to crush 1 oz. of fresh garlic cloves. Mix the crushed garlic with 2 cup of honey. Let the mixture sit for 1 hour to infuse the honey with the garlic’s essential oils. Store in a cool place. At the first sign of a cold, take 1 – 2 tsp. of the mixture and then repeat every hour thereafter. Also, should the cold get worse, this remedy can be effective for relieving severe chest congestion and painful coughing.
The builders of the three great pyramids at Giza in Egypt are said to have eaten garlic to rejuvenate their bodies after their back-breaking work.
Today, garlic is thought to help prevent heart disease, stroke and hypertension. In addition, its essential oils and other components have strong antibiotic, anti fungal and antiviral properties.
Garlic can also be made into a salve to help ease neuralgia, joint pain, sprains, corns and other skin afflictions.
Getting the medicinal benefits of garlic is easy, because it makes a delicious seasoning for so many foods.
Therapeutic Effect: The sulfur Found in garlic’s essential oils makes it a potent disinfectant and a good defense for killing germs in the body. After garlic is ingested, it is absorbed into the blood stream and then diffused through various organs. In this way, the skin, intestines, lungs and urinary system all profit from the highly effective healing properties of the garlic.
Components
Garlic is rich in essential oils, whose principle active agent is allicin. This compound is responsible for the characteristic odor of garlic, as well as many of its healing properties. In addition, garlic contains calcium, selenium, potassium and zinc.
Fighting heart disease and stroke
Garlic lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels and raises HDL (“good”) cholesterol, thus helping to prevent the buildup of plaque within the coronary arteries. It also helps keep blood clots from forming in the blood vessels. Both actions protect against heart attack and stroke.
Kitchen Hints
When buying garlic, choose solid firm bulbs. The outer skin should be taut, unbroken and white or violet in color. Avoid bulbs with soft or damp spots.
Store garlic in a cool, dry place; it will keep for several weeks. A ceramic garlic keeper is best for storage because it lets air circulate.
Braided strands of garlic may look attractive, but unfortunately most of the bulbs are likely to spoil before you get around to using them.
Garlic looses its antibacterial effect when it is cooked or aged for more than 24 hours. Therefore some of the garlic you eat should be raw. Finely chop raw garlic to make it more palatable, and eat it with other foods, such as salads.
Garlic-in-oil preparations can cause botulism if not prepared properly. When you make homemade garlic oils, refrigerate them and keep them no longer than 10-14 days. Commercial products are safe when they contain an acidifying agent, such as citric or phosphoric acid.
For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
All information provided in this site is the result of research using (but not limited to) the following books and guides: The Complete Guide to Natural Healing, International Masters Publishers.
This site makes every effort to provide accurate and up-to-date information that is intended to complement, not replace, the advice of your physician. Before undertaking the advice contained on this web site, you should consult with a health care professional, who can best assess your individual needs, symptoms and treatment.
