Garlic Health Benefits:--------------- Garlic is an herb. It is best known as a flavoring for food. But over the years, garlic has been used as a medicine to prevent or treat a wide range of diseases and conditions. The fresh clove or supplements made from the clove are used for medicine. Garlic is used for many conditions related to the heart and blood system. These conditions include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, heart attack, and “hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis). Some of these uses are supported by science. Garlic actually may be effective in slowing the development of atherosclerosis and seems to be able to modestly reduce blood pressure. Some people use garlic to prevent colon cancer, rectal cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and lung cancer. It is also used to treat prostate cancer and bladder cancer. How effective is it?-------------- Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate. The effectiveness ratings for GARLIC are as follows: Possibly effective for... High blood pressure. Some research shows that garlic can reduce blood pressure in people with high blood pressure by as much as 7% or 8%. It also seems to lower blood pressure in people with normal blood pressure. Most studies have used a specific garlic powder product (Kwai, from Lichtwer Pharma). “Hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis):---- As people age, their arteries tend to lose their ability to stretch and flex with age. Garlic seems to reduce this effect. Colon cancer, rectal cancer, and stomach cancer:---- Eating garlic seems to reduce the risk of developing these cancers. However, garlic supplements don’t seem to offer the same benefit. Tick bites:------- Scientists have compared the number of tick bites in people who take high doses of garlic compared to people who do not take garlic. High doses of dietary garlic, over about a five-month period, seem to reduce the number of tick bites. Fungal infections of the skin (including ringworm, jock itch and athlete’s foot).:--- Ringworm and jock itch respond to treatment with a garlic gel containing 0.6% ajoene (a chemical in garlic) that is applied to the skin. A garlic gel with a higher concentration of ajoene (1%) is needed to be effective against athlete’s foot. In fact, garlic gel with 1% ajoene seems to be about as effective against athlete’s foot as the medicine Lamisil. How to use garlic as a medicinal remedy:--------- The best garlic remedy uses fresh, uncooked, crushed, organic cloves — used in a warm tea or mixed with raw, unprocessed honey. Fresh garlic juice may also be utilized. Garlic also is found as a powder and a pearl or capsule of garlic oil. There are also garlic extracts or tinctures. For use of garlic in small children, it is best to simply rub raw crushed garlic on the bottoms of their feet and then apply socks. To combat high levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar, maintain a regular daily intake of one to three fresh cloves of garlic. To make the garlic more palatable, mix with raw honey or place the chopped garlic into capsules for swallowing. Watch for unpleasant digestive symptoms and decrease garlic intake as needed. Ginger tea is helpful to reduce gastric upset due to garlic use. For internal bacterial (including bladder and kidney), viral, or fungal infections, parasites, or for respiratory congestion (to decrease tissue inflammation), consider fresh garlic tea or syrup with honey. You can also use the garlic tinctures or capsules; however, fresh garlic is always the best choice. Garlic is readily absorbed into the lungs, as evidenced by the odor of "garlic breath." This action makes garlic a powerful treatment for respiratory infections. Sore throats are best soothed with a warm garlic tea and a spoonful of raw honey.
Posted on: Mon, 30 Sep 2013 07:18:22 +0000