Garlic Facts

What you should know about garlic

  • ARTHRITIS:

    Garlic taken daily helps ease the pain associated with arthritis and possibly eliminates the disorder by stimulating the immune system.

  • ASTHMA:

    According to some herbal practitioners, a combination of garlic and honey can help stop an asthma attack if taken right away, say herbal practitioners.

  • BLADDER INFECTIONS:

    Garlic has proven to be effective in killing the bacteria responsible for recurrent bladder infections.

  • BLOOD PRESSURE:

    Garlic and onions are both packed with allicin; selenium and other nutrients that, studies show, help keep hypertension under control.

  • CANCER:

    For many years the National Cancer Institute has been studying how common foods can help safeguard against this killer disease -- and garlic has definitely proved to be a formidable weapon. It is a member of a food group that contains powerful phytochemicals -- compounds researchers believe inhibit cancer growth. The pungent herb may also be effective in preventing the onset of deadly colon cancer, report researchers at the prestigious University of Texas M. D. Anderson Hospital.

  • CHOLESTEROL:

    Eating a moderate amount of raw garlic can reduce heart-damaging LDL cholesterol or a couple of garlic pills on a daily basis, studies show.

  • COLDS:

    This remedy won't make you popular at parties, but it should nip your cold in the bud: keep a peeled garlic clove in your cheek and bite it every so often to release the juice, which helps kill viruses. Change the clove every couple of hours. In most cases, your cold will be gone within 24 hours. Regular doses in tablet form are also effective.

  • COUGHS:

    Syrup made of raw garlic and honey can quell the toughest cough. Mince six cloves of garlic and put them in a jar with a cup of honey, then let it sit for about two hours. When your cough gets bad, take a teaspoon and enjoy the relief. This can also be effective in pill form. Garlic tea is also an effective cough remedy. To make it, add three minced cloves to a cup of just boiled water and let the mixture steep for about ten minutes. Strain out the garlic bits and drink the remaining liquid. But don't throw out the garlic -- you can add them to soup or other dishes at dinnertime.

  • FOOD POISONING:

    Garlic has long been recognized as an effective antidote to many common forms of food poisoning. Just to be on the safe side. Always consult your local poison control center should you or anyone in your family show signs of serious food poisoning. Quick action can save lives.

  • GINGIVITIS:

    This disorder is characterized by red, swollen or bleeding gums, and often results from poor dental hygiene. To alleviate the symptoms, take a capsule containing garlic and parsley extract every four hours for three days.

  • HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE:

    Daily doses of garlic fed to patients by Prof. F. G. Piotrowski of the University of Geneva produced the first clinical evidence of how amazingly effective garlic is in relieving hypertension and its accompanying symptoms of chest pains and dizziness.