Garlic Allium sativum - www.HealthyHerbalist.com

Garlic

Allium sativum

Allium sativum L., commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. Its close relatives include the onion, the shallot, and the leek. Garlic has been used throughout recorded history for both culinary and medicinal purposes. It has a characteristic pungent, spicy flavor that mellows and sweetens considerably with cooking.[1] There is much folklore and confusion surrounding this ancient plant.

A bulb of garlic, the most commonly used part of the plant, is divided into numerous fleshy sections called cloves. The cloves are used as seed, for consumption (raw or cooked), and for medicinal purposes. The leaves, stems (scape) and flowers (bulbils) on the head (spathe) are also edible and most often consumed while immature and still tender. The papery, protective layers of 'skin' over various parts of the plant and the roots attached to the bulb are the only parts not considered palatable.

Cultivation

Garlic growing in a containerGarlic is easy to grow and can be grown year-round in mild climates. In cold climates, cloves can be planted in the ground about six weeks before the soil freezes, and harvested in late spring. Garlic plants are not attacked by pests. They can suffer from pink root, a disease that stunts the roots and turns them pink or red. Garlic plants can be grown close together, leaving enough room for the bulbs to mature, and are easily grown in containers of sufficient depth.

use in history

Garlic has been used as both food and medicine in many cultures for thousands of years, dating as far back as the time that the Egyptian pyramids were built. Garlic is claimed to help prevent heart disease including atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and cancer

MEDICINAL QUALITIES OF GARLIC

Garlic’s medicinal value is largely in its highly volatile essential oil, so be careful in its preparation. Anciently, it was used in both healing and nutrition, as it was known to build physical strength and energy. It is a valuable nervine tonic and is especially useful in lowering hypertension; laboratory tests have proven this. It equalizes blood circulation, and it is a useful expectorant for all respiratory affections and infections. Garlic has a special affinity for the respiratory tract, beneficially influencing bronchial secretions, though it rapidly diffuses throughout the whole system.

Garlic stimulates the gastric juices and has active carminative properties to correct any fermentative and gaseous conditions in the stomach. It arrests intestinal putrefaction and infection, while stimulating the healthful growth of the friendly bacterial such as acidophilus, bifido bacterium, etc. The garlic oil is reportedly so popular in Russian medicine that it is referred to as Russian penicillin, and the hospitals and clinics have used the volatile garlic extracts almost exclusively in the form of vapors and inhalants.

The use of garlic as an antiseptic and vulnerary during World War I was sensational; wherever there is pus, it is a safe and certain remedy. Its’ antithelmintic properties and action is deadly to round-and-pin-worms. It also appears to be a powerful agent against tumor formation.

Several retrospective and prospective epidemiological studies have shown that individuals whose diet includes relatively large amounts of garlic, tend to develop cancer less frequently. Although the interpretation of epidemiological results is complex and always open to dispute, the cumulative evidence is significant.

In one of the best epidemiological studies, the Iowa Women’s Study, participants whose diet included significant quantities of garlic were about 30 percent less likely to develop colon cancer. This process is called chemoprevention.

The book goes onto explain garlic’s use as an insect repellant. Oral garlic is a popular folk remedy for insect bite prevention. A double blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial followed 80 Swedish soldiers and measured the number of tick bites received over each phase of the trial. The results show a modest but statistically significant reduction in tick bites attributable to daily consumption of 1200 mg. of garlic daily (type not stated).

As an antimicrobial, raw garlic extracts can kill a wide variety of microorganisms, invitro, including fungi, bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. Thus is appears quite likely that topical application of garlic produces a local antibiotic effect. Topical effects could theoretically make it useful for intestinal infections, as well as Helicobator pylori. However, in vivo studies of garlic for Helicobactor pylori have not been promising.

Dr. Christopher’s extensive list of medicinal uses are as follows: effective against Tuberculosis, asthma, bronchitis, skin diseases, stomach ulcers, leg ulcers, athlete’s foot, boils, abscess, epilepsy, worms, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, pimples, carbuncles, tumors, kidney diseases, poisonous bites and stings, indigestion, catarrh, pneumonia, earache, infantile convulsions, leprosy, psoriasis, smallpox, intestinal disorders (chronic colitis), respiratory affections and infection, dropsy, sounds, aging, insect repellant, fevers, nervous and spasmodic coughs, hoarseness, whooping cough, typhus, cholera, hypertension, headaches, backache, dizziness, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, dysentery dyspepsia, heart palpitation, chills, loss of weight, restlessness, diphtheria, colds, colic, pleurisy, intercostal neuralgia, dyspnea, pharyngitis, cramps, heartburn, sore throat, rhinitis, (clogged and running nose), nicotine poisoning, lip and mouth diseases (ulcers, fissures, etc.), diabetes, ague, pulmonary phthisis, sciatica, hysteria, ringworm, scrofulous sores, rheumatism, inflamed eyes, eye catarrh, chapped and chafed hands, flatulence, paralysis, neuralgia pains, retention of urine (bladder weakness), heart weakness, eczema, pityriasis, cancers, swollen glands, tubercular joints and necrosis.

Garlic has definite antithrombotic effects. In a four week, double-blind, controlled trial, 64 individuals with consistently increased spontaneous platelet aggregation were treated with either placebo or 900 mg. of standardized garlic powder daily. A significant decrease in spontaneous platelet aggregation was seen in the treated group. Similar effects were seen in a smaller trial using aged garlic at a dose of 7.2 grams daily.

Garlic is also useful in the treatment of hyperlipidemia. In vitro and exvivo experiments, on animal hepatocytes have found that allicin and (to a lesser extent) ajoene, s-allylcystein, and related chemical reduce cholesterol biosynthesis by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase as well as 14-alpha-demthylase. Garlic concentrates selenium in a readily absorbable form, which may practically explain its antioxidant and apparent chemopreventive properties. In addition, the sulphuric components of garlic may also directly bind and inactive reactive genotoxic metabolites

HERBAL FORMULAS OF GARLIC

Oil of Garlic

Eight ounces of garlic, peeled and minced

Sufficient warm olive oil

Preparation:

Place the garlic in a large jar and use sufficient olive oil to completely cover the garlic; shake and allow to stand in a moderately warm place for two to three days; strain through unbleached muslin or cotton; bottle and keep in a cool place

Tincture - syrup of garlic

1 poundGarlic cloves, peeled and minced

Equal partsApple cider vinegar and distilled water (sufficient to cover the Minced garlic)

1 pintGlycerin

3 poundsPure honey

Preparation:

Place the garlic into a wide mouth jar, cover with the vinegar and water; close, shake well together; allow to stand in a cool place for four days, macerating (shaking thoroughly) one to two times daily; add the glycerin, shake and allow to stand another day; strain with pressure and filter through muslin or tin linen cloth; add the honey and stir until thoroughly mixed; seal the jar tightly and keep in a cool place

Aromatic vinegar

3 ouncesCaraway or kummell seed, powdered (Carum carvi)

3 ouncesFennel seed (Foeniculum vulgare)

1 quartApple cider vinegar

1 pintGlycerin

Preparation:

Simmer the two herbs slowly in the apple cider vinegar; covered, for 15 minutes; strain and allow to cool; add the glycerin and mix in well

Dropsy, heart disease

8 ouncesParsley seeds, powdered (Petroselinum crispum)

2 ouncesLily-of-the-Valley root, cut or granulated (Convallaria majalis)

8 ouncesGarlic, expressed juice

8 ouncesYellow D or brown cane sugar

1 pintGlycerin

Preparation:

Boil the first two herbs slowly for 20 minutes in three pints of distilled or D-cell water; strain, return to the clean pot and reduce by simmering to one pint; set aside to cool and when warm but not hot, add the remaining ingredients and stir in well; when cool, bottle and keep in a cool place

Eczema, Pityriasis, psoriasis, ulcers, cancers, swollen glands, tubercular joints, necrosis, etc.

8 ouncesGarlic, expressed juice

8 ouncesGlycerin

1 pintBurdock seeds, strong decoction Arctium lappa

Preparation:

Mix the ingredients thoroughly together

Famous Four Thieves Vinegar

During the Dark Ages in Europe when plagues were rampant, those who ate garlic daily were not infected. The Famous Four Thieves garlic preparation was credited with saving many lives when a plague struck the city of Marseilles in 1722. This preparation is supposed to have originated with four thieves who plundered the dead bodies of plague victims while being protected the liberal use of aromatic garlic vinegar during the plague.

Recent research corroborates this protection.

Congenial Combinations

Aromatics:

Garlic odor and taste can be covered effectively by adding a few drops of oil of anise (Oleum anise - Pimpinella anisum; Illicium Verum), oil of caraway (Oleum cari - Careem carvi), oil of cinnamon (Leylanicum; Cinnamomum lourerii), or any other aromatic oil.

There are literally hundreds of garlic formulas, only a few of which are mentioned here. Garlic enjoys a long history of human use both medicinally and as a culinary ingredient.

DOSAGES AND APPLICATIONS OF GARLIC

The formula, Oil of Garlic, is used to treat any ailment. Garlic is purported to treat - internally and externally.

Dosage: A few drops to two teaspoonfuls three to found times daily.

Tincture - syrup of Garlic

Also used to treat any ailment. Garlic is purported to treat this one, thus the reason for the sweetening with the sugar.

Dosage: One tablespoon, three to four times daily

Children: One teaspoonful or more according to age.

Tincture - syrup (glycerite) of garlic

Primarily the same formula mentioned above but sweetened with glycerin and honey instead

Dosage: One teaspoonful to one tablespoonful, three to four times daily between meals.

Uses:

Asthma, bronchitis, catarrhal conditions, phthisis, tuberculosis, coughs, dyspnea, heart weakness, internal ulcerations, etc.

Aromatic vinegar is used to cover the pungent odor and taste of garlic and as an aid to flatulence.

Uses:

This should be used in place of the vinegar, water and glycerin. It is much more acceptable to those who cannot stand the taste and smell of garlic.

Dropsy heart disease formula is useful in the treatment of just what it’s name indicates.

Dosage:

One to two teaspoonfuls in water as required; give the larger dosage to bring about diuresis, and to slow the heart’s action and increase the tone of its’ contraction, then give the smaller dosage, three to four times daily.

Eczema, pityriasis, psoriasis, ulcers, cancers, swollen glands, tubercular joints, necrosis, etc.

This formula is self-explanatory.

Administration:

Saturate lint or cotton and apply over the area; cover with plastic or wax paper, and secure with adhesive tape; change two to three times daily

Dosage:

Internal; one teaspoon three to four times daily, until the affections disappear

Nasal/Rhinitis (clogged and running nose)

Apply the garlic into the nostrils and take the garlic internally

Tuberculosis, whooping cough

Inhale the vapors of the freshly expressed juice that has been diluted with quantities of water

Oral

Nervous and spasmodic cough, hoarseness, etc.:

Take the freshly expressed juice mixed with syrup, honey or other appropriate vehicle

Stomach Chronic colitis, ulcerated, etc.:

Take the garlic oil internally over a period of time, two teaspoons, three to four times daily

Worms:

Give 10 to 30 drops of the fresh juice or one teaspoon of garlic syrup

Colds:

At the onset, place a clove of garlic on each side of the mouth between the teeth and cheek. The cold will disappear within a few hours or a day.

Chronic diseases of the upper respiratory tract (inflamed tonsils, salivary glands, neighboring lymph glands, pharyngitis, laryngitis, bronchitis, etc.:

Keep garlic in the mouth constantly during waking hours, renewing morning and evening after the cloves have absorbed the poisons; or use another appropriate garlic preparation such as a mixture of fresh minced garlic, cayenne pepper and honey.

Asthma, whooping cough, cough, pneumonia, smallpox, bronchitis, dyspnea, etc.:

When there is a spasm, give one teaspoonful of the syrup with or without water every 15 minutes until the spasm is controlled; then give one teaspoonful of the syrup three to four times daily. Use the foot poultice. Mix the freshly expressed juice with leaf lard and rub on chest, throat and between the shoulder blades.

Skin

Rheumatic Pains:

Rub the affected areas with cut garlic; or massage in garlic oil

Chapped and chafed hands or other parts:

Massage garlic oil well into the affected parts.

Earache, inflammation of the middle ear, ear disease:

Pack a small clove of garlic in gauze and place into the external ear passage; or drop four to five drops of oil into the ear channel, put over this a piece of cotton and keep warm. You may add a few drops of B & B Tincture also.

Pimples:

Rub several times a day with garlic; the visible eruptions will disappear without leaving a scar, but this does not remove the cause. Purify the skin by cleansing the blood

Wounds:

Garlic placed on the lip of unclean wounds will cleanse them in four to five days; grated garlic placed near the most virulent bacteria will kill them in five minutes.

Skin diseases, septic wounds:

Apply the garlic tincture on gauze and cover

Lip and mouth diseases (ulcers, fissures, etc.):

Apply a paste of garlic (made by rubbing garlic in a mortar) to the affected part on a sterile gauze and retain eight to twelve hours

Indolent tumors, ulcerated surfaces, wounds:

Apply the freshly expressed juice

Scrofulus sores, ringworm:

Apply a poultice of freshly grated garlic

Sciatica, paralysis, neuralgia pains:

Massage garlic over the affected area

Retention of urine (due to bladder weakness):

Apply a poultice on the abdominal and pubic regions

Athlete’s foot:

Wash the parts in hot, soapy water; rinse and dry well; massage in the garlic oil two to three times daily. Apply once a week to prevent recurrence.

Foot poultice:

Remove the outer membranes of the cloves of garlic; chop it up finely and mix one part garlic to one part petroleum jelly, enough to cover the bottom of each foot; with a thickness of about one fourth inch (for children use one part garlic to three part petroleum jelly). Apply olive oil to the feet first then spread on the preparation; bandage each foot with soft cloth, place in plastic bags, then cover the feet with old socks to prevent the poultice from being kicked off during the night.

Remove the poultice in the morning, or retain it longer if desired. Always apply olive oil to the skin first to act as a barrier between the skin and the garlic. Do not use where the skin is irritated or extremely delicate, as it can cause blistering. This poultice is used to heal the entire body. 13

According to “Mosby’s Handbook of Herbs and Supplements and their Therapeutic Uses,” in most studies evaluating the effects of garlic, researchers used a dried, powdered form that contains 1.3 percent alliin, taken at a dose of 900 mg. daily. This supplies a daily dose of about 10 mg. of alliin, or a total “Allicin potential,” of four to five mg.

Significant technical difficulties arise in producing garlic of this type. The process of powdering and drying garlic, releases allinase, which converts alliin to allicin, which in turn spontaneously degrades.

Therefore, ordinary garlic powder contains negligible levels of alliin and allicin by the time it reaches the consumer. In light of this, dietary supplement manufacturers have devised a number of proprietary methods to produce garlic products with stabilized allinase or allicin content.

However, not all manufacturers agree that allicin or alliin are at all relevant to garlic’s activity. The widely available deodorized form of garlic called Kyolic lacks allicin and many other constituents of garlic. Nonetheless, such products have provided positive results in studies and appear to have fewer gastric side effects.

Garlic is also sold as an oil extract. Such products contain no allicin or alliin but high levels of ajoene, dithiins, and other breakdown products.