Garlic is the most common and basic herb that most people in this world often use as part of cooking ingredients for their meals. I believe, garlic is always available in every kitchen around the globe. Well, you do have garlic in your kitchen, right? Furthermore, its power as natural home remedies is unquestionable!
Texture & Contour
Garlic is officially well known as Allium sativum L. For centuries, 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. 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.
Storage
Domestically, garlic is stored warm (above 18 C or 64 F) and dry, to keep it dormant (so that it does not sprout). It is traditionally hung; softneck varieties are often braided in strands called “plaits” or grappes. Untreated garlic kept in oil at room temperature can support the growth of deadly Clostridium botulinum. Peeled cloves may be stored in wine or vinegar in the refrigerator. Commercially, garlic is stored at 0 C, also dry.
Farming
Allium sativum grows in the wild in areas where it has become naturalized. Garlic 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. Garlic plants can be grown close together, leaving enough room for the bulbs to mature, and are easily grown in containers of sufficient depth. Even though you dont have a garden or backyard and living in an apartment, there is always a way to cultivate garlic, for example, in a pot. Thus, in case you live quite far from the market and suddenly you are running out on garlic, no need to worry being out of stock.
Composition and Functions Perform Benefits
Lets check it out more in depth about garlic, which make it a superb herb for natural cure:
- In general, a stronger tasting clove of garlic has more sulphur content and hence more medicinal value it’s likely to have;
- it is high in iodine and sulfer;
- Modern science has shown that garlic is a powerful natural antibiotic;
- Studies have shown that garlic – especially aged garlic – can have a powerful antioxidant effect;
- The body converts garlic to alkaline ash in the process of digestion. It is useful in reducing blood cholesterol, removing flatulence and producing hypotension effect. It has fibrinolytic activities i.e. break down of fibrine which lowers cholesterol level;
- It is also expectorant and internal antiseptic;
- Garlic has a multifaceted action on the cardiovascular system;
- Garlic protects the human body from the attack of bacteria and bacillae in times of epidemics or when the danger of infection is prevalent;
- It has stimulating effect on the sexual glands;
- In a study exposed both raw and dried garlic have been shown to destroy tumor cells;
- Studies reported in 1977 showed that garlic breaks down fibrin – the substances that blood clots are made of – and thus stops clots from forming.
Side effects
After eating a large quantity of garlic, a person will usually:
- have halitosis;
- their sweat and excreted oils will also smell like garlic;
- if an extremely large amount of garlic has been consumed, the person’s mucus, vaginal discharge, dandruff, and even earwax will also smell like garlic.
Washing the body with soap will not take away the scent, although perfumes will mask the scent. The smell usually fades over the course of several days.
Raw garlic is very strong, so eating too much could produce problems, for example irritation of or even damage to the digestive tract.
There are a few people who are allergic or sensitive to garlic. Symptoms of garlic allergy include skin rash, temperature, headaches, and might experience heartburn and flatulence.
Garlic could potentially disrupt anti-coagulants, so it’s best avoided before surgery. As with any medicine, always check with your doctor first and tell your doctor if you are taking garlic supplements.
Research published in 2001 concluded that garlic supplements “can cause a potentially harmful side effect when combined with a type of medication used to treat HIV/AIDS”. More details are available on the NIAID website.
Recommendation
*Raw Garlic
Garlic should be seen as part of a healthy lifestyle, eat 3-5 cloves of garlic each day with first glass of vegetable juice. It’s important to chew the garlic to release the allicin in it. Also, raw garlic is used by some to treat the symptoms of acne and can even be effective as a natural mosquito repellent.
*Garlic Supplements
Many people avoid eating garlic since it can make one’s breathe smell pretty strong. In that case, garlic supplements are a convenient alternative. In the market, there are several kinds of garlic supplements. Therefore, always consult your doctor first which kind of garlic supplement suites your condition.
*Treatment for Diseases
Lungs, arterio – sclerosis, high blood pressure, gout, rheumatism, asthma, chronicle bronchial catarrh, intestinal complaints, loss of appetite, constipation and worms, preventing everything from the common cold and flu to the Plague, assist in managing high cholesterol levels.
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May 16, 2011 
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