subject: Medicinal Properties Of Garlic [print this page] Garlic is an omnipresent medicinal herb with no side effects. Garlic has been used even in ancient times and 22 garlic medicininal prescriptions were dating back to 3500 BC. Garlic can be used in several remedies, even in case of internal ones.
Medicinal values in Garlic
The complete plant, especially the bulb contains Alliin (a sulphured glycoside), Vitamins A, B1, B2, C, and Niacin (Vitamin of the B group).
Alliin does not smell, but by the action of alliinase, which releases and acts when garlic is crushed, it is altered first into alliicine, and then into diallyl disulphide (the genine of the glycoside) which are the most important active principles which give garlic its typical smell.
Allicin also has antifungal, anti-parasitic and antiviral properties. Therefore, garlic is also effective at killing off harmful microorganisms which have become drug-resistant. Moreover, garlic selectively destroys harmful and bad organisms, leaving the good ones untouched.
Applications of Garlic
- In diarrhea, gastroenteritis, and colitis.
- In salmonellosis (intestinal infections caused by spoiled food)
- In intestinal bacterial imbalance (alteration of microbial balance of the intestine) often caused by the use of antibiotics.
- In fermentative dyspepsia (which causes flatulence in the colon)
- In urinary infections (cystitis and pyelonephritis)
- In diverse bronchial affections
1. Fresh garlic juice
Whole fresh garlic is rich in alliin (which gets converted to allicin when garlic is chopped) and ajoene, the two chemical constituents thought to be most important to health. Allicin, which has anti-bacterial properties that are equivalent to a weak penicillin. Cooking the garlic weakens the anti-bacterial effects. Therefore daily dose of 1 to 3 cloves of whole fresh garlic is needed to promote health.
2. Dried garlic powder
Dried garlic powder standardized by allicin potential to whole garlic will beneficial. Presence of 5,000 micrograms of allicin is needed to make garlic powderbe effective.
3. Garlic oinment
Garlic oinment made from cloves can be used to cure wounds, cuts, athlete's foot, or any other external skin irritation, fungus, or infection.
4. Garlic oil
Garlic oil extract shall be applied on a toothache for pain relief.
5. Garlic extracts
For sore throat, make a garlic tea by steeping several cloves of garlic in half a cup of water overnight. Dont mind the smell of tea.
For cough, flu, and respiratory ailments, make a cough syrup out of garlic. Slice 1 pound of fresh garlic and pour one quart of boiling water over it. Let sit for 12 hours, then add sugar until you reach the consistency of a syrup. Add honey for better taste, if desired.
