Garlic is an herb that
is grown around the world. However,
throughout ancient history, the main use of garlic was for its health and
medicinal properties.
Its use was well
documented by all the major civilizations… including the Egyptians,
Babylonians, Greeks, Romans and the Chinese. It is related to onion, leeks, and
chives. It is thought that garlic is native to Siberia, but spread to other
parts of the world over 5000 years ago.
Garlic is used for many
conditions related to the heart and blood system. These conditions include high
blood pressure, low blood pressure, high cholesterol, inherited high
cholesterol, coronary heart disease, heart attack, reduced blood flow due to
narrowed arteries, and "hardening of the arteries" (atherosclerosis).
Garlic has been tried
for treating an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia; BPH), cystic
fibrosis, diabetes, osteoarthritis, hay fever (allergic rhinitis), traveler’s
diarrhea, high blood pressure late in pregnancy (pre-eclampsia), yeast
infection, flu, and swine flu. It is also used to prevent tick bites, as a
mosquito repellent, and for preventing the common cold, and treating and
preventing bacterial and fungal infections.
Garlic is also used for
earaches, chronic fatigue syndrome, menstrual disorders, abnormal cholesterol
levels caused by HIV drugs, hepatitis, shortness of breath related to liver
disease, stomach ulcers caused by H. pylori infection, exercise performance,
exercise-induced muscle soreness, a condition that causes lumps in the breast
tissue called fibrocystic breast disease, a skin condition called scleroderma,
and lead toxicity.
Other uses include
treatment of fever, coughs, headache, stomach ache, sinus congestion, gout,
joint pain, hemorrhoids, asthma, bronchitis, shortness of breath, low blood
sugar, snakebites, diarrhea and bloody diarrhea, tuberculosis, bloody urine, a
serious nose and throat infection called diphtheria, whooping cough, tooth
sensitivity, stomach inflammation (gastritis), scalp ringworm, and a sexually
transmitted disease called vaginal trichomoniasis. It is also used for fighting
stress and fatigue.
Method
of Application
Some people apply
garlic oil to their skin or nails to treat fungal infections, warts, and corns.
It is also applied to the skin for hair loss and thrush. Garlic is also used in
the vagina for yeast infections. Garlic is injected into the body for chest
pain.
In foods and beverages,
fresh garlic, garlic powder, and garlic oil are used to add flavour.
Constituent
of Garlic
Garlic produces a
chemical called allicin. This is what seems to make garlic work for certain
conditions. Allicin also makes garlic smell. Some products are made
"odorless" by aging the garlic, but this process can also make the garlic
less effective. It's a good idea to look for supplements that are coated
(enteric coating) so they will dissolve in the intestine and not in the
stomach.
Calorie for calorie,
garlic is incredibly nutritious.
A
1 ounce (28 grams) serving of garlic contains (3):
Manganese:
23% of the RDA.
Vitamin
B6: 17% of the RDA.
Vitamin
C: 15% of the RDA.
Selenium:
6% of the RDA.
Fiber:
1 gram.
Decent
amounts of calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin B1. Garlic
also contains trace amounts of various other nutrients. In fact, it contains a
little bit of almost everything we need. This is coming with 42 calories, with
1.8 grams of protein and 9 grams of carbs.
Adverse Effect of Garlic
Application
The
main adverse effect commonly associated with garlic intake is breath odour,
especially when raw forms of the herb are used. Nausea and vomiting are other
major adverse effects and care should be taken in consuming high quantities.
Although an entire bulb produces little juice, it is potent and can act as a strong
emetic, even in small quantities. Although garlic generally poses little in
terms of safety issues, there are isolated cases of topical garlic burns. Rare
garlic allergy has been attributed to the protein allinase, which has induced immunoglobulin
E mediated hypersensitivity responses from skin prick testing. As a result, the
literature has generally cautioned against using garlic while using
anticoagulant therapy. There is a reported case of spontaneous spinal or
epidural hematoma in an 87 years old man, with associated platelet dysfunction
related to excessive garlic ingestion
Conclusion
Garlic products are used as sources of medicine in
many ways in human beings in their day today life. As a result, researchers
from various disciplines are now directing their efforts towards discovering
the medicinal values of garlic on human health. The main interest of
researchers in the medicinal values of garlic is its broad-spectrum therapeutic
effect with minimal toxicity. Garlic extract has antimicrobial activity against
many genera of bacteria, fungi and viruses. Garlic contains a higher concentration
of sulphur compounds which are responsible for its medicinal effects. The
chemical constituents of garlic have also been investigated for treatment of
cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, blood pressure, atherosclerosis and
hyperlipidaemia and highly praised by several medical expert around te world.
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