Top Ten Garlic Remedies

Garlic originated from Asia with reports of it use dating back five thousand years. It was revered by the Egyptians and Sumerians, written about by the first Greek doctors and thrives today as an all important culinary ingredient and medicinal herb. Adding garlic to your diet can help increase your vitality and general well being and even protect you against parasites.

The garlic plant comes to us in the form of bulb that is generally called a head. This head is divided up into cloves which are fleshes wedges enclosed within a thin filament. The garlic plant displays a large number of red and white flowers that bloom in the spring and summer. It also bears a small capsule shaped fruit.

Garlic contains many beneficial vitamins, minerals and compounds including sulfurous compounds, Alum, vitamins A, B1, B2, C and niacin. The Sulfur compounds include Allicin and Diayll Sulfides and are considered the main bio-active ingredients of garlic. Travelling through the blood, these sulfurous compounds permeate all the organs and tissues of the body before leaving through the kidneys, lungs, and skin. These sulfides along with all the other vitamins and minerals give garlic many beneficial health properties including the ability to combat anemia, aid in constipation, help in liver function, lower blood pressure, and facilitate circulation.

The compound Allicin is also considered to be a very powerful antiseptic and antibiotic and can be used to treat and prevent bacterial, viral and fungal infections. Garlic can also help boost the immune system and increase the presence of white blood cells. Many at home remedies can be prepared using garlic, the most effective utilizing raw garlic which retains more of the plants healing properties when compared to garlic that has been cooked, powdered or otherwise preserved.

Top Ten garlic home remedies:

1. Ear pain remedy
Take two garlic cloves, crush them and add them to warm water. Strain the water then add a few drops to your aching ear.

2. A sleep aide
A garlic salad will put you out like a light

3. For warts and acne
The strong antifungal properties of garlic can be used as a topical for warts and acne. However, use caution since garlic can be irritating to the skin as well.

4. For rheumatism
A garlic rub can ease the pain inflammation of swollen joints and reduce pain. A diet rich in garlic can also improve blood flow and help with pain. Once again use caution when using garlic as a topical.

5. Lowering blood pressure
Eating raw chopped garlic everyday can help lower your blood pressure over time (especially when paire with a sensible diet). You can eat it raw if your stomach and taste buds are capable. You can also add chopped garlic to oil and then add to your food right after cooking.

6. Virility
A combination of garlic, wheat germ oil and cayenne can put some real pep in your step.

7. Flu and allergies
Mix chopped garlic with honey and lemon to relieve symptoms of the flu and allergies.

8. Sore muscles
A rub or compress of garlic paste can ease sore muscles. Eating garlic can also help keep you toned anf fit.

9. Quitting the nastiest of all habits
People have reportedly quit smoking by eating two garlic cloves first thing in the morning, two with lemon juice before lunch and two more after dinner. Please use caution when attempting, too much garlic can make you sick.

10. Hair loss
People have also claimed that rubbing a mixture of garlic juice, rosemary tea, honey and lemon on their scalp made some of their hair grow back.