Garlic is a plant native to Africa and central Asia. It was discovered and used by the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, Jews, Greeks and Romans. Garlic earned a renowned place in the modern natural medicine. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance when the population was facing great plagues, garlic was used very often as a protective medicine. It gained its fame owing to some wrongdoers who fended off the plague by using antiseptic garlic vinegar. As a result, garlic was known as the best antidote against the plague under the name of “the vinegar of the four thieves". The diuretic qualities were discovered by Bartholius, who recommended it for treating ague, while Sydenham would recommend it as a dropsical treatment.
The active compounds of garlic are volatile oil, the mixture between sulfide and allyl oxide in an almost pure state, two very important mineral antibiotic components (sulfur, iodine, zinc, and manganese) and vitamins B and C.
The main therapeutic qualities of garlic describe it as being antiseptic, antibacterial, stimulating digestion, reducing high blood pressure, glandular regulator, diuretic and even cancer deterrent.
Internally, garlic is not used so much due to the strong smell that remains in the mouth. Yet it is still being used often for treating various afflictions: the consumption of 2-3 cloves of garlic a day has wonderful results in treating pharyngitis and intestinal infections. It also counteracts flu complications and helps treat gout and insures a general state of health.
Garlic juice is another useful treatment obtained from this herb. It has noticeable results in treating: hypertension, infectious diseases, lung problems, bronchitis, tuberculosis, asthma, intestinal parasites and can even deter cancer occurrence. Indications:
- several drops of garlic juice digested with a small quantity of sugar are efficient in stopping a bout of asthma;
- a wad of cotton soaked in garlic juice calms an ear ache;
- eliminating the intestinal worms, a mixture of 20 ml of garlic juice with 200 ml of warm milk drunk early in the mornings is very efficient as a treatment.
Caution! To eliminate the unpleasant smell of garlic it is advisable to chew 2-3 coffee beans, aniseed or caraway, an apple or a piece of parsley.
Another less known benefit that garlic has is its aphrodisiac effect. Research has shown that garlic is capable of improving the blood flow through the veins and also the sexual performance in men. Unfortunately, garlic consumed in normal quantities is unable to reach spectacular results, but the edible products containing garlic may aid you in this sense.