We have all heard the mystical tales about garlic warding off vampires, well guess what? Those stories hold some truth! Garlic is BIG protection energy! Not only is garlic a base to delicious culinary dishes, garlic is also foundational to a healthy immune and cardiovascular system. Garlic shows up in so many ways to enhance our overall wellness and its impact lands a big punch!
Garlic or Allium sativum, is a member of the Liliaceae/Allicaceae or lily family. Garlic has been used in almost all cultures with documentation going back 5,000 years in Sanskrit writings. Egyptians used garlic as currency and called upon it and onion as deities. Hippocrates and Aristotle also wrote about using garlic for medicinal purposes. Garlic was confirmed to be antiseptic and antibacterial in Western Medicine in 1858 by Louis Pasteur. Garlic was traditionally used as for ailments impacting the lung, as an antibacterial/antiviral for pneumonia/bronchitis/cough, as an expectorant, to lower blood pressure, treat colds, gastric ulcers, bacterial diarrhea, sinus infections, vaginal yeast infections, ear infections and to dress wounds. Garlic’s name comes from celtic word, all “burning or stinging” and latin word sativum “planted/cultivated”. The English version, garlic, means spear plant. In WWI, garlic was used as a poultice to prevent wound infections and governments would offer subsidies for planting garlic due to the lack of antibiotics available. Until the late 1950’s it was common for U.S. physicians to use garlic when treating high blood pressure.
I first learned about garlic’s power when a friend of mine cut it up and swallowed it like a pill. They said they felt a cold coming on and this is what they had been taught to do as prevention. For some reason that stuck with me. I think I was given garlic pills when I traveled to Mexico with a high school friend, but that didn’t spark my interest in the same way. One of the reasons that garlic is so potent when it comes to pushing out colds or flus is that it detoxifies through your lungs. This means that it takes its biochemicals & magical powers and moves them through your lung tissue before being expelled with your breath. Many plants have a tissue infinity and the lung is that for garlic.
Garlics actions include:
antimicrobial, antifungal, antiprotozoal, antioxidant, immunostimulant, anti-inflammatory, hypocholesterolemic, anthelmintic (kills intestinal worms), antiasthmatic, antiseptic, antispasmodic (GI), antiviral, aphrodisiac, carminative (helps with gas), diaphoretic, emmenagogue (promotes menstruation), expectorant, antiprotozoal
BENEFITS OF GARLIC:
Garlic is a heart healthy food! From lowering your blood pressure to moderating cholesterol and triglyceride levels, garlic supports balanced functioning of your cardiovascular system. By reducing oxidative stress, garlic protects your vessels and reduces coronary artery and peripheral vascular disease. A 4 year RCT study found that the group taking 900 mg garlic tablets a day had a 2.6% reduction in plaque volume while the control had a 15.6% increase. Additionally, garlic can lower blood sugar and mediate nitric oxide synthesis to make your vessels are more elastic, which also helps prevent heart attack and stroke.
As for your immune system, garlic shows up as the most broad spectrum antimicrobial actions of any substance!! Allicin has antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungal, and local yeast infections. Diallyl sulfide and other sulfur components may raise levels of glutathione S-transferase, which helps detoxify carcinogens and are antiviral against herpes simplex, HIV, and cytomegalovirus in vitro. Garlic also acts as an inhibitor for inflammatory prostaglandins. Fresh garlic has been found to be effective against antibiotic-resistant pneumonia, viral lung/sinus infections, and colds. Ingestion of both cooked and raw garlic has been shown to lower levels stomach, prostate, and intestinal cancers. Garlic has even been shown to be effective against anthrax!
A wonderful remedy for an earache is well strained mullein garlic oil! There is a great variety at Fresh Thyme & it is my go to when I feel any ear pain coming on. A few drops goes a long way! Treat both sides and enjoy almost immediate relief.
In addition to working as a preventative against gastrointestinal cancers, fresh garlic is active against H. Pylori and traveler’s diarrhea. This is why my friend’s mom had us take garlic supplements when we were traveling in Mexico. Studies have shown fresh garlic juice works against pathogenic intestinal bacteria that might end up in your belly when you are traveling in a terrain you are not used to.
A study done on children with hepatopulmonary syndrome were shown to have increased oxygenation and less dyspnea when given garlic. Garlic syrup is a wonderful staple to have on hand when dealing with asthma, coughs, and upper respiratory illnesses. Do be mindful that children under the age of one should not have honey.
This can be done by cutting it or crushing it with the side of a knife and letting it sit 10-15 minutes. Through this activation or enzymatic breakdown, alliin gets converted to allicin, which is where the smell comes from.
Do not cook garlic for long periods of time or on very high heat as it loses some of its benefits.
Yes, garlic sounds so wonderful, but there are some things to consider. Garlic can cause heartburn, nausea, flatulence, GI upset, especially when eaten raw. One way to avoid this is to not eat it before bed or lying down or to try Tamari Fermented Garlic, which is said to have less side effects because it has a much toned down garlic punch. Cooking with garlic and garlic oil can also have less side effect. I have also heard that eating garlic with parsley reduces garlic breath. I tend to just rock the garlic lifestyle, dosing at night, knowing that it is working its magic. If you are worried about the smell do know one thing: studies have shown that odorless garlic tablets are not effective and it is really the allicin that provides the odor and support.
Garlic is also not to be taken 4-7 days before a surgery or if there is a lily or garlic allergy. Consider the amount of garlic you are eating if you are breastfeeding as well. There is a chance that it may be too strong for the baby’s belly.
If you do decide to add garlic to your routine 500-600mg 2-3x per day has been shown to have the above mentioned effect. This is the equivalent to about a half a clove of garlic 2-3x/ day as tolerated. Most people cook with at least 3 cloves of garlic, so as long as it is not over cooked, garlic provides its benefits as a nutritive food as well.
Some other pharmacological considerations to review before adding garlic to your routine include being mindful with the amount of garlic you consume it you are taking medications for high blood pressure, to lower your blood sugar, or any blood thinners/antiplatelets (5-20 cloves are thought to be equal to one 650mg aspirin, but without the long-term impact on platelet inhibition). Garlic also reduces the effectiveness of cyclosporine (immunosuppressant) and saquinavir (HIV rx).
Another magical thing is that garlic can propagate from single cloves planted in the ground in late fall, being mindful that they don’t start growing early. Plant pointy side up. When the cold starts to come in, cover them with mulch and then remove the mulch in spring to let the ground warm. You know it’s time to harvest when the garlic green tops are starting to fall down, but there are still 6 green leaves left. Let your harvest dry in a warm, airy place and then store in a cool, dry place. Continue this process every year and your garlic supply will time travel with you. Old World Garden Farms recommended soaking the bulbs in baking soda water overnight. I tried this for my bulbs this year. It is fun to have something growing in your non-traditional growing months in a cold climate like the Midwest.
Not only is there a diverse, lengthy list of ways garlic benefits our health, but garlic is also extremely accessible and affordable. I am pretty sure some Kwik Trips even have garlic. This transcendence through barriers is what makes kitchen remedies like this medicine for the people. Herbalism does not have to be fancy, expensive, or complicated, it just has to work. Garlic is a perfect example of that. Despite all this simplicity, garlic’s full body flavor and warming smell invites you to collaborate with its power in all the ways you can. From cooking to acute health situations, garlic is there for you. What are some unique ways you have worked with garlic? Does your family or culture have a special tradition or folklore surrounding the power of garlic?
***Information not meant to diagnose, prevent or treat any illness, disease or any other medical, mental, or physical condition. Consult your doctor prior to adding to your routine if you currently take any prescription medications, pregnant or breastfeeding
Sources:
Bayan, Leyla et al. “Garlic: a review of potential therapeutic effects.” Avicenna journal of phytomedicine vol. 4,1 (2014): 1-14.
Buhner, S. H. (2012). Herbal antibiotics: Natural alternatives for treating drug-resistant bacteria. Storey Pub.
Damrosch, B. (2008). The garden primer. Workman Pub.
Garlic. Garlic – American Botanical Council. (2021). Retrieved December 15, 2021, from
https://www.herbalgram.org/resources/expanded-commission-e/garlic/
Gladstar, R. (2015). Herbs for children’s health: How to make and use gentle herbal remedies for soothing common ailments. Storey Publishing.
G. Stafne, MH, ND, Mujer a Mujer
Hoffmann, D. (2016). The Complete Herbs Sourcebook: An A-Z guide of herbs to cure your everyday ailments. Skyhorse Publishing.
Kuhn, M. A., Winston, D., & Kuhn, M. A. (2012). Winston & Kuhn’s Herbal Therapy & Supplements: A Scientific & Traditional Approach. LWW.
Burchum, J. R.; Rosenthal, L. D. (2019). Lehne’s pharmacology for nursing care. Elsevier/Saunders.
Thompson, K. (n.d.). Garlic monograph. HerbRally. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from
https://www.herbrally.com/monographs/garlic
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