Garlic is a panacea famous since ancient times. Its renown has survived both time and medical advances. It possesses both curative and preventative properties. In fact, it is rich in sulfurous elements, iodine, silica, ajoene and others. Garlic also contains allicin which stimulates blood circulation and kills bacteria. It is rich in germanium, calcium, copper, zinc, potassium, magnesium, selenium, vitamins A, B1 and C, essential fatty acids (Vitamin F) and dozens of antioxidant components that make it an indispensable part of the daily diet.

In the time of Pliny the Elder (23-79 BC) there were three areas of large-scale garlic cultivation since its advantages were undeniable, according to Pliny's treatise on natural history. "Garlic has powerful properties and provides defense during changes of water and residence… It is an antidote for shrew, dog and snake bites. It neutralizes the harmful effects of certain poisonous plants." Pliny recommends it for treating asthma, suppressing coughs and fighting intestinal parasites. It is an effective remedy without side effects for soothing toothache, either in a decoction, placed directly on the tooth, or soaked in vinegar. When mixed with fresh coriander in a glass of wine, garlic is an aphrodisiac. But, Pliny says, garlic must also be taken with caution since too much will cause burning in the stomach and flatulence and will lead man to drink.

In China, garlic is called Da-suan. Its earliest mention is in the book Various Notes from Famous Physicians, published during the time of the Northern and Southern dynasties in 510 BC.

During the great epidemics of the Middle Ages, doctors protected themselves from contracting infectious illness by wearing a mask with a long leather nosepiece smeared with a mixture of garlic and aromatic herbs.

In the Quebec countryside, until quite recently garlic was endowed with all sorts of powers. After having milked the cows, the farmer went home for a hearty breakfast, washed down with a shot of whiskey in which cloves of garlic had been soaked. Stinky but invigorated, he was ready to face the day!

In the fall, one had only to drink a cup of hot milk which had been simmered for half an hour with some garlic cloves to immunize the system against the rigours of winter. "The smell pervaded the surrounding area to such an extent that only one housewife needed to make her infusion for the whole village to join in."

Four thieves' vinegar
Four famous thieves were serving out their sentence by working in the charnel house. Destined to die sooner or later, they nonetheless escaped the terrible scourge of the epidemic by discovering a stash of wine vinegar in which garlic cloves had been soaking, and which they drank to quench their thirst between two bodies.

 And present…

 

Antibiotic (plain)
Modern medicine admits that garlic is a natural antibiotic which can play an important role in preventive medicine and as a therapeutic agent.

Anti-inflammatory (plain)
Allicin is a powerful anti-bacterial agent. Anti-poison and as a snake repellent (plain/juice) During harvest season, when high grasses could conceal sleeping snakes, Roman peasants ate a double ration of garlic at each meal to protect themselves from fatal snake bites. Shepherds in the mountains of eastern Europe would rub their hands with cloves of garlic before going to milk their flock to keep snakes away. In Quebec, Dr. Rainville, co-founder of the School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Hyacinthe, when going to attend sick animals, would always take a little flask of garlic juice to rub on his hands before touching them. In China a clove of garlic is used as a talisman against poison. Arabs still use it as an antidote to poison as do the inhabitants of numerous Third World countries, particularly against lead poisoning. Anthelmintic (Decoction) Garlic in a decoction of 25 g in 1 litre boiling water combats intestinal worms. In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the Amish advocate the use of plain garlic and continue to treat intestinal worms in both man and animals with simple garlic cloves.

Anticarcinogen (Plain)
One of the areas in which garlic seems most effective is cancer prevention. According to numerous medical journals (American Chinese Medicine, Science, Journal of Urology) garlic can reduce even malignant tumours.

Garlic raises the immune system's level of response in defending the body, particularly against certain types of cancers including breast, stomach, colon and skin cancers.

Dr. Benjamin Law, professor in the department of microbiology at the University of Loma Linda, a California medical school, claims that garlic reduces the progression of parasitic fungus, an illness found in many people with AIDS. In brief, the illness is characterized by fever, symptoms of pneumonia and skin lesions, and garlic helps destroy the cancer-causing cells.

Promotes Longevity (Plain)
In the last century, an American sociologist from the National Institute of Gerontology did a study of mortality patterns in people aged 65 and over. He noticed a remarkable fact among over 8500 centenarians: for the most part, they consumed a great deal of garlic.

Antiseptic - Antibacterial
Garlic's bactericide properties in fighting bacterial, fungal and viral infections have been widely acknowledged, including by Louis Pasteur in 1858. Because of its high allyl sulfide content, garlic is increasingly replacing antibiotics in veterinary medicine.

Garlic, used in an infusion to clean wounds, is also used to treat cuts, burns and minor injuries.

Bechic (Plain)

Cardiovascular and Hypertensive Disease (Plain)
Investigators have recently proven that garlic contains ajoene which, like aspirin, prevents blood clots and thus contributes to better blood flow and protects the body against cardiovascular problems. It lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Clinical studies carried out in 15 countries have shown that garlic can slow arterial blockages and even reverse the process, according to cardiologist Arun Bordia of the Tagore Medical College in India. Garlic's effects in this regard are attributable to the presence of antioxidants capable of neutralizing the agents that contribute to arterial damage. It is credited with an ability to reduce atheroma plaques and to prevent the formation of new lesions.

Carminative (Plain)

Combats flu, angina and bronchitis (Plain)

It regularizes bronchial secretions and antirhumatismals

Anti-diarrhea (Plain)
Nothing is more unpleasant than being afflicted by diarrhea while travelling. Unfortunately, it's something that occurs quite frequently in certain countries. In order to fight off the bacteria that are found in food and the unpleasant consequences that result from them, you need only to eat one or two cloves of garlic before a meal, or chopped raw garlic sprinkled over the food. Cooked garlic will not work in this instance.

Depurative (Plain)
Purifies the blood

Disinfectant (Poultice)

Digestive (Plain)
Paradoxically, even though garlic is sometimes indigestible, it activates gastric secretions and stimulates the intestine.

Diuretic (Plain)

Reduces vaginal infections (Douche)

Lowers blood cholesterol (Plain)
Garlic has an effect on blood cholesterol levels, thanks to its allicin content. Allicin is formed when the amino acid alliin is converted into allicin by the alliinase enzyme when garlic is cut, chewed and ingested.

Expectorant (Steam)

Hypoglycemic (Plain)
Garlic is recommended to people with diabetes because of its hypoglycemic properties: it reduces blood sugar levels when eaten regularly. But be careful - the flip-side is that people with low blood sugar levels should avoid eating garlic regularly.

Hypotensive (Plain)
The iodine and silica found in garlic dilate the capillaries, which makes respiration easier and diminishes respiratory problems.

Protects against earache

Strengthens the immune system

Sanguine
Cf. cardiovascular properties

Stomachic (Plain)

Tonic (Plain)
Recognized since antiquity, garlic provided strength even to the most destitute (e.g., the slaves in the building of the pyramids). Greek and Roman commanders would make their soldiers take garlic before a battle to double their impact, since garlic is the plant favoured by Mars, the god of war, by which he becomes combative and invincible. This mysterious strength attributed to garlic allowed Ulysses to prevent being turned into a pig by Circe. The Provencal expression "Vait'en manja d'aiet!" - literally "Go and eat garlic" - really means "Go and become a soldier!"

Remember too the legend of the golden fleece in Greek mythology in which Medea rubbed Jason's body with garlic to protect him from her father's bulls.

Garlic was also the steroid of the era, easily detectable in all the athletes present at the Olympic Games.

Vermifuge (Plain)