Garlic – Natural Antibiotic and Food Poisoning Remedy

                                      Garlic is one of those flavors that people either love or hate. Those who do tend toward the latter – mostly for reasons to do with the after-taste of the bulb that gives you bad breath! But, after you read about all its benefits, you might start using garlic for good health and not for taste.

Garlic – A Natural Antibiotic!
Antibiotics have always been a big No-No in my household – my mother believes that the body will heal itself without any external aid. Though we tease her about her blatant refusal to pop pills [till one of us is so sick that it's either "pop pills" or just "pop"], I find that her
belief has been passed on to me!
Uncontrollable drowsiness, invariably upset stomach, nausea and high probability of fungal infections are all immediate side effects that people using antibiotics must face. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth the trouble of going on a course of these if the illness isn’t major, and if there is a simpler alternative to consider.
Garlic has been used for its medicinal properties for thousands of years. The likes of Hippocrates, Galen, Pliny the Elder and Dioscorides are said to have spoken of garlic’s beneficial properties in getting rid of parasites, respiratory problems, poor digestion, and low energy.
More recently, in-vitro research shows that garlic can be used as an anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal! Curious about what makes this bulb so brilliant? ‘Allicin’ is the answer. Allicin is what is produced when a clove of garlic is crushed – it’s a natural antibiotic and an anti-fungal.
It is important to remember that its effectiveness begins to deteriorate as soon as crushed, and that if cooked, garlic has nearly no medicinal value.  This means that it’s best consumed raw. Some of you might cringe right now, but at the end of the day, it is much healthier and simpler than medication. Not to mention, cheaper and more useful – it has a number of other positive effects.

• Taking one clove of garlic is very good for keeping cold and cough at bay.

• Garlic has been proven to be very good for our cardiovascular system. It makes the arteries elastic, making them less prone to hardening.

• Garlic has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties so it helps in fighting off infections.

• Garlic has antioxidant properties and can slow down the aging process and ward off certain types of cancers.

• Garlic has anti-inflammatory properties that can help ease symptoms of arthritis, rheumatism and gout.

Garlic – A “Tried & Tested” Solution For Many Problems
Garlic has been used as an antiseptic since before World War I and as a remedy for scurvy since 1924. It helps reduce cholesterol levels, as found through a clinical trial by the National Institute of Health [NHI] in the USA, [published in the Archives of International Medicine, 2007]. Czech studies show that garlic has cardiovascular benefits. It is said that it can help control blood sugar levels and help in preventing certain complications of diabetes mellitus. Research shows that garlic even helps in the prevention of certain types of cancer.
Perhaps, in the end, bad-breath is a small price to pay for the never-ending list of great effects garlic can have on your health. After all, it can easily be fixed – brush your teeth [always a good thing!].

Fight Food Poisoning Bugs Quickly With Garlic
According to research published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, it has been found that one of the garlic ingredients “diallyl sulphide is more effective than 100 times bigger doses of the antibiotics erythromycin and ciprofloxacin. And, it is also able to work in a fraction of the time taken by the drugs.
Raw garlic is known to be an effective solution for common food poisoning bacteria. In fact, garlic is known to be used for treating many different health conditions including stomach upsets, skin problems and infertility.

Try Garlic – It’s Good!
Unlike experimenting with other types of medicine, trying garlic won’t have any complications. And, when it seems like there’s nothing to lose, and maybe an easier way to stay healthy, try not to shy away from sampling the many benefits that this wonder bulb has to offer!