Garlic: A Superfood for Health and the Immune System

Garlic Tea

Posted by Kelly (Cincinnati, Oh) on 01/15/2010
★★★★★

a great way to ingest garlic for multiple ailments is using it in a broth. It can be any kind of broth (no solids) so as to give your digestive system a break. Personally, I love the taste of roasted garlic. So I either sautee/bake fresh garlic and add it to the broth,then finely chop fresh garlic and add it as well (after heating-stir in and let sit a couple of minutes). The amount depends on ones tolerance for garlic. But that way I get the best of both worlds. The flavor of the roasted garlic and the allicin (the enzyme in garlic that fights disease) as well. cooking garlic kills most of the allicin so this is a good way to get it raw in a larger quantity. God Bless!

Fungus

Posted by Jenn (Vancouver, Bc ) on 11/28/2009
★★★★★

Garlic, garlic, garlic!!!
It's cheap.
It's convenient.
It works!

I've had a fungal/bacterial infection on both of my index fingers for 5 years and I tried all the remedies suggested but nothing worked so I gave up. Shortly afterwards I started cooking with garlic a lot and noticed the fungus on my left hand was clearing up fairly quickly. I did some research and found out garlic has powerful anti-fungal and antibacterial properties. I stared using it on my right hand and it worked! All you have to do is split a clove in half and rub the juices in and around where the fungus is for a few minutes (3-5). Do this every other day before you go to bed. Don't rub the juices in vigorously for more than 20 minutes or make a paste out of crushed garlic and wrap it around yor finger because it will burn, literally. A little goes a long way. You should start seeing results within 4 weeks if the fungus isn't too bad, 8 weeks for extreme cases. Toenails can take up to 3 months because they grow much slower than fingernails.

Bronchitis

Posted by Lex (San Francisco, Ca) on 08/15/2009
★★★★★

I discovered that garlic cures acute bronchitis by accident...

I've been diagnosed with acute bronchitis and been sick for a month and two weeks and nothing seems to be working. It appeared as if I kept on getting relapses...

Growing up, I've always been told by mom that garlic is good for the health and what not. I've also been hearing it from others, tv, etc. But I've always thought it was just for minor things like a sniffle or so...

One day I decided to go "gung-ho" and chop fresh garlic into my salad. Maybe it was my primitival instict kicking in, but I thought that maybe strong dose of fresh garlic may do something. On the same day, I decided to include fresh garlic into everything - including my dinner pizza. The next day I started to feel better. I still wasn't sure if that was just a calming state before another relapse so I didn't jump into conclusion. Second day passed, Third day passed, and now I'm on my fifth day of feeling back to normal.

I then "googled" garlic and cures to read about garlic and its healing properties. That's when I found this site and discussion!

Thank you.

Broad Benefits

Posted by Monet (Cincinnati, Ohio) on 05/02/2009
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Hello, I use your site all of the time and want to thank you for such useful information!

Recently, my feet started swelling along with blood pressure spiking to very high levels. I do not have high blood pressure so I could not understand what was going on. By day three I figured out I had a tooth infection that was probably starting to seep into my blood causing the swelling, blood pressure spikes, tingling in head, legs, and feet. After speaking with a dentist who felt they were unrelated and would not give me any advice on whether I should go to the ER, I decided to use garlic infused with yogurt (yogurt helps it go down easier). I took about 1 T. of crushed garlic and 1 T. of yogurt. Within 5 minutes the swelling in my feet went away and I felt my blood pressure had gone down. I took my blood pressure and it had dropped over 50 points! Obviously, the blood pressure spikes were brought on by the tooth infection, unbeknownst to the young Dentist!!!

I cook with garlic all of the time, but RAW GARLIC is terrific for blood pressure and infections!!!

Thanks!

EC: Thank you!! Cross-posted to our high blood pressure, tooth abscess and fluid retention pages.

Serbian Tradition

Posted by Mary Simon (Stoneham, MA USA) on 04/24/2009
★★★★★

Here's an old Serbian tradition for the New Year and a great way to take garlic - dip a peeled garlic clove into a dish of honey and scoop as much honey as you can with the clove- pop in your mouth and chew. If you need a little more honey - sip on an extra teaspoon or so. It's actually quite tasty, and even as kids, my brother and I never minded this mixture at all. Also, for some reason, the garlic odor seems to be a little more "contained" in the honey and seems to fade away sooner. Try it! You'll be pleasantly surprised.

Bronchitis

Posted by Sarah (Ocala, Florida) on 04/21/2009
★★★★★

I have COPD and chronic Bronchitis. I have recently been searching for a way to eliminate constant congestion and and continuous nasty cough. I found this site and now visit the health food store almost weekly. I love it and tell everyone I see. Anyway, back to the congestion, I took 2 cloves of garlic and smashed it and downed it chased by water late in the evening. Amazingly I feel 90% better after 1 night. I will do this again today and see if it continues to get better. I slept very good and did not wake up coughing all night. I also noticed in the morning that I am coughing up all kinds of junk. That is definitely an improvement. I will continue this for a few days and post another comment as I progress. I am very interested in the MSN method also. Could someone please post more specific instructions. Where do you buy MSN? Is it liquid, capsule, powder, etc? How much do you use and do you mix with water? Thanks.

EC: Hi, Sarah. Do you mean MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane) or MMS (Miracle Medical Supplement)?

High Cholesterol

Posted by Julian (Moscow, Russia) on 01/22/2009
★★★★★

I was involved in the building of the Lipitor factory for the then Warner Lambert in Ringaskiddy, Cork Ireland. The Irish have never been good at keeping secrets. Lipitor comes from garlic.

Eat garlic, it doesn't have the side effects of Lipitor.

When you think about it, your body is the result of a million years of development. It has been 'built' to run on natural products not the chemicals that pharmacuticals have designed in the last 20 years.

Colds

Posted by Jill (Twin Falls, ID ) on 10/30/2008
★★★★★

For years and with my children growing up I have used soft gel garlic capsules. The first onset of a cold I take or give my children 2-5 of the soft gel capsules. By the next morning you are expelling green guck. Garlic really does help and cure colds. I am a believer! I have had strep throat many many times in my life and I still have my tonsils after 50 years and I say it is due to the garlic that I have taken. When I get sick my throat area is the weak point of my body and that is what I usually get is a cold other wise I am a well individual.

Bacterial Vaginosis

Posted by D (Birmingham, Al) on 09/19/2012

What do you mean it doesn't wear off for a while... ? Weeks, months?

Colds

Posted by Sonja (Swanley, England) on 09/08/2008
★★★★★

I have used garlic for years. Every time I get a cold I eat one clove of garlic 3x a day. I enjoy the taste, so have it on bread with pate, or meat always raw. It is not very social... but within 3 days feel great. It is very effective. I also love horseradish for congested sinuses/ blocked nose. just a bit of it with some meat and you can breath freely..
it is easy, cheap and works without fail.

Coughs

Posted by Ken (Chicago, IL) on 07/14/2008
★★★★★

I can vouch for this one. I caught a cold last month that went into my chest. Though the cold faded, I'd had a nagging cough ever since then; keeping me up at night, awful fits in public, etc. Lozenges and expectorants helped, but didn't stop the cough. After 2 days of drinking the garlic tea (twice a day) my cough is completely gone and I feels tons better - I'm still drinking it! It definitely feels good for what ails you ... and for what doesn't!

Colds

Posted by Toni (Toledo, Ohio) on 06/13/2008
★★★★★

I take 2 cloves of raw garlic a day and have not been sick in over a year. I hate the taste of garlic, so I put a little bit of pudding or apple sauce on a spoon then I put 1 clove of finely minced raw garlic on top and then cover that with more pudding or applesauce, then just swallow it down. Do this twice a day. This is the easiest way to ever take raw garlic. Remember to get the full benefits of garlic it must be raw.

Stomach Pain

Posted by Will (Houston, Texas) on 03/22/2008
★★★★★

Two days ago, I was having sharp pains in my abdominal. I swallowed a whole clove with cranberry juice and the pain went away.

Fountain of Youth

Posted by Douglas (Springfield, Illinois, U.S.A.) on 03/03/2008
★★★★★

I'm 41 and people think I'm in my mid twenties, really.

I started using natural health remedies when I was about 12, probably younger. I learned about them from my grandmother who seems to have a kitchen antidote for all my summer ailments of fever, cold, nerve tonic; she even burned her own natural repellents.

I consider myself self-taught, and garlic is something I think no one should be without.

My studies over the years has lead me back to garlic everytime I treat an ailment for myself or recommend to someone else. From the common cold to prostate problems to longevity.

What makes garlic uniques is that it increases the potency of whatever you combine it with. For example if you take a multivitamin that has 500mg of vitamin B1, taken with garlic the potency of B1 will increase 5 to 10 times 500mg. It is the case with other essentials.

Currently, I'm taking garlic (including my multi) for a concussion after a nasty winter ice fall. Of course, I went to the hospital for treatment, nothing broken or torn, yet the pain and damage at the cellular level which doesn't show up on an X-ray, I know is there because of the dizzy spells and aches and pains I'm experiencing.

I know I need rest, water and garlic, for now.

Hints and Tips

Posted by Gabi (TORONTO, CANADA) on 02/04/2008
★★★★★

I have one tip for persons using garlic: drink lemon juice or eat few slices of lemon. It kills garlic breath, cures stomach ulcers (for sure prevents them), keeps you safe from colds and flus!

Ear Aches

Posted by Brigitte (Houston, Texas) on 01/11/2008
★★★★★

Garlic works to alleviate ear aches. You simply must be sure to take the garlic clove and expose the tender inner flesh by scoring the outer flesh of the garlic; then wrap the garlic clove in a light cotton gauze to prohibit the ear from making direct contact with the garlic clove and place this into the ear canal. Be sure that the garlic clove is large enough to prevent its becoming lodged in the ear canal. leave it there and you will find that the pain will disipate. I have used this remedy repeatedly with great success. When my oldest daughter was about two years old she found it so soothing that if the garlic fell from her ear she would pick it up and place it back in her ear all by herself. Garlic works to alleviate ear aches.