The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
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.
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!
Boils
Posted by Leslie (Pascagoula, MS) on 04/02/2008
★★★★★
It seems that ever since hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast we have been battling more and more cases of boils. I have found that GARLIC helps get rid of boils. At any stage in the cycle of the boils if you get the 1000 mg GARLIC capsules and squeeze the gel onto the boil it will get it to come to a head and drain or the boil will disappear completely.It generally takes a few days but it does work to eleviate the swelling and pain and its effective in healing the boils. Its safe for children.At the first signs of even a bump take one gel capsule and sqeeze the gel onto the bump then rub it in aftewards throw away the used capsule and wash your hands. Repeat this at least three times daily until the boil is gone.
Cancer
Posted by Jeri (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) on 01/01/2009
NO odor by eating fresh garlic cloves.
You do NOT have to have bad breath, the secret is NOT to bite/chew it. EVERY MORNING I squash and peel 2-3 cloves, chop up finely, let stand 10-15 minutes then I swallow it (without chewing) as I drink a glass of freshly squeezed lemon juice (with real warm water). NO garlic breath. (A few years ago, when working in a legal office, I would drink down the garlic cloves with Barley Greens and no one ever said I had garlic breath.) If you want to make sure you can later chew and eat some fresh parsley sprigs.
P.S. - when you first start doing this, you may have some garlic odor (I don't know if on your breath or from your skin) until your body adjusts but don't give up or despair because the health benefits are worth the initial 'inconvenience', if you have any.
Let Garlic Sit
Posted by Steve (Scarborough, ME) on 12/17/2007
★★★★★
We must let the garlic sit for at least 10 minutes before heating up because when it is heated it stops the changes the garlic does when it is crushed or chopped into anti cancer properties. to get max benifit we must let the garlic sit! please inform the masses and sorry about the spelling!
Boils
Posted by Adam (Tucson, Az) on 11/26/2009
I am currently giving Garlic a go to help with boils and some other things. Some good ways to help scars heal is DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide or wood pulp oil) pure real Vitamin E liquid on the scar area after applying DMSO. Another method if you can obtain the equipment is IPL (intense pulsed light). It is infra-red light. I have seen this transform people from completely disfigured with terrible skin problems back to looking young and re-newed. In fact, my wife did this for a living for some time. Good luck!
Migraines
Posted by Beverly (Willsboro, New York) on 08/23/2007
★★★★★
I have started taking garlic tablets EVERY DAY Because in the past I have had over the period of 2 yrs flashing bright lights, like lightening) in front of my eyes. Even when I put my head under a pillow I still saw them, and it was very scarey. I went to a nuerologist and had a cat scan of my brain, his conclusion was he said I have the side effects of a migraine without the headaches. Well, since taking one garlic tablet every day, I am very excited to say, that I have had NO problems for about 4 years. So of course I told the Doctor. He didn't say much, I guess he was a skeptic.
Angina - Warning
Posted by Pat (Burlington, Vermont) on 07/10/2007
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
Although many of you believe you have been cured of angina by taking garlic and flaxseed, I am afraid that is is not true and you are in a dangerous situation. These supplements are very useful and strong if used correctly...as prevention. However, they cannot unclog arteries. Please be good to yourself and reasonable. Use all available treatments and advice together! There are plenty of wonderful cardiologists who have a holistic approach.
Angina - Warning
Posted by Kathy (Benton, Ar) on 01/07/2012
Garlic. Since my last post I have been crushing the garlic instead of chopping it. I allow it to sit for 10 minutes for the Allicin to work and take it in one teaspoon with water. I do this 2x daily. Heating the garlic removes its potency. Taking crushed or chopped garlic too soon after crushing or chopping prevents the allicin from doing its job. There are many places on EarthClinic to read how to take garlic. There are many websites to read how to take garlic.
Angina - Warning
Posted by Kathy (Benton, Ar) on 01/24/2012
http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com - learn more about garlic - garlic does reduce artery plaque, can cure MRSA, many, many things - it is a natural antibiotic. It will burn your skin if you are sensitive to garlic. That doesn't mean you are allergic, it simply means put something between your skin and the garlic. Use a mask with a garlic poultice in it to breathe garlic into the lungs. Make a paste of olive oil and garlic, place in poultice (tea bag), place on bottom of feet in the ball behind the toes for garlic to get to the lungs over night. I wrapped a piece of garlic in gauze and put in my ear over night. Earache gone the next morning. Breathing it into the lungs is also good for unclogging sinus. Go to the website I provided above.
Herpes
Posted by Emily (Madison, Maine) on 05/10/2007
★★★★★
I take the odorless garlic softgels for my Herpes outbreaks. I take twelve softgels when I feel the tingling and then three every four hours while awake for the next few days. If I don't get it soon enough to prevent it then it only lasts a few days. I also use the softgels for when I have ear pain. I pierce the gelcap and squeeze the contents on a cottonball and put it in the offending ear for an hour. Then do the same over night. You will feel an immediate response and the overnight treatment only needs to be done for a couple of nights. I LOVE garlic. These remedies I have found through many health and herbal remedy books.
Blood Pressure and Cholesterol
Posted by Cynthia (San Francisco, CA) on 02/03/2007
★★★★★
THIS INFORMATION WAS VERY HELPFUL FOR ME AND THE REMEDY GARLIC REMEDY WORKED FOR ME VERY WELL AND LOWERED MY BLOOD PRESSURE AND HIGH CHOLESTEROL. THANKS AGAIN HAVE A GOOD DAY....
EC: Taking garlic juice with fresh water regularly reduces high blood pressure (hypertension).
Bronchitis
Posted by Michelle (Albuquerque, NW) on 01/09/2007
★★★★★
Fresh Garlic cured my Bronchitis and Sinus Infection. 1 finely diced clove (not the entire bulb) 3x's daily with any complimentary food that has been cooled almost to room temp (eg. diced tomatoes, avocado, chicken noodle soup, spaghetti sauce, pizza, or even apple pie.) Garlic is a natural antibiotic and antifungal. Within an hour or so, easier to breather and think, in 4 days cleared up symptoms. Took for 7 days to eliminate any chance of becoming ill again. Drawbacks: odoriferous breath, and the odor also emanates from the pores of the skin. Use strong breath mints/cologne/essential oils to your liking.
Allergies
Posted by Haywood (Arlington, VA) on 03/16/2006
★★★★★
I cut up cloves like the size of pills, and took them with water. I did this treatment at night so I could go through the next day without being bothered with hay fever.
Chewing Raw Garlic
Posted by R Smith (LONDON) on 01/02/2006
★★★★★
You can simply chew a peeled clove of raw garlic in the mouth, making sure you chomp it sufficiently into small pieces. The juices will be absorbed by your tongue almost immediately into your system, and is a fast way of getting it into the body. You can spit out the pieces without swallowing them, once the juice has been absorbed.
Colds
Posted by Samin (Monroe, LA)
★★★★★
When I feel a cold coming on with symptoms of a sore throat & or sniffles, I blend 1-2 cloves of fresh crushes garlic & 1/2 cup of spring or distilled water. I drink it once in the morning on an empty stomach & again in the evening for at least a week. Bye , bye cold & discomfort. Oh by the way, it is disgusting but oh so good for U.
History of Garlic
Posted by Susan (USA)
Garlic has a long history in folklore as a protector from disease and evil spirits (such as vampires). For these reasons, garlic is not only consumed as a healthy food and medicine but it is also worn to fight various ills. Many native cultures throughout the Caribbean use garlic in religious rituals and divinations. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, used garlic in infectious diseases and particularly prescribed it for intestinal disorders.
12th century German mystic Hildegarde von Bingen recommended simmering garlic in water for twenty minutes and drinking the "tea" for bronchial problems like asthma. This treatment is still in use in many cultures. Three cloves of garlic in boiling water is also recommended as a topical cure for athlete's foot. Additionally, garlic was used extensively in the battlefields during World War I (1914-1918) to treat and dress wounds and infections. Being a natural antibiotic and widely available, it was the most effective antiseptic available at the time.
HEALING POWERS OF GARLIC:
Garlic has been used in herbal medicine to treat asthma, deafness, leprosy, bronchial, congestion, hardening of arteries, fevers, worms and liver and gall bladder trouble. Herbal books list it being useful in Leucoderma, leprosy, piles, worms, catarrhal disorders and cough. Additionally, it is reported that garlic is good for the heart, stimulates appetite, and is an energy tonic.
Garlic's unpleasant odor is due to its sulphur content. This mineral is contained to a greater degree in its volatile oil, which has remarkable medicinal virtues.
Juice of garlic has a most beneficial effect on the entire system as it helps dissolve an accumulation of mucus in the sinus cavities, bronchial tubes and the lungs. It also helps expel poison from body through pores of the skin.
History of Garlic
Posted by Charlotte (Essex, Clacton, England) on 03/01/2012
Am sure garlic is wonderful and have been taking it for a while for sinus but I found that after a bit I ached, was lacking in energy, was totally worn out some days, had headaches, brain fog etc and in some ways felt worse. I then investigated and found that garlic can cause under active thyroid of which these are the symptoms So now taking it again but with an iodine supplement of natural kelp to counter act that. Also trying ACV with mother every day and tinctures of goldenseal, eyebright, mullein and licorice. Yes others might try one thing for a bit and then try something else but I have had this blessed problem for ages and am sick of it, and unable to work while like this.
History of Garlic
Posted by Kislany (Europe) on 03/25/2014
★★★★★
Just to comment on the garlic taste. I love raw garlic, however due to hubby's job, he can't eat garlic at all as he can be called at work any time. So I avoided as much as possible eating garlic as I know how bad it can be for someone who doesn't eat garlic to be near someone who does.
Today I had an idea to add a clove of garlic to my regular juice, which usually contains carrots, celery, ginger and parsley leaves among others. Much to my surprise, there was no garlic taste, no garlic breath or smell at all. Hubby didn't feel it (and I even kissed him 'for test' purposes). Finally now I can consume garlic every day. It's wonderful for so many things, I never want to be away from at least one clove..or two or three of garlic a day.
Summary
Posted by Kathryn (Raleigh, North Carolina, Usa) on 12/02/2011
WARNING! I had an upper respiratory bacterial infection (green and yellow mucus secondary to a virus) and read a number of posts here about raw garlic and, not wanting to chew it, I put raw garlic packs under my feet (chopped several large cloves and put them on plastic wrap and wrapped each foot, put socks over) and left the first pack all afternoon. I didn't notice a problem. I decided to do it again and leave them overnight. The next morning I awoke to find that the mucus was clear again, BUT I had very itchy, swollen, bright red feet. The itching nearly drove me crazy and I scratched... Big mistake. By the next day the arches of my feet were covered in large blisters, the itching is even worse, and my feet look and feel almost identical to when I had an emergency room level drug reaction to Keflex last year (before it was over I looked like I had third degree burns in all the intriginous skin areas and it took five months to heal -- the dermatologists at Duke had never seen anything like it... they thought it was a fungal infection and only a skin biopsy confirmed the drug reaction).
I came back here immediately and read more about garlic and saw somewhere a post from a mother who said her daughter's skin blisters when it's exposed to garlic. Since I've eaten raw garlic in green smoothies every day for the last year I didn't think it could be the garlic; perhaps a reaction to the plastic wrap (I'm multiple chemical sensitive and react to all sorts of things). So the night before last I put one slice of garlic on my forearm and covered it in paper tape for sensitive skin. In the morning it seemed fine... At first. By evening a red patch had appeared and I felt a slight itch. By the next day the spot was swollen and red and definitely itching. I've been treating my feet with ACV, magnesium oil, and triamcinolone acetonide (prescription topical steroid I was given for the Keflex reaction), so I put that on the arm spot that day each time I did my feet (every three hours). This morning the arm spot is still red, swollen, and itches and has a small blister.
Never again will I put raw garlic on my skin. When asked if I have allergies I will list a topical allergy to raw garlic.
My QUESTION is: Should I continue to eat raw garlic? I'm not certain yet, but it seems to me that I have a fit of intense itching shortly after drinking even a small glass of green smoothie with raw garlic.
Raw Garlic Side Effects
Posted by Gertjr (Madison) on 08/30/2020
I know that when I eat lots of raw garlic, I will bleed more than usual. If I'm getting bloodwork done, I avoid it for a week prior. If I don't, the simple gauze pad on the site doesn't stop it from bleeding and I need to apply pressure for quite some time or it'll bleed right through the dressing. So, for me, it thins my blood. Who knows what that does to my blood pressure.
Garlic Side Effects
Posted by Marty (FL) on 03/19/2023
I have found when we do most things in extreme, we may end up with a healing crisis. All the uncomfortableness in the body is in the lymphatic system and toxins not having a way out of the body so all kinds of things can happen until it does. If your kidneys are not filtering, then all the waste in the lymph is being held somewhere. That can be dangerous when all of a sudden a big load gets dealt with and then it can't go anywhere, make sense?
Slowly build up to more and more but listening to the body is important and using kinesiology on yourself is helpful too.
Colds
Posted by Tinyx (South Bend, Indiana) on 03/28/2015
★★★★★
I put 1 clove of crushed garlic for each of my baby's socks when he had colds. I put 1 pair of socks on his feet then the socks with garlic next. This is the only remedy that I have tried for his colds from 1 month to 1 year old. It only took 2 applications for him to recover from the early signs of colds.
General Feedback
Posted by Mike 62 (Denver, Colorado) on 12/18/2013
Right on Mama: I would engourage you to keep promoting the best of God's Goodies, garlic. I take both aged garlic and garlic oil 4 caps of each daily. Sulfur is the mother of all minerals. The first life on earth got energy from sulfur before there was oxygen. Longevity experts promote garlic.
Fresh Garlic vs. Garlic Supplements
Posted by Khakimo (Atlanta, Usa) on 01/27/2012
Actually - all the research I've done says that you wait the 10 minutes after cutting/crushing to allow the allicin to build to maximum potency. Then it should be consumed within an hour of cutting/crushing or it will start to lose its potency.
Fresh Garlic vs. Garlic Supplements
Posted by Brenda (Charlotte) on 09/09/2026
★★★★★
Fresh garlic gives me headaches therefore I take the supplements. I can't say that the supplements are better or worse, just what works for me.
Chewing Raw Garlic
Posted by Liz (Boston, Ma) on 04/21/2011
Absolutely! In fact, taking it that way yields the most benefits. Chop up a clove (but be sure to let it sit for about 10 min's after chopping), put it on a spoon and swallow/wash down with plenty of water.
