Garlic

AlliumsativumL.

Garlic belongs to the lily family. It has been cultivated as a unique healing agent for about seven thousand years. In ancient Egypt, people doing hard physical work were required to eat garlic to maintain strength. Over time, it acquired the status of a sacred plant. The Romans used it as food to strengthen their morale. Hence the saying: “Garlic ignites the heart of a hero when it freezes.” The ancient Greeks and Slavs used garlic for snake bites and called it “snake grass.” In Europe, Russia, and China, garlic cloves were considered one of the best preventive remedies against plague, cholera, typhoid fever, and tuberculosis.

In the 20th century, it was found that garlic phytoncides kill streptococci, staphylococci, typhoid bacteria, paracholera vibrio, tubercle bacilli and other pathogenic microbes.

We find a description of the medicinal properties of garlic in Dioscorides, Hippocrates, Pliny the Elder, Avicenna, Paracelsus and others. Matser Floridus wrote the following lines:

The smell of grated garlic expels harmful worms. Boiled with vinegar together in honey water, It drives out both worms and worms, if you drink the medicine, from the womb; With herbs, if you boil garlic in olive oil, this ointment will neutralize the bites that bring death; You will heal the bodies that are worn out with the same treatment; Bloating and pain in the bladder will stop with an ointment like this. Hippocrates himself says that by burning garlic, you can remove the afterbirth with its smoke if you fumigate the womb for a long time. Various mild sufferings, boiled and drunk, it heals with milk or also raw, eaten often. Diocles prescribed to give it with centaury for dropsy. Together with garlic, it dries the abundant moisture with water; He also prescribed a decoction of garlic for kidney problems. And Praxagoras, who used it with wine and coriander, treated all kinds of jaundice with this medicine; Drinking this way, he says, garlic softens the stomach. Garlic boiled with beans is said to relieve pain in the head if grated whiskey is anointed with garlic... Thus, in case of shortness of breath, the decoction also helps with a cough, a hoarse voice will clear garlic, both raw and boiled. It is better, however, boiled, since it is eaten often; Cooked in the form of a paste, it softens the torment of urges. If you grind garlic with pork lard in combination, applying it frequently will reduce excessive swelling. He will not receive any harm from unknown waters, change in different places is by no means dangerous for him, who takes garlic in the morning on a lean stomach.

Of course, this is not a complete list of the benefits of garlic. In Japan, it is used for rickets, sclerosis, and skin diseases. African fishermen rubbed garlic on their bodies because the pungent odor repelled crocodiles. In China, salted garlic is eaten with butter and sugar to relieve fatigue during severe physical fatigue. Tibetan medicine pays tribute to garlic as a preventative against cancer. Research by modern scientists shows that cancer is much less common in countries where a lot of garlic is traditionally consumed. An explanation for this phenomenon was soon found: garlic phytoncides inhibit the activity of some tumors. Nigerian scientists have discovered the blocking effect of garlic essential oil on the body's synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol, and Indian scientists are trying to create a medicine based on it to treat coronary heart disease.

Today the most popular drug, which contains garlic is “Allahol”. And, of course, garlic remains the most piquant addition to klich.­special dishes and a favorite prophylactic during influenza epidemics.

Medicinal properties

1. Used for pneumonia, bronchial asthma, tuberculosis, chronic bronchitis, tracheitis, sore throat, whooping cough, runny nose, flu.
2. Stimulates appetite, enhances the secretory-motor function of the gastrointestinal tract, suppresses the processes of putrefaction and fermentation in the intestines, and promotes better absorption of food. Prescribed for hypoacid gastritis, colitis, flatulence, dyspepsia, chronic constipation, enteritis, helminthic infestation, dysentery.
3. Stimulates bile production. Useful for diseases of the liver, bladder, kidneys, biliary dyskinesia. Recommended for enlarged spleen and swelling of the legs.
4. Effective for trichomonas colpitis and candidiasis of the mucous membranes, menopausal neuroses.
5. It has a vasodilating and strengthening effect on small vessels and capillaries.
6. A therapeutic and prophylactic agent for atherosclerosis and hypertension.
7. Effective for neurocirculatory dystonia with high blood pressure.
8. It has a beneficial effect on varicose veins, chronic sluggish ulcers due to thrombophlebitis.
9. Stimulates cardiac activity, dilates coronary vessels, and is prescribed for cardiac neuroses. Increases the amplitude and slows down the rhythm of heart contractions.
10. Prescribed for gout, rheumatism.
11. Reduces the risk of cancer.
12. Helps remove toxins from the body.
13. Indicated for pubertal dyshormonosis.
14. Increases the body's resistance to infectious and colds.
15. Antihyperglycemic agent for diabetes mellitus.
16. Used for purulent wounds, rosacea, scabies, fungal skin diseases, eczema, psoriasis, calluses, warts, skin cracks.
17. Effective for poisoning with salts of heavy metals (chronic lead poisoning).
18. In folk medicine it is known as a bactericidal, antimicrobial, fungicidal, anthelmintic, expectorant, diuretic, choleretic, antiscorbutic, diaphoretic, antimalarial, antisclerotic, intestinal muscle tonic, anticancer, analgesic, restorative, gastric and hypotensive agent. Used for hypertension, flatulence, lack of appetite, spasms and inflammatory processes in the stomach and intestines, rheumatism, stones in the liver, bladder, gout, inflammation of the cecum, respiratory diseases, tuberculosis of the throat, purulent pneumonia, jaundice, dropsy, atherosclerosis, influenza, cancer of various localizations, vitamin deficiencies, as well as to improve digestion and the activity of the gonads.
19. Aphrodisiac.
20. Taken for insomnia, headache, asthenia.
21. Suitable for caring for dry and normal hair, strengthens and improves hair growth, effective for focal baldness and dandruff.
22. Prevents the appearance of wrinkles, lightens freckles.
23. Eliminates the effects of insect bites.

Dosage

Prescribed individually by an aromatherapist.

Contraindications. Individual intolerance to garlic. Breastfeeding, congestive pneumonia, pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, period of exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases, epilepsy, cardiac disorders, dermatoses.

Note. Irritates the lacrimal glands. OverdoseIt can lead to spasm of blood vessels in the heart and brain and cause an allergic reaction.