Garlic, From Your Kitchen Pharmacy

By Betty Bennett, RN

Herbal Medicine is often thought to be a secret practice known to only a few specialists, whether they be Chinese Herbalists, Naturopaths or Appalachian Wise Women. But, in fact, our kitchens contain plants that can double as prescriptions for common ailments.

Consider garlic: This great tasting addition to any cook's kitchen has a number of properties that make it a useful medicine. Garlic has been used as an antibiotic for years. More recent research has demonstrated activity in cancer prevention and treatment, control of hypertension and diabetes, thinning the blood much as aspirin does, and cholesterol management.

Garlic's use as an antibiotic dates from the ancient times of Egyptian pyramid builders. During the days of the Black Plague, people who ate large amounts of garlic were spared from sickness. The French town of Marseilles was protected from a plague that was raging through France in 1722, largely due to a preparation of vinegar and garlic. During World War I British field physicians soaked sterilized sphagnum moss in garlic juice and applied it to wounds, greatly reducing deaths from infection.

But aside from these anecdotal reports, there is solid research behind the use of garlic as an antibiotic. In 1935 two Japanese researchers found that the antiseptic properties of garlic were found to be superior to penicillin in treating the typhoid bacillus.

Modern researchers have found garlic effective against Candida, Histoplasma, Cryptococcus, Tuberculosis, Influenza B, Herpes Simplex, Staphylococcus Aureus, Leprosy and even the Aids Virus.

As a flea, tick and mosquito repellent, garlic protects against diseases caused by these pests.

Evidence points to a role for garlic in preventing cancer. Because of its high selenium content, garlic prevents the production of free radicals which causes many cancers. Researchers in Japan have demonstrated a reduction in breast cancer, for instance. Furthermore garlic protects against stomach and colon cancer by blocking the formation of nitrosamines which are made from the nitrates used to preserve foods such as ham and sausage. In a controlled experiment, Chinese volunteers were given 300 mg of nitrates and 500 mg of proline (a proven chemical that produces nitrosamines). The subject's blood level of nitrosamines rose as expected. But subjects who ate 5000 mg of fresh garlic before their dose of nitrates and proline had no detectable levels of nitrosamines in their blood.

Reports have been published in Science Magazine and The America Journal of Urology and Cancer Research showing that compounds in garlic inhibit a needed chemical reaction inside cancer cells. The John Wayne Cancer Center in Santa Monica, CA, uses garlic as part of the treatment protocol for leukemia. In another cancer treatment center, garlic extract is administered to treat bladder cancer. Crushed garlic, applied to the skin, has reduced the size of, and occasionally eliminated, basal cell carcinoma. Natural killer cells (white blood cells that kill invading or abnormal cells) became more aggressive in patients who ate raw garlic or took a garlic preparation, called Kyolic.

Other scientifically demonstrate that the medicinal effects of garlic include small but significant reduction in blood pressure (2-5 points), anti-clotting properties similar to aspirin, reduction in blood sugar and triglycerides, reducing LDL and raising HDL, inhibiting inflammation, controlling asthma and bronchitis, increased life span, detoxification from heavy metal poisoning, and improved learning and memory performance.

The way that garlic is administered varies, and the effects of garlic vary with the method of administration. The easiest way is just to eat the raw cloves. The disadvantages of this is that the garlic odor exudes from the pores which can cause some social repercussions. One aficionado claimed that after he persisted in using garlic at a rate of 2 cloves a day for three weeks the effect was not so noticeable. There is no mention of his friends reaction.

There have been some successful attempts to solve the odor problem. Doctors Eugene Schnell and Manji Wakunaga working in Japan discovered a method for cold pressing whole garlic cloves and aging them for 20 months. The end product, called Kyolic, comes in capsules. Kwai is tablet form of dried garlic. Ajoene is a liquid derived from garlic. Manufacturers of the products claim that they are not only odorless, but contain increased levels of some of the key nutrients, including selenium.

And there we have it, the story of the humble garlic. Is it a delicious condiment or powerful healing herb? You decide.

No article on garlic would be complete without a few recipes to try.

Garlic Spread

One popular method, not exclusively for medical use, is to slice the tops off the clove, drizzle with olive oil, place in a garlic baker (or wrap loosely in foil) and bake slowly until soft. The cooked cloves can be squeezed onto bread or crackers as a spread.

Garlic Syrup

Peel and mince 1 lb. fresh garlic. Place in wide mouth jar. Add equal parts of vinegar and distilled water to just cover the garlic. Close tightly, shake well and let stand for 4 days. Shake the container at least twice daily during this time. Add 1 pint of glycerin, shake well and let stand another day. Force through strainer. Filter liquid through linen cloth. For topical application use as is. If given as an oral medication add honey and stir until blended.

An alternative to the above recipe is to replace the vinegar in the recipe above with the following liquid: add 3 oz of powdered caraway seeds and 3 oz of sweet fennel seed to 1 Qt. of vinegar. Boil for 15 minutes closely covered. Strain and cool. It can then be used in the above recipe.

Garlic Syrup can be used for asthma or cough: 1 tsp. every 15 minutes until spasm is controlled followed by 1 tsp. every 2-3 hours for the remainder of the day, then 1 tsp. 3-4 times a day.

Garlic Paste

Peel and mash one raw garlic clove. Apply directly to bee stings or other inflamed insect bites or stings.

Garlic Plaster

Peel and mash several cloves into a paste. Spread onto cheesecloth or muslin. Fold to close. Apply to skin, taking care that the raw garlic does not come in contact with skin. This is useful for fungal rashes or boils.

Garlic Compress

Boil water. Peel and chop several cloves of garlic. Add to boiling water, turn off the heat, cover and steep for 15 minutes. Cool to less than 180 degrees. Soak small soft cloth in the liquid, wring slightly and apply. Cover with a dry towel and leave until the warmth is no longer felt. Replace with new warm cloth and repeat until tingling is detected (about 30 minutes). Useful for fungal rashes or boils. One resource says that this is effective for muscle spasms as well.

Ear Ache Remedy

Make garlic oil by slicing a peeled clove of garlic into a small quantity of olive oil. Heat briefly. Cool and strain to remove the chunks. Apply a few drops of warm garlic oil extract into affected ear and seal with a small bit of cotton.

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