Benefits of Garlic

Garlic as a medicinal food has an impressive range of benefits. Garlic and its cousin onion contain substances that discourage platelets from sticking together and prevent blood clots, helping to naturally thin the blood. They also lower total cholesterol and triglycerides, another type of blood fat, all the while increasing HDL, "good cholesterol".  Garlic may also lower blood-sugar levels in people with diabetes. Garlic may exert its effects in part by stimulating beta-cell insulin secretion. While garlic has had some mixed results in trials set to measure its effects on lowering blood sugar, diabetics may still wish to consciously add more fresh garlic to food, or even consider supplementation with garlic powder due to its protective health benefits and absence of major side effects. The major drawback to garlic continues to be the risk of stomach upset with higher doses, along with the usual risk of compounding the effects of prescription blood thinners.

Garlic can and should be used liberally in food, either powdered or freshly chopped. Two cloves or more a day are considered a medicinal dose. Eating 2 to 3 fresh garlic cloves a day has many health benefits including diabetes, arthritis and heart health. To make it more palatable, mash the garlic cloves with a spoonful of honey A simple garlic based broth may be more effective than chicken soup! Garlic and it's close relatives (chives, leeks and onions) can be applied directly to burns in a poultice. Or cut an onion in half and squeeze the juice on the burn. Garlic infused oils can be used topically or in cooking. Crushed garlic is a good addition to any homemade insecticide spray. Garlic cloves, placed in the ground around plants will deter slugs. Garlic is a natural pesticide against mosquito larvae.

Using garlic and onion to treat ear infections is a longstanding home remedy that many people swear by, claiming that they alleviate the pain of ear infections and even eliminate the infection entirely. garlic has shown some potential in lowering high cholesterol and blood pressure and lowering risk of certain cancers. Onion has similar properties and has been linked to a reduced risk of both stomach and brain cancer.

How can we use garlic for hair loss remedy? – An hour before bedtime, slice open a clove of garlic and rub it on the hair loss area. Wait for an hour then massage the scalp with olive oil. Put on a cap and go to bed. In the morning, shampoo your hair. Repeat this remedy for a few weeks, and hopefully hair will stop falling out and re-grow.

Onion (Allium cepa) recognised with healing qualities include their antibacterial, cleansing, stimulating, and nourishing powers. Onions contain a number of important minerals and vitamins, such as vitamins C and B6, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and germanium. Onion also has a high sulfur content. Sulphur is a mineral present in every cell in our body, with its greatest concentration in hair, skin and nails. It has often been called the “beauty mineral” and the “healing mineral” because of its ability to promote circulation and decrease inflammation. These qualities also lend to the theory that adequate amounts of sulphur can jump-start hair growth in people with deficiencies. High amounts of sulphur in onions make them particularly effective in regenerating hair follicles and stimulating hair regrowth. In addition, naturally-concentrated sulphur compounds have been proven to show additional hair-restoring.