Garlic is an incredibly powerful plant that not only tastes great when cooked into your dinner but also has been used as a healing remedy for thousands of years world wide! Recently scientists have started studying Garlic and has found some surprising results.
Washington University recently discovered that garlic can be up to 100 times more effective at treating bacterial infections than our regular prescription antibiotics.
This makes perfect sense when you realize that many medicinal plants have been evolving for millions of years and need to have their own defenses against invading bacteria.
On top of being a natural antibacterial agent, garlic will help protect the body against DNA damage and aging effects because it is full of antioxidants.
Since it is high in the mineral sulfur you can use garlic to help detox your system which is important if you are trying to heal your body and prevent illnesses.
Use Garlic at Home To Boost your Health!
Throw some of this awesome herb into your pan when cooking stir-fries or other home cooked meal to add some of its healing power into your life. If you notice that you are starting to get a cold or sinus infection eat a tiny clove of garlic. (Or half of one since it is very intense.) This will quickly boost your immune system and probably clean out your sinuses while you are at it.
The Many Health Benefits of Garlic
Aging garlic or pickling it can help destroy superbugs that are unreachable by normal antibiotics without creating new ones. If you are wanting to create your own home made picked garlic check out this recipe here!
Aged garlic can also help heal the buildup of plaque in arteries. According to LA BioMed, Torrance, California using aged garlic extract can help remove the soft plaque (aka low-attenuation plaque) buildup in your arteries. The study participants all struggled with metabolic syndrome which is also strongly linked to cardiac disease.
“Were I forced to have only one herb in my kitchen, garlic would be it.” -Herbalist Rosemary Gladstar
If you have decided to make some lifestyle changes and use plants to aid your body in healing then this is one of the most powerful herbs you could use. Here are 7 more reasons why garlic needs to be in everyone’s kitchen and medicine cabinet!
- Garlic is a great source for Antioxidants which helps in slowing aging and fighting cancer-causing free radicals
- Raw, uncooked garlic, contains allicin which can help control hypertension.
- The allicin can also help prevent acne and other skin conditions.
- Garlic can shorten the length of your cold because of its sulfur.
- Because garlic is such a powerful ingredient in killing cancer cells it can help reduce the risk of getting lung cancer by almost 50% in nonsmokers.
- Garlic can help your body as a natural anti-inflammatory agent and even ease issues with osteoarthritis.
- Garlic can help reduce the risk of blood clots because it thins the blood.
Warning: If you are due to have surgery or have issues with bleeding do not take garlic. Garlic can make it hard for your body to clot making it very dangerous during major surgeries. It’s best to avoid it for a week or two leading up to the procedure and then wait until you are fully healed before resuming it. (Consult your doctor for more information)
Garlic Soup!
If you are looking for a great way to enjoy garlic and load up on Omega-3 fatty acids then we recommend that you try out this tasty garlic soup!
Ingredients you will need:
5 bulbs of garlic- 2 Tbs of vegan butter
- 2 Tbs of olive oil
- 2 large onions
- 1 Tbs of fresh thyme
- 8.5 ounces of vegetable
- 1 bunch of parsley
- 3 cups of bread, chopped
- 1 cup of Dairy free sour cream (optional)
How to prepare the soup:
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Cut the top of the garlic off and then coat them in just a little bit of olive oil. Chop up the parsley, bread, and thyme.
Put the garlic in banana leaves (or another aluminum alternative) and then bake them for 90 min. Remove from the oven and let them cook. Heat up the vegan butter and olive oil in a pot until it melts and then add the onions and cook it for 10 min.
One the garlic has cooked mash it up with a fork and then add it into your pot. After that add your other herbs and the veggie broth.
Cook them together for 5 minutes and then add in the bread until it softens which takes about 5 more minutes. Add in your dairy free sour cream, pepper, and salt to taste.
ENJOY!
Let us know in the comments below how you like to use garlic!
Sources-
Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs 2012 pgs. 70-72