Garlic is powerful stuff, and I don’t just mean the smell. Years of research have indicated that garlic can be beneficial to your health in many ways. Even before the twentieth century, garlic was used as an antibacterial remedy. Famed scientist, Louis Pasteur, known best for his discovery of the antibiotic penicillin, discovered that bacterial cells doused in garlic did not survive. British field doctors also used garlic to treat wounded soldiers during WWII.
Additionally, garlic has been credited with both antiviral and antifungal properties. Garlic was used by Albert Schweitzer – noted physician, musician, philosopher and Nobel Peace Prize winner – to treat cholera and typhus. Informal studies have shown garlic to be an effective antifungal when treating recurring yeast infections and other fungus-related ailments such as candida albicans. Interestingly, while pharmaceutical antibiotics have been known to promote candida growth in the intestines, it appears that fresh garlic does not.
Consumption of garlic also increases levels of HDL (good cholesterol) and reduces blood pressure, making it effective in the fight against heart disease. By improving blood circulation and increasing blood vessel elasticity, garlic can also help those with circulatory problems. This can reduce the risk of stroke, but this blood-thinning quality of garlic also slows down clotting time and increases bleeding in open wounds.
Fresh garlic and garlic powder have also been clinically proven to have anti-inflammatory properties. Reduction of swelling and many of the other medicinal attributes of garlic are most likely related to the sulphur compounds in the plant. Sulphur-containing phytochemicals in garlic, such as allicin, ajoene and diallyl sulphate are what give the plant its healing abilities. They are also responsible for the smell. Therefore, it is probable that some of the odorless garlic supplements available may not be as effective as fresh garlic for medicinal use.
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