Since ancient times, garlic (Allium sativum) is said to have invigorating and disease-preventing effects. The latest research confirms that the substance alicin, which is highly concentrated in garlic, has a strong antibacterial effect, lowers cholesterol levels and even attacks cancer cells.
Garlic in folk medicine
The history of garlic as a spice with amazing healing powers begins about six thousand years ago in the Orient, China and ancient Egypt. Even then, this fragrant bulb was a well-known remedy for insect bites, animal and snake bites and poisoning. Its strong antiseptic and healing properties were successfully used for centuries in the care of wounds and burns (even third degree!). Hellenes in ancient Greece mixed garlic with poppy seeds and wine and used bandages soaked in it to heal wounds, relieve pain and counteract the possible blood poisoning. Roman legionaries and gladiators ate whole garlic bulbs before every important battle to strengthen themselves. Babylonians in Mesopotamia used to hang whole garlic braids in and around the house to kill airborne diseases and ward off evil spirits. The plague doctors of modern times had the beaks of their plague masks filled with garlic cloves. Saint Hildegard of Bingen even used garlic to treat asthma and tuberculosis. In Russia, garlic cloves were worn as a necklace around the neck and its use in Slavic folk medicine could be summarized several book volumes.
Ingredients and effect
Today, the range of effects of the miracle bulb is widely recognized and highly valued. Especially the substance alicin, an antioxidant and cleavage product of the amino acid aliin, which is released when crushing the garlic (and also provides the typical smell), but also vitamins C, B6, B1, B2, B3, B5, B9, micronutrients calcium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, sodium, selenium, iron and folic acid act:
- anthelmintic, antifungal and antiparasitic
- antiseptic and antibacterial
- laxative and diuretic
- solvent and expectorant
- antipyretic and anti-inflammatory
- appetizing
- antioxidant
- immunomodulating
- promotes the formation of gastric secretions and bile
- cleansing for kidneys and bladder
- regulating blood sugar and blood fat
- improves intestinal flora
- contains valuable mineral germanium, which is organically available only in a few plants.
All these valuable substances are of course only available in fresh garlic, during cooking a huge part of it is lost. There are probably garlic lozenges or garlic dry powder, which are produced in a particularly gentle way and are certainly a practical substitute. But only fresh garlic delivers one hundred percent what it promises.
Garlic cleansing cure
A Garlic liqueur from Russia has been known in folk medicine for centuries for its invigorating and rejuvenating effect. It strengthens the immune system, normalizes cholesterol levels and cleanses the calcified arteries.
Recipe: 250 gr. of peeled garlic cloves briefly quench with boiling water and then crush or grind in a blender. Pour twice the amount of vodka (40%) over the garlic pulp thus obtained and leave to infuse in a sealed bottle in a dark cool place for ten days, strain through a linen cloth or gauze and leave for another three days.
The garlic liqueur is taken every day with 50ml of cold milk half an hour before the meal according to a strict plan: from the first day - increasing amount, from the sixth - reducing and from the eleventh always the same.
Day 1: morning - 1, noon - 2, evening - 3 drops.
Day 2: 4 - 5 - 6; Day 3: 7 - 8 - 9; Day 4: 10 - 11 - 12; Day 5: 13 - 14 - 15;
Day 6: 15 - 14 - 13; Day 7: 12 - 11 - 10; Day 8: 9 - 8 - 7; Day 9: 6 - 5 - 4; Day 10: 3 - 2 - 1.
From the 11th day until the end of the cure (until the liqueur is completely used up, about 3 months) one should take 25 drops with cold milk three times a day.
This cure must not be repeated more often than every five years.
This cure is not suitable for people with liver or kidney disease, with advanced gastritis or for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
A deworming cure for big and small
Garlic is one of the most powerful natural anthelmintics, i.e. effectively fights many types of intestinal parasites such as tapeworms or threadworms, kills intestinal fungi and counteracts intestinal putrefaction.
There is an old legend according to which Genghis Khan, the founder of the vast Mongol Empire in the 13th century, and all his warriors once a year made a garlic cure against worms. Two handfuls of garlic cloves were chopped and washed down unchewed like tablets with milk.
But here a milder Recipe To make: Peel five cloves of garlic and simmer in ¼ liter of milk for 10-15 min on low heat. Leave the elixir until cool and continue to store in the refrigerator. Take one teaspoon daily 4-5 times before meals for a week.
Possible side effects
Garlic is a natural food and may be consumed safely. Nevertheless, there are people who do not like the specific smell or taste of the super bulb or have an individual intolerance. It is not recommended to eat garlic if you have serious liver or kidney diseases or suffer from advanced gastritis. Garlic promotes blood thinning, so it is equally not recommended for people who have lowered blood clotting or take blood thinners regularly. Pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under one year of age should also avoid garlic or keep the amount consumed very low.
A recipe to recreate:
Damascus eggplant dip
Ingredients:
* 2 large or 3 small eggplants * 1/2 lemon * 100 ml natural yogurt* 100 gr. tahini (sesame paste)* 50 ml olive oil* 4-5 large cloves of garlic * about 1/2 teaspoon salt * 1/2 teaspoon kimyon (cumin) ground* some pepper and nutmeg
Preparation:Wash the eggplants well, pierce the skin several times with a knife and bake in the oven at 200 degrees or on the grill for about 20 min. until the flesh softens inside (until the eggplants feel soft). When the eggplants are cooked, let them cool a bit, peel off the skin and chop the still warm flesh with a knife to a puree (do not puree with a blender!).Mix yogurt, squeezed lemon juice, tahini, squeezed garlic, oil and spices well and then add the eggplant puree.Tastes great with grilled meats or simply as a dip with fresh bread or tortilla chips. Bon appetit!
Sources:
https://flexikon.doccheck.com/de/Allicin
Reiter, J. et al. (2020): Allicin, a natural antimicrobial defense substance from garlic, inhibits DNA gyrase activity in bacteria. In: International Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol. 310, 151359, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmm.2019.151359
Dr. Marcela Ullmann, Kaur's Great Home Pharmacy: Medicinal Plants, Munich 1988, pp. 74-79.
Иван Куренов, Золотая энциклопедия народной медицины. - М.: Мартин 2008, с.32, 478-488.
Image sources: https://pixabay.com/de/images/search/garlic/
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