Garlic is one of the easiest thing to grow in the garden, the most useful herb to have in the house and boasts one of the most interesting heritages of all plants. Grown from seeds or cloves, it is very cold tolerant and so may be planted before the end of the frosts. It does best in rich well ... Read review
Garlic is one of the easiest thing to grow in the garden, the most useful herb to have in the house and boasts one of the most interesting heritages of all plants. Grown from seeds or cloves, it is very cold tolerant and so may be planted before the end of the frosts. It does best in rich well drained soils, does not like too much water and although will grow in shady areas will produce the biggest bulbs in the sunniest parts of the garden. I find ... ...dry out.
Garlic has a fine heritage, remains of the plant has been found in caves known to be inhabited 10,000 ago, and even appears on a Sumerian tablet as a prescription 3000 years ago. Garlic appears throughout the entire ancient world but is particularly associated with the Egyptians, they were even known as "the stinking ones" due to the amount they ate and the affect on their breath. It appears that the Egyptians would ... more
Garlic is one of the easiest thing to grow in the garden, the most useful herb to have in the house and boasts one of the most interesting heritages of all plants. Grown from seeds or cloves, it is very cold tolerant and so may be planted before the end of the frosts. It does best in rich well drained soils, does not like too much water and although will grow in shady areas will produce the biggest bulbs in the sunniest parts of the garden. I find that if you cut back the flower stalks in the summer all the plants energy will be directed to the growth of the bulb. Once harvested if you braid the leaves into a rope it will give your kitchen that old world garden kitchen look and keeps the bulbs to hand, just cut them off as required, and it will make the place smell nice, at least until they dry out.
Garlic has a fine heritage, remains of the plant has been found in caves known to be inhabited 10,000 ago, and even appears on a Sumerian tablet as a prescription 3000 years ago. Garlic appears throughout the entire ancient world but is particularly associated with the Egyptians, they were even known as "the stinking ones" due to the amount they ate and the affect on their breath. It appears that the Egyptians would swear on Garlic in the same way that today people swear on the Bible. It was so revered that during the building of one pyramid a shortage of garlic in the builders rations led to one of the worlds first recorded strikes.
Greek athletes ate garlic before races and chewed it in battle, 1000 greek warriors advancing shoulder to shoulder munching on half a bulb of garlic each was probably more off putting to the enemy than the wounds that might be inflicted. Ancient physicians such as Hippocrates, Dioscorides and Pliny recommended garlic for a range of ailments, many of which have been supported by modern medicine. It as also connected with warriors in Anglo-Saxon times and the name we use today comes from the name Gar-Leac or Spear Leek as they knew it to be called.
Over the years as garlic came to be associated with the lower classes of society, the upper classes came to hate it and the name "stinking rose" became its adopted nickname. Though garlic went out of fashion as a food resource, it retained its uses as a healing substance and was particularly endorsed by the herbalist nicholas Culpeper. During World War One, British, French and Russian physicians used garlic juice to treat infected battle wounds as well as dysentery. Even during the Second World War, when Antibiotics had become a standard replacement for herbal cures, the Russian casualty rate was so high that garlic was once agin used as a back up for treating wounds, so much so that it was called "Russian Penicillin".
Even today garlic has many uses for the kitchen gardener. As stated above, garlic is a useful natural antibiotic. This is because garlic contains alliin. By itself alliin has no medicinal value, but when it is cruched, chopped orchewed, the chemical comes into contact with an enzyme which creates allicin, which is a powerful antibiotic. Chemistry lesson over.
There are many medications relating to heart problems. Some reduce blood pressure, some decrease cholesterol and others reduce the likelihood of blood clots that cause strokes. Garlic does all of these things and has been more recently regarded as being at least as potent as aspirin.
Other uses are reducing blood sugar levels in diabetics, helping to eliminate lead and other toxic metals from the blood and even to reduce the risk of stomach cancer. Modern research has even backed up the traditional belief that it helps slow and even reverse the effects of Leprosy.
For most uses, garlic should be crushed or chewed and is best taken as part of a meal, there by making use of its practical healing properties and its strong flavour. For use on the skin it should be made into a juice extract or a tincture. There are two type of infusion that can be extracted. Either steep about six choped cloves in cool water for six hours or soak a cup of crushed garlic in brandy for two weeks. The former can be drunk in large amounts, the later limit to three table spoons a day.
The normal warnings appy to the use of garlic and before using it as a regular medicine, especially on the skin, it is wise to check with your doctor.
In folk tradition garlic hung in the house will repel evil, thieves and envy and promote health. It was also carried by sailors to prevent shipwrecks, and brides to bring them luck in their new marriage. Garlic is known to most people as a warding for evil, witches and especialy Vampires.
"Bizi ko Visticia od biloga luka" "She runs from it like a witch from white garlic" Transylvanian folk-saying.
vampirism and the traditions that go with it are drawn largely from Slavic pagan folk traditions. It was hung around the house to prevent the shapeshifting creatures from entering the house. People even slept with cloves in their mouths to create a protective field around them. This I would not recommend for as recently as 1973 a 68 year old polish immigrant, living in perpetual fear of vampires was found to have choked to death in his sleep.
So there you have it, a versatile and useful culinary and medicinal plant with a great heritage and easy to grow in the garden, and if you use it for nothing else it will make your garden smell wonderful.
Advantages: 100 percent health benefits Disadvantages: Smelly stinky breath
...to show you how beneficial garlic can be to your health. Also tips on growing, drying and a recipe for chesty coughs
♣Growing your own Garlic
Take a Whole Garlic clove and separate into segments
Plant each clove approx 9-12 inches deep anytime between September and February pointed end upwards.
Leave all winter to establish roots
Water frequently from spring onwards.
Dig up in August
♣Drying your Garlic
Spread the garlic heads ... ...your Garlic
Submerge peeled garlic cloves in oil and freeze. 6 months maximum.
Freeze without peeling. These need to be used immediately once removed from freezer.
Puree peeled cloves with 1 part garlic to two parts oil and freeze. This will stay supple.
Pickle by finding the recipe link at the end of this op.
Peel cloves and submerge in wine or wine vinegar. Place in fridge for up to 4 months. Discard mixture if any growth appears on the surface. ...
COOOEEE 13.03.2002 (09.07.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Garlic
Advantages: Seems to alleviate a host of ailments. Disadvantages: Causes odour, some may be intolerant to it.
...to have been written about garlic being good for the heart, cholesterol, circulation and a host of other conditions, but I thought I would add my "two-pence-worth" based on my experience of this pungent little herb. To begin with, I must say that I have never found any benefit in taking garlic supplements, whether or not they were of the odourless variety. But I definitely have found fresh garlic bulbs to make a difference to the state of my health. ... ...found to be intolerant to garlic and experienced contact dermatitis on the skin and migraine headaches. I am no expert and what follows is for information purposes only, based on my personal experiences with garlic. Colds and 'Flu: I was constantly plagued by the coughs and sneezes of the common cold both summer and winter every year. About once every other year, I would cop of a dose of whatever type of flu bug was doing the rounds. I've been using ...
derek-j-a 30.05.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Garlic
Advantages: great for ailments and for cooking Disadvantages: you've got to get used to the taste
...like to grow herbs and garlic is one of the plants which is easy to grow and has so many good uses. All you need is a clove of garlic, get it sprouting and plant it outside in the gared this will then grow into a full garlic bulb over the course of the summer months and with the price of garlic these days it's easy and cheaper to grow your own. The garlic family is quite large and amongst its family members are, onions, chives, welsh onion, french ... ...have a strong taste and garlic is one of the things which you have to build your taste buds up to, just a little chopped up and sprinkled on your cheese on toast, will give it an extra bite. using it in stews, sandwiches, salads and sauces will soon have you used to the taste.
As long as you don't try to eat a full clove you'll be alright and not put yourself off the experience of the taste.
After onions, garlic is the next most used herb in the ...
Sunnysmiles 02.02.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Garlic
Advantages: Great to treat minor illnesses. Disadvantages: Can cause bad breath!
...I therefore love to eat Garlic for reasons, which I am about to explain.
Within the history of the human race, the Garlic plant has been commonly known as a useful treatment to minor medicinal ailments for many hundreds or should I say thousands of years but where it originates there is not actual written evidence (reference have been made in many early written texts though). Garlic also, tastes good too, my opinion and I am sticking to it. I remember ... ...lectures we were informed that Garlic was masticated on by Greek Olympian athletes, traditionally for strength before partaking in a variety of sporting events. Was it ethical to use this plant as an enhancing drug? (Is this the anabolic steroid of its day?) Garlic is also thought to keep vampires at bay as illustrated in many “horror stories” such a Dracula by Bram Stocker! One theory is that garlic “thins” the blood and ...
wulise 03.04.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Garlic
Advantages: The tremendous medical values Disadvantages: The smell once it has been cooked
When the word Garlic is mentioned ones mind usually wanders to the pungent and unpleasant aroma associated with it.
This is not necessarily true and we should instead look at the enormous benefits associated with Garlic and how we could all take full advantage of its medicinal values.
The old sayings of “Garlic is good for your love life” and other ancient folklore, with regards to its benefits, are all being proven correct after evaluation ... ...body. A regular intake of garlic significantly reduces your cholesterol levels. A study conducted showed that cholesterol levels dropped by 12% over a period of just 12 weeks. One of the good things about garlic is that it acts quickly. The reductions were visible in just 4 weeks upon onset. Impotency
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Garlic contains a chemical called Nitric Oxide Synthase and this is responsible for providing men with an erection. Regular intake of ...
vinodgm 07.10.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Garlic
Advantages: no odour, easy to swallow, brilliant for bringing down cholesterol levels and blood pressure Disadvantages: ittle pricey
When my dad came back from the doctor he was very worried.
His cholesterol and blood pressure had gone high. I had been warning him about his bad eating habits and lazy lifestyle.
The doctor had said to him to change his diet to more healthier food and to try and exercise. The dog would be happy as it would be walked more!
He also recommended garlic tablets. My dad was a little worried about this as he thought it would make him smell of garlic, so we researched into which tablets would be best.
We came across Kwai Garlic one a day tablets. We got them from an online company called www.thehealthcounter.com.
I am please to say that when he next visited the doctor his blood pressure and cholesterol levels were in the normal range!
I would highly recommend this product. ...
Advantages: Helps ward off colds Disadvantages: None
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But it still never ceases to amaze me how much trust our forefathers put into natural healing.
I would suppose that one of today's main uses for garlic would be in the kitchen, used to flavour many different foods.
I enjoy the whole garlic experience, the stronger the better but as we all know the next day we have the `Battle of the breath !`.
The ancient Greeks swore by the bulb, it was considered an aphrodisiac, although interestingly enough Hippocrates recommended eating lentils if you wanted to stay virile in later life.
Until the discovery of penicillin in 1928 the Russian army used garlic to help heal their wounded soldiers and today herbalists worldwide still sing the praises of the humble bulb.
Garlic is a member of the onion family, each large bulb is made up from many cloves that are joined together. Today the pungent ...
Advantages: There are a number of advantages to using garlic. Garlic has been used as a natural insecticide used to get rid of bugs which can be found in your home or garden , lawns pets and trees. This way you wouldnt need to use toxic chemicals. Disadvantages: Some disadvantages to using garlic would be that garlic could cause lose stools in some people. I allso may trigger off a alergic reactions for people. Another important thing would be dont eat garlic if your nursing your baby.It will give them colic.
My personal opinion about garlic and what it cantains is that it is probably the most helpful food of all. To my knowledge there is about 45 known uses for garlic.I started using garlic about 15 yrs. ago.I beleive garlic has helped me with my on going sinus problems, and arthritis, bronchitis. When I can eat at least 2 small cloves a day I allways feel very good. I do notice a difference in the way I feel. Ive used raw garlic to take care of headaches. Once I had a bad tooth ache and rubbed it on and around my tooth that was hurting. The swelling and the infection seem to subside and of course the pain ceased. Ive used garlic and other herbs for myself and my children as remedies for colds flus and upper respiratory infections. Another good thing about garlic is thant it is very inexpensive. ...
