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Today's Daily Health Tip
Garlic: One of Nature's Best Infection Fighters
by Jennifer Good     While most of our attention lately has been on lesser-known healthy ingredients, this week we'll be looking at an ingredient you may already frequently use: garlic. This little, strong-smelling bulb is used not only to spice up your weekly dinners, but also as an herbal medicine. In fact, garlic is one of the best infection fighters available for both bacterial and viral infections. It is a natural antibiotic that does not appear to create resistant bacteria strains. In addition, fresh garlic extract has been shown to be capable of neutralizing or destroying many viruses.
In addition, garlic possesses the ability to stimulate the immune system. It can stimulate the activity of the macrophages (white blood cells), which engulf foreign organisms, such as viruses, bacteria, and yeast. Furthermore, garlic increases the activity of the T-helper cells (immune cells which are central to the activity of the entire immune system).
This little bulb doesn't stop there either. Garlic may be particularly effective in treating upper respiratory viral infections due to its immune-enhancing properties and its ability to clear mucous from the lungs. It destroys and/or inhibits various bacteria and fungi, with an antibacterial action equivalent to 1% penicillin. Garlic is also effective against strep, staph, and even anthrax bacteria. As the Garlic Information Center of Great Britain says:
"Garlic is the only antibiotic that can actually kill infecting [anthrax] bacteria and at the same time protect the body from the poisons that are causing the infection. It is known that the most sensitive bacterium to garlic is the deadly Bacillus anthracis, which produces the poison anthrax. Even the forefather of antibiotic medicine Louis Pasteur acknowledged garlic to be as effective as penicillin, and late studies showed similar activity to a more modern antibiotic, chloramphenicol. Even the blood of garlic eaters can kill bacteria; and it is also reported that the vapor from freshly cut garlic can kill bacteria at a distance of 8 inches!!"
Who knew such a tiny pungent tasting and smelling bulb could be capable of doing so much? So how do you capitalize on nature's natural medicine? Letting garlic sit for about ten minutes or so after you've chopped or crushed it allows the enzymes in garlic to start working on your behalf. For example, in the absence of chopping or crushing, research has shown that just 60 seconds of immediate microwaving will cause garlic to lose some of its cancer-protective properties.1 Immediate boiling of whole, intact garlic will also lower these properties, as will immediate addition of a very low-acid ingredient like lemon juice.1
So when you're thinking about dinner options tonight, don't forget to include the garlic!
For more information on immunity-boosting herbs, click here.
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References: (1)
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=60 |
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