Garlic is a premier remedy for fighting infection and bolstering immunity. It is amazing for the lungs. This remedy is a great way to fight bacterial infections. It also enhances your immune system and fights viruses at the same time!

I do this on my kids as well when they have a bad cough or they have a chest cold. For me, I also put the garlic pieces between my toes but not for kids. Then, I put socks on for the night and go to sleep. When I wake up, I have garlic breath, so I know it works!

No kidding! Garlic enters your system and heads straight for the lungs. Garlic is an anti-inflammatory powerhouse that fights infection, supports healthy cholesterol levels, and more.

Garlic is one of the most effective culinary herbs we have for supporting immune health. Understand that tablets are never going to be as good as the real thing, but they do work. Well, the most obvious garlic remedy is to cook with it.

In particular, garlic was associated with overall lower risk of spontaneous PTD. A team of researchers from St. Though there is some research to suggest that raw garlic has the most benefits, other studies have looked at overall allium intake, both raw and cooked, and have found benefits.

Therefore, you can enjoy garlic in a variety of ways to reap its advantages. Oregano contains antioxidants. As a herb, supplement, or essential oil, it may offer many health benefits.

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Medical News Today. Health Conditions Health Products Discover Tools Connect. What are the benefits of garlic? Medically reviewed by Natalie Butler, R. History Uses Benefits Garlic Allium sativum is a common cooking ingredient that possesses some health benefits.

Fast facts on garlic In many countries, garlic has been used medicinally for centuries. Garlic may have a range of health benefits, both raw and cooked. It may have significant antibiotic properties.

Was this helpful? Share on Pinterest There are many medicinal claims about garlic. Share on Pinterest Garlic may contain heart-protective chemicals. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations.

We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles.

Note that 1 medium to large garlic clove weighs between grams each. Raw garlic has the potential to ward off cough and cold infections. Eating two crushed garlic cloves on an empty stomach has the maximum benefit. For kids and babies, hanging garlic cloves in a thread around their necks is supposed to relieve congestion symptoms.

From what I have seen, garlic oil might possess anti-inflammatory properties. In cases of soreness and inflammation in joints or muscles, applying garlic oil topically may be beneficial. Rubbing the affected area with garlic oil can potentially help reduce inflammation and provide relief.

Allicin, a compound found in garlic stops the oxidizing of LDL bad cholesterol. This reduces cholesterol levels and improves heart health. Regular consumption of garlic reduces the incidence of blood clots and thus helps prevent thromboembolism.

Garlic also lowers blood pressure so is good for patients with hypertension. Read more on How to control high blood pressure. Also Read: 2o Essential Tips for a Healthy Heart.

Garlic promotes brain health because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Also, read more on the best brain foods to include in your diet. I think that garlic might be good for your arteries and blood pressure. When we eat garlic, the sulphur in it gets converted into a gas called hydrogen sulphide.

This gas may help expand our blood vessels, which makes it easier to control blood pressure. Digestive problems improve with the inclusion of raw garlic in the diet.

It benefits the intestines and reduces inflammation. Eating raw garlic helps to clear out intestinal worms. The good thing is that it destroys the bad bacteria and protects the good bacteria in the gut.

Those who suffer from diabetes observe their blood sugar levels regulating the consumption of raw garlic. Also, read 10 harmful effects of sugar. Based on my observations, garlic has been potentially used in traditional medicine for ages. For instance, studies have shown that garlic may be effective in dealing with warts, denture stomatitis, venous ulcers, and even skin wounds.

Garlic protects against free radicals and prevents damage to the DNA. Zinc in garlic promotes immunity. Vitamin C helps to fight off infections. It is very beneficial against eye and ear infections as it has antimicrobial properties. Garlic helps prevent acne and lightens acne scars.

Animal studies suggest that allicin in garlic may also help protect against cognitive decline. Human research is needed before we can fully understand its potential. Garlic contains antioxidants that can help protect against cognitive decline related to cell damage and aging.

But given the beneficial effects on important risk factors like blood pressure, it makes sense that garlic could help you live longer. In a Chinese study , older adults who consumed garlic at least weekly lived longer than those who consumed garlic less than once a week.

The fact that it can help defend against infectious diseases is also important. Such diseases are common causes of death, especially in older adults or people with weakened immune systems. Garlic has known beneficial effects on common causes of chronic disease, so it makes sense that it could also help you live longer.

Ancient civilizations used garlic to reduce fatigue and improve the work capacity of laborers. Olympic athletes in ancient Greece consumed garlic to improve their performance.

While rodent studies have shown that garlic helps with exercise performance, there have been very few human studies. However, it may have reduced exercise-related oxidative stress and muscle damage.

A small study also noted that garlic supplements might increase oxygen capacity during exercise. But more research is needed to confirm this potential benefit. Animal studies suggest that garlic may improve physical performance.

The benefits for humans are not yet conclusive. Ultimately, more research is needed. At high doses, the sulfur compounds in garlic have been shown to protect against organ damage from heavy metal toxicity.

Allicin in garlic can help reduce levels of lead in your blood and vital organs. It also reduced many clinical signs of toxicity, including headaches and high blood pressure. A few recent studies have measured the effects of garlic on bone health, specifically in women after menopause.

Results of a clinical trial published in showed that garlic can reduce oxidative stress that leads to osteoporosis. The participants took garlic tablets equal to about 2 grams of fresh garlic per day.

A study found that 12 weeks of garlic supplements 1 gram per day helped reduce pain in women with knee osteoarthritis and obesity or overweight.

Garlic appears to have some benefits for bone health by reducing oxidative stress. Still, more human studies are needed. Garlic is very easy to include in your current diet.

It complements most savory dishes, particularly soups and sauces. The strong taste of garlic can also add a punch to otherwise bland recipes. Garlic comes in several forms, from whole cloves and smooth pastes to powders and supplements like garlic extract and garlic oil.

A common way to use garlic is to press a few cloves of fresh garlic with a garlic press, then mix it with extra virgin olive oil and a bit of salt. This works as a very simple and nutritious salad dressing. Garlic is delicious and easy to add to your diet.

You can use it in savory dishes, soups, sauces, dressings, and more. Keep in mind that garlic has some downsides, such as bad breath. Some people are also allergic to garlic.

Garlic may also affect your blood clotting ability. If you have a bleeding disorder or are taking blood-thinning medications , talk with a doctor before increasing your garlic intake.

The minute garlic rule typically refers to how long you should let garlic stand after cutting or crushing it before you cook it.

This may maintain some of the allicin, a beneficial but unstable compound in garlic that degrades when fresh garlic is heated. While many people eat garlic as part of a meal, some people believe eating it on an empty stomach may improve the health benefits associated with it.

However, more research is needed to prove whether eating garlic on an empty stomach provides additional benefits. Eating garlic raw may provide additional benefits, as some of the beneficial compounds in garlic are sensitive to heat. Garlic is likely safe for most people to consume in the amounts used in food preparation.

But some people, including those with gastroesophageal reflux disease GERD and those taking blood thinners may have negative effects from drastically increasing their garlic intake.

Science is now beginning to confirm it. Garlic is safe and healthy for most people. Wondering if raw garlic has more health benefits than cooked garlic? Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

It is however best to source organic garlic for medicinal purposes. This is due to the fact that a higher content of medicinal compounds is often found in organically grown produce over conventionally farmed. Herbal Medicines are often extremely safe to take, however it is important to buy herbal medicines from a reputed supplier.

Sometimes herbs bought from unreputable sources are contaminated, adulterated or substituted with incorrect plant matter. A supplier should be able to tell you where the herbs have come from.

There is more space for contamination and adulteration when the supply chain is unknown. Garlic is easy to grow and is highly resilient to low temperatures. If garlic is planted at the proper time and depth, it can be grown as far north as Alaska. Garlic Allium sativum Amaryllidaceae Garlic is a panacea for all the ills.

Sustainability status Not currently on risk lists but complete data may be missing on the status of the species. Key benefits Digestive health Respiratory health Hyperlipidaemic Antioxidant Hypotensive Common cold Atherosclerosis.

Aromatic Hot. Western Actions Alteratives. Cardiovascular system Garlic has a multitude of therapeutic effects in the circulatory system. Digestive system Garlic can be used for a number of conditions in the digestive system. Respiratory system Garlics powerful volatile oils have a potent therapeutic effect on the lungs.

Metabolic Garlic is sometimes used by herbalists in the treatment of elevated blood lipid levels that are insufficiently controlled by diet 1. External uses An infused oil of garlic may be used for fungal infections and ringworm, as well as for ear infections Cardiovascular health An open study was carried out to assess the effects of mg of standardised garlic powder 1.

Hypertension A systematic review was carried out on the medical literature to investigate the current evidence of garlic for the treatment of hypertension.

Atherosclerosis A study which used serum taken from patients with coronary atherosclerosis 2 hours after ingestion of mg of standardised garlic powder 1.

Myocardial infarction A 3-year randomised placebo controlled study was carried out to assess the efficacy of an oily garlic extract for the treatment of myocardial infarction.

Respiratory system A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of one of garlics primary compounds, allicin, for the prevention of the common cold. Additional information Botanical description Garlic Allium sativum is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus Allium.

Spear leek Camphor of the poor Clove of garlic Cultivated garlic Nectar of the Gods Rocambole Rustic treacle Serpent garlic Stinking rose. Fresh culinary Dried capsules Herbal honey Tincture. Fresh: Take between 1- 3 cloves per day for therapeutic effects. Garlic is native to South Asia, Central Asia and northeastern Iran.

Choose a warm sunny location with well-drained soil Break apart cloves from the bulb a few days before planting keeping the papery husk on each individual clove intact. Late autumn is an ideal time to plant garlic.

Plant cloves 4 to 8 inches apart and around 2 inches deep, in their upright position with the pointed end facing up and the wider root side facing down. Plant in rows spaced 6 to 12 inches apart. Ongoing care for garlic is simply to keep weeds at bay and water during dry spells.

The garlic bulbs will be ready from early summer onwards. Allii sativi bulbus Garlic Monographs. Bayan, L. and Gorji, A. Garlic: a review of potential therapeutic effects. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine, [online] 4 1 , pp. Silagy CA, Neil HAW. A meta-analysis of the effect of garlic on blood pressure.

J Hypertension a; and Wenzel, E. Influence of garlic powder on cutaneous microcirculation. A randomized placebo-controlled double-blind cross-over study in apparently healthy subjects. Arzneimittel-Forschung, [online] 41 6 , pp. Imaizumi, V.

and Barbalho, S. Garlic: A systematic review of the effects on cardiovascular diseases. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, pp.

Bordia A. Knoblauch und koronare Herzkrankheit. Wirkungen einer dreijährigen Behandlung mit Knoblauchextrakt auf die Reinfarkt- und Mortalitätsrate. Dtsch Apoth Ztg ; Suppl 15 Josling P. Preventing the common cold with a garlic supplement: a double-blind, placebo-controlled survey.

Adv Ther ; Xiong, X. and Wang, J. Garlic for hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology, [online] 22 3 , pp.

De B, Dutta D, Pal S, Gangopadhyay S, Das Baksi S, Pani A. The role of garlic in hepatopulmonary syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. Can J Gastroenterol ; and Grünwald, J. Effects of garlic on atherosclerosis. Nutrition Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.

Pole, S. Ayurvedic medicine : the principles of traditional practice. London ; Philadelphia: Singing Dragon, Cop. Allicin as an Adjunct Immunotherapy against Tuberculosis. Journal of Cellular Immunology, 2 4. Dwivedi, V.

and Das, G. Allicin enhances antimicrobial activity of macrophages during Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, , p. Tudu, C.

and Dey, A. Traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of garlic Allium sativum , a storehouse of diverse phytochemicals: A review of research from the last decade focusing on health and nutritional implications.

Frontiers in Nutrition, [online] 9, p. Related herbs. Primitive sense and the intuitive mind: Sensory herbal medicine. Research seeds: Garlic.

Most kitchen spices and herbs have this quality: they were used both as flavouring and to ease the digestion of sometimes challenging pre-industrial foods.

They also often feature in respiratory remedies for colds, chest and other airway infections. They are also classic calming inhalants and massage oils, and are the basis of aromatherapy for their mental benefits.

Astringent taste. The puckering taste you get with many plants the most familiar is black tea after being stewed too long, or some red wines is produced by complex polyphenols such as tannins. Tannins are used in concentrated form eg from oak bark to make leather from animal skins.

Tannins in effect turn exposed surfaces on the body into leather. In the case of the lining of mouth and upper digestive tract this is only temporary as new mucosa are replenished, but in the meantime can calm inflamed or irritated surfaces.

In the case of open wounds tannins can be a life-saver — when strong as in the bark of broadleaved trees they can seal a damaged surface. Bitters are a very complex group of phytochemicals that stimulate the bitter receptors in the mouth.

They were some of the most valuable remedies in ancient medicine. They were experienced as stimulating appetite and switching on a wide range of key digestive functions, including increasing bile clearance from the liver as bile is a key factor in bowel health this can be translated into improving bowel functions and the microbiome.

Many of these reputations are being supported by new research on the role of bitter receptors in the mouth and elsewhere round the body.

Blue-purple colouring. Any fruits with a blue-purple colouring contain high levels of the polyphenols known as anthocyanins. These work 1 on the walls of small blood vessels, helping to maintain capillary structure to reduce a key stage in inflammation, and improving the microcirculation to the tissues; 2 to improve retinal function and vision; 3 to support connective tissue repair around the body.

In the next section, you will learn how to prepare garlic for herbal remedies and some of the potentially dangerous side effects. This information is solely for informational purposes.

IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide R , Publications International, Ltd. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider.

Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider. Before engaging in any complementary medical technique, including the use of natural or herbal remedies, you should be aware that many of these techniques have not been evaluated in scientific studies.

Use of these remedies in connection with over the counter or prescription medications can cause severe adverse reactions. Often, only limited information is available about their safety and effectiveness.

Each state and each discipline has its own rules about whether practitioners are required to be professionally licensed. If you plan to visit a practitioner, it is recommended that you choose one who is licensed by a recognized national organization and who abides by the organization's standards.

It is always best to speak with your primary health care provider before starting any new therapeutic technique. Garlic is available fresh, dried, powdered, and tinctured. In health food stores, garlic appears primarily in capsule form or combined in tablets with other herbs. Since garlic's antibiotic properties depend on odorous allicin, deodorized garlic preparations are not effective for this use.

The label of such products may identify them as having a particular "allicin content," but they remain ineffective as antibiotics. Deodorized products are quite effective, however, for lowering blood pressure and cholesterol.

Of course, the tastiest way to get your dose of garlic is to add it liberally to your diet. Brushing your teeth or nibbling on fresh parsley after eating garlic can help keep your breath socially acceptable.

The following are some doseage suggestions:. Jennifer Brett, N. is director of the Acupuncture Institute for the University of Bridgeport , where she also serves on the faculty for the College of Naturopathic Medicine. A recognized leader in her field with an extensive background in treating a wide variety of disorders utilizing nutritional and botanical remedies, Dr.

Brett has appeared on WABC TV NYC and on Good Morning America to discuss utilizing herbs for health. Next time you feel that you're coming down with a cold, try this helpful recipe. Place carrots, onion, and ginger root in the water, and simmer until onions are translucent and carrots begin to get soft.

Add kale and garlic, reduce heat to lowest possible setting, and cook for another half hour. Remove from heat and add the miso, stirring well. Drink the soup during the day, eating little else.