Nature's Pharmacy: Ancient Knowledge, Modern Medicine
Garlic
Allium sativum
Name, Habitat and Appearance
Garlic is a member of the Liliaceae family, which also includes the onion. The plants in this family are noted for their penetrating, pungent odor. Common varieties of Garlic are: Crow Garlic, Ramson's, Field Garlic and the best known, Common Garlic. The name is Anglo-Saxon. It describes the long, narrow spear-like shape of the leaves. Gar (a spear) and lac (a plant). The bulb consists of several smaller sections known as cloves. These are used for medicinal and dietary purposes.
In a treatise entitled The Origin of Cultivated Plants, Swiss botanist de Candolle suggested that garlic was native to Southwest Siberia, gradually spreading southward. Many believe it originated in Central Asia and spread rapidly, even to the Americas, in ancient times.
Gathering and Preparation
Garlic is cultivated in narrow rows. It is usually planted in very early spring and harvested in August and September. The pungent odor perfumes the air for miles around when large fields are harvested.
Legends and Folklore
Few plants have more legends than Garlic. A Mohammedan legend related that "when Satan stepped out from the Garden of Eden after the fall of man, Garlick sprang up from the spot where he placed his left foot, and Onion from that where his right foot touched." In Europe, it was believed to be protection against the "evil eye" and to make witches and vampires disappear at its very sight. Racers who chewed a bit of garlic thought they could not be beaten. Hungarian jockeys attached a piece of garlic to their horse's bits to prevent the competition from winning. In Bram Stoker's Dracula, a doctor strewed the room with garlic and hung a necklace of garlic around a woman's throat in the belief that garlic would repel vampires. During the Dark Ages, people believed it could ward off the plague and wore garlands of it as protection. In fact, as recently as 1917 and 1918, Americans wore garlic garlands in public during influenza epidemics.
History
The Egyptians worshipped it. It was fed to the laborers who built the Great Pyramid of Giza about 3000 B.C.E. An inscription on the pyramid states the exact cost of the garlic, radishes and onions consumed during its construction. The Greeks detested it. The Romans ate it with delight. It was included in the rations of Roman soldiers to make them strong and heroic. Galen (2nd century C.E.) used it as an antidote to poisons. Pliny the Elder said it was good for toothache, ulcer and asthma-not to mention stimulating to sexual and gustatory appetites. Mohammed, prophet of Islam, extolled its use for scorpion and snake bites. In Shakespeare's time, the smell of garlic was considered vulgar. It has been used as a diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant and stimulant. Alexander Neckham, a 12th century writer, claimed it relieved heat exhaustion in field laborers. It was also thought to prevent anthrax in cattle. Garlic has been used to fight leprosy, smallpox and the plague. During World War I, garlic was in much demand as a natural antiseptic; garlic juice was diluted with water and applied to wounds. Syrup of garlic is believed to combat asthma, hoarseness, coughs, difficulty of breathing and other disorders of the lungs. Eleanor Roosevelt was said to take 3 chocolate-covered garlic pills each morning on the advice of her doctor in order to improve her memory.
Today, Gilroy, California calls itself "Garlic Capital of the United States." The French Garlic Capital is in Arleaux, north of Paris, in the fields where World War I took place. There they produce over 200 million pounds of garlic a year. Modern medicine recognizes its antibacterial qualities due to its many organic sulfur compounds. Many doctors believe in its ability to break down fibrin, possibly reducing the effects of heart and blood diseases. Garlic has also been used in cooking throughout the world, its distinctive flavor enhancing many foods.
Historical Uses
- To treat wounds, infections and tumors
- Intestinal parasites
- To lower cholesterol and blood pressure
- To stimulate the immune system
- To increase T-helper cell activity
- Upper respiratory viral infections
- To clear mucous from the lungs
- Antioxidant
Modern Medicinal Uses
The Egyptians used garlic to treat wounds, infections, tumors and intestinal parasites. Modern scientific research confirms some of these ancient uses for garlic. Garlic's sulfur-containing compounds, which lend the herb its pungent aroma, are responsible for many of its healing properties. Specifically, the compound Allicin inhibits synthesis of fats. Allicin has antimicrobial, antiyeast and antifungal properties; it inhibits the growth of parasites in the intestines, including amoebas which cause dysentery. The compound Allicin can be transformed into Ajoene, which has anticlotting properties. Garlic's sulfur compounds, in addition to selenium-containing compounds, are also potent antioxidants.
Ways to make your "garlic breath" smell better.
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