The Not-So-Sweet
Smell of Success
Garlic
Much seems 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've definitely found fresh garlic bulbs to make a difference to the state of my health.
Before I go any further, I would like to advise readers with medical conditions to always visit their doctor to get a proper diagnosis and only self-medicate with the appropriate medical approval. Some people have also been 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 fresh garlic (1 clove daily on a cracker/toast) for the past 5 years and the worst I've experienced, is the onset of a cold, that was halted in it's tracks when I made a garlic and ginger concoction in our juicer. How do I know that I would have remained cold-free anyway? I guess I don't know, but I will keep using the garlic.
Mouth Ulcers:
For the past 20 years I have been plagued with mouth ulcers. 10 years ago, they became chronic - once one batch (I suffer 3 or 4 in a batch) disappeared another batch would appear.
After taking cortisone lozenges with little or no success, I attended a food allergy clinic and was told I had an intolerance to sugar and was advised to cut it out of meals altogether - I was also diagnosed with CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) which I thought was the constant mouth ulceration dragging me down. I followed a strict sugar-free diet, which helped a great deal with my general vitality, but the mouth ulcers remained. Next stop dentist.
My mouth is full of amalgam fillings and I had heard that these can cause great problems, but my dentist disagreed and supplied me with Corsodyl Mint mouthwash. It worked, they got rid of the ulcers very quickly but the side effects were badly stained teeth, which I constantly had to have removed by the hygienist. I was not satisfied with this, partly because I was getting pain after each cleaning and partly because it felt like I was "rubbing ointment on measles spots" and not doing anything about the cause. Then came an idea when I read about garlic having antibiotic/antiviral properties.
I bought myself a bulb of organic garlic, extracted a clove, crushed it and placed it on one of my mouth ulcers. To say it stung would be an understatement. I was hopping around with tears flooding down my face. No, I wasn't crying in pain, just the stinging was causing profuse eye-watering. The very next day the ulcer had greatly receded and I was free of pain. I just rubbed some more garlic oil into the area to make sure. Whatever was causing the mouth ulcers, did not like garlic. A good result. Now, if ever I feel an ulcer coming on, a clove is crushed and the oil applied. Although I still get mouth ulcers, it is very rare and quickly dealt with.
Moles and Warts:
Since being a child, from time to time, I suffered from warts. I've had them chemically burnt off and surgically removed, only to have them reappear. A rub of garlic oil should one appear soon puts paid to it.
About three years ago, I had a particularly ugly mole come up at the side of my eyebrow and start bleeding. Thinking is might be a result of getting sunburned the year before I hurried off the GP in a panic and had it removed. It was benign, so my fears were unfounded. However, six months later, it grew back again. This time I applied garlic oil from the tip of my finger directly on to the mole to see what would happen. I did this daily for about a month before it eventually disappeared, and it has not reappeared since.
Garlic Smell.
When you are using fresh garlic, the effect of the allicin it contains creates the smell. And this smell upsets some people to a great degree. A friend of mine said to me once, when he was suffering from a mouth ulcer and we were discussing it, that he would never put garlic in his mouth! I thought this was a bit of an over-reaction - all right it smells but not that bad, surely? Anyway, there is a way of dealing with the smell…
I use a product called Thin Ice Strips by Wriggley's for my breath and plenty of body deodorant and get no complaints even from my family who would quickly tell me if I smelled!
I think if you are suffering, and you find garlic to be of benefit, you have to weigh up the pros and cons of the remedy and I decided I'd rather feel comfortable and have to deal with odours than uncomfortable smelling sweetly.
For those who are interested, garlic has some fascinating folklore association with it…
Its planetary ruler is Mars, its element is fire and gender is male.
It has been known by the names of Stinkweed (apt), Gypsy's onions, Devil's Posy, Poor Man's Treacle, Mock Lily and Allium (thought to come from the Celtic word meaning Caustic).
Garlic has been known as a remedy for a host of ailments since ancient Egyptian times and probably even before that. And of course, we must not forget the magical associations with this herb in the way it can chase off vampires and other evil spirits. But this is something I have thankfully, not been trouble with.
For those of you who would prefer to know more about eating raw garlic before taking the plunge, if you live in the U.K Click Here [UK]
And if you live in the USA Click Here [USA] |