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Garlic for Colds

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Jill (Twin Falls, ID ) on 10/30/2008:
5 out of 5 stars

For years and with my children growing up I have used soft gel garlic capsules. The first onset of a cold I take or give my children 2-5 of the soft gel capsules. By the next morning you are expelling green guck. Garlic really does help and cure colds. I am a believer! I have had strep throat many many times in my life and I still have my tonsils after 50 years and I say it is due to the garlic that I have taken. When I get sick my throat area is the weak point of my body and that is what I usually get is a cold other wise I am a well individual.

Sonja (Swanley, England) on 09/08/2008:
5 out of 5 stars

I have used garlic for years. Every time I get a cold I eat one clove of garlic 3x a day. I enjoy the taste, so have it on bread with pate, or meat always raw. It is not very social... but within 3 days feel great. It is very effective. I also love horseradish for congested sinuses/ blocked nose. just a bit of it with some meat and you can breath freely..
it is easy, cheap and works without fail.

Toni (Toledo, Ohio) on 06/13/2008:
5 out of 5 stars

I take 2 cloves of raw garlic a day and have not been sick in over a year. I hate the taste of garlic, so I put a little bit of pudding or apple sauce on a spoon then I put 1 clove of finely minced raw garlic on top and then cover that with more pudding or applesauce, then just swallow it down. Do this twice a day. This is the easiest way to ever take raw garlic. Remember to get the full benefits of garlic it must be raw.

Esther (Lymanville, Pennsylvania) on 11/08/2007:
5 out of 5 stars

Chewing raw garlic, which is hard on the stomach and bad for the breath, vs drinking garlic tea, which is neither, is very effective against colds.

To make the garlic tea, chop a garlic clove or two into a cup, add boiling water, followed by lemon and honey to taste.

The garlic will settle to the bottom.

Be sure to spoon it up and chew well when you have drunk the liquid.

Drink a cup of garlic tea frequently, at least once a day, when everyone around you is passing a cold back and forth, or at the first hint of a scratchy throat or runny eyes and sniffles. I am religious about this, and have not had a cold in years.

Laura (Seattle, WA) on 10/16/2007:
5 out of 5 stars

I've been using garlic for years for a variety of things. Usually I use it for colds. At the first sign of a cold, chop up 4 cloves of raw garlic and eat. I prefer to use it as a garnish on an already garlicy type food like soups or spaghettie, it helps make the taste not so obvious. Keep up with 4 cloves a day, then reduce the number as your symptoms decrease. This can stop a cold from manifesting, or it will shorten and weaken your colds. I used to have chronic bronchitis after every cold, now I haven't had it in years. I also only get one cold a year usually. Yeah, I don't smell great but I'm not missing so much work!

I will also use raw garlic juice on rashes and bug bites. It stops the itching immediately, and I pretty much use it for anytime I might need a phytoncide.

Jane (Los Angeles, California) on 04/07/2007:
5 out of 5 stars

I noticed that when I came down with a cold - I would always start to crave raw garlic. So I thought I would try it the next time before the cold took hold. It worked like a charm! Now I use it every time I feel a cold or flu coming on.

It has to be raw garlic. I chop a few large cloves (as much as I can handle) finely and sprinkle it on buttered toast or in my food. You should be sure to chew the garlic to release the essential oils. I continue this once or twice a day until I'm better - could take a few days to completely get well - but I have managed to fend off every cold since I discovered the "garlic cure." (this is good for colds and flu except if you are coming down with a stomach bug - in which case it could aggravate your stomach.)

Jim (Magnolia, TX) on 09/17/2006:
5 out of 5 stars

Garlic for colds. When a cold first starts, place a whole clove between the cheek an teeth. It will shorten the effects of the cold.

Samin (Monroe, LA) on 03/01/2004:
5 out of 5 stars

When I feel a cold coming on with symptoms of a sore throat & or sniffles, I blend 1-2 cloves of fresh crushes garlic & 1/2 cup of spring or distilled water. I drink it once in the morning on an empty stomach & again in the evening for at least a week. Bye , bye cold & discomfort. Oh by the way, it is disgusting but oh so good for U.

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