Robbie (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico) on 08/04/2008:
This is going to sound hideous... and it is, but it does the trick.When ever I have a cold I have a number of remedies I use.
In Scotland we have a thing called a hot toddy which is basically whiskey, cloves, honey and lemon made into a tea.
However, my other remedy (and this is the disgusting one) I have used and it works... is blend some garlic cloves and water into a blender. Then gulp down some of the brew at night. I normally just try to drink the whole thing. I don't really bother with measurements, Just play about till you find something that works for you. It's the garlic your eating, the water just helps it go own. Plus it's broken up and therefore absorbed into the body quicker and easier.
I also do the same as a mosquito repellent. Blend the garlic and water together and pour through a siv. The pulp I place in plant pots on my pation and the water garlic solution I place in a squeezy bottle and go around spraying my windows and door frames. All blood eating creatures hate garlic.
You can also use Listerine which surprisingly mosqutios hate for some reason. I use a combination of the two.
Toni (Toledo, Ohio) on 06/13/2008:
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.
Laura (Seattle, WA) on 10/16/2007:
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, CA) on 04/07/2007:
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 flus except if you are coming down with a stomach bug - in which case it could aggravate your stomach.)
Michelle (Albuquerque, NW) on 01/09/2007:
Fresh Garlic cured my Bronchitis and Sinus Infection. 1 finely diced clove (not the entire bulb) 3x's daily with any complimentary food that has been cooled almost to room temp (eg. diced tomatoes, avocado, chicken noodle soup, spaghetti sauce, pizza, or even apple pie.) Garlic is a natural antibiotic and antifungal. Within an hour or so, easier to breather and think, in 4 days cleared up symptoms. Took for 7 days to eliminate any chance of becoming ill again. Drawbacks: odiferous breath, and the odor also emanates from the pores of the skin. Use strong breath mints/cologne/essential oils to your liking.
Rick (Victoria, Australia) on 11/24/2006:
Cut garlic clove into small pieces. Swallow them in one go with just a little water. This cures Bloating, stomach cramps and constipation.
Nancy (Kingston, NY) on 10/26/2006:
For the past month or so I have had a horrendous cough with watery eyes, sinus drip and tickling in my lungs. The coughs were sounding real bad - like honking almost. I did a search on the net and figured I would try the garlic before going to the doctor (fearing of course TB or cancer etc...) Well - after only 48 hours of chewing a piece of elephant garlic as soon as the tickling began -- the cough has greatly reduced!! This morning the tickling moved from one lung to the other -- and I'm still chasing it with the garlic. I have had Lymes twice and whatever this infection is - reminds me of Lymes in the way it seems to move around inside the body. Whatever this is can't escape the wonderful garlic fumes. I even dropped a few slices in my wine last night. IT WORKS!!! Thank you so much.
Haywood (Arlington, VA) on 03/16/2006:
I cut up cloves like the size of pills, and took them with water. I did this treatment at night so I could go through the next day without being bothered with hay fever.
R Smith (LONDON) on 01/02/2006:
You can simply chew a peeled clove of raw garlic in the mouth, making sure you chomp it sufficiently into small pieces. The juices will be absorbed by your tongue almost immediately into your system, and is a fast way of getting it into the body. You can spit out the pieces without swallowing them, once the juice has been absorbed.
