The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Colds
Posted by Samin (Monroe, LA)
★★★★★
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.
Ear Aches
Posted by Anonymous (USA)
★★★★★
Garlic for ear ache. one garlic tooth. heat not too hot. cut a piece from garlic wrap in a cotton ball with vick 's vapor rub then insert in ear. Not both ears. in no time you'll feel better.
History of Garlic
Posted by Susan (USA)
Garlic has a long history in folklore as a protector from disease and evil spirits (such as vampires). For these reasons, garlic is not only consumed as a healthy food and medicine but it is also worn to fight various ills. Many native cultures throughout the Caribbean use garlic in religious rituals and divinations. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, used garlic in infectious diseases and particularly prescribed it for intestinal disorders.
12th century German mystic Hildegarde von Bingen recommended simmering garlic in water for twenty minutes and drinking the "tea" for bronchial problems like asthma. This treatment is still in use in many cultures. Three cloves of garlic in boiling water is also recommended as a topical cure for athlete's foot. Additionally, garlic was used extensively in the battlefields during World War I (1914-1918) to treat and dress wounds and infections. Being a natural antibiotic and widely available, it was the most effective antiseptic available at the time.
HEALING POWERS OF GARLIC:
Garlic has been used in herbal medicine to treat asthma, deafness, leprosy, bronchial, congestion, hardening of arteries, fevers, worms and liver and gall bladder trouble. Herbal books list it being useful in Leucoderma, leprosy, piles, worms, catarrhal disorders and cough. Additionally, it is reported that garlic is good for the heart, stimulates appetite, and is an energy tonic.
Garlic's unpleasant odor is due to its sulphur content. This mineral is contained to a greater degree in its volatile oil, which has remarkable medicinal virtues.
Juice of garlic has a most beneficial effect on the entire system as it helps dissolve an accumulation of mucus in the sinus cavities, bronchial tubes and the lungs. It also helps expel poison from body through pores of the skin.
History of Garlic
Posted by Charlotte (Essex, Clacton, England) on 03/01/2012
Am sure garlic is wonderful and have been taking it for a while for sinus but I found that after a bit I ached, was lacking in energy, was totally worn out some days, had headaches, brain fog etc and in some ways felt worse. I then investigated and found that garlic can cause under active thyroid of which these are the symptoms So now taking it again but with an iodine supplement of natural kelp to counter act that. Also trying ACV with mother every day and tinctures of goldenseal, eyebright, mullein and licorice. Yes others might try one thing for a bit and then try something else but I have had this blessed problem for ages and am sick of it, and unable to work while like this.
History of Garlic
Posted by Kislany (Europe) on 03/25/2014
★★★★★
Just to comment on the garlic taste. I love raw garlic, however due to hubby's job, he can't eat garlic at all as he can be called at work any time. So I avoided as much as possible eating garlic as I know how bad it can be for someone who doesn't eat garlic to be near someone who does.
Today I had an idea to add a clove of garlic to my regular juice, which usually contains carrots, celery, ginger and parsley leaves among others. Much to my surprise, there was no garlic taste, no garlic breath or smell at all. Hubby didn't feel it (and I even kissed him 'for test' purposes). Finally now I can consume garlic every day. It's wonderful for so many things, I never want to be away from at least one clove..or two or three of garlic a day.
Summary
Posted by Kathryn (Raleigh, North Carolina, Usa) on 12/02/2011
WARNING! I had an upper respiratory bacterial infection (green and yellow mucus secondary to a virus) and read a number of posts here about raw garlic and, not wanting to chew it, I put raw garlic packs under my feet (chopped several large cloves and put them on plastic wrap and wrapped each foot, put socks over) and left the first pack all afternoon. I didn't notice a problem. I decided to do it again and leave them overnight. The next morning I awoke to find that the mucus was clear again, BUT I had very itchy, swollen, bright red feet. The itching nearly drove me crazy and I scratched... Big mistake. By the next day the arches of my feet were covered in large blisters, the itching is even worse, and my feet look and feel almost identical to when I had an emergency room level drug reaction to Keflex last year (before it was over I looked like I had third degree burns in all the intriginous skin areas and it took five months to heal -- the dermatologists at Duke had never seen anything like it... they thought it was a fungal infection and only a skin biopsy confirmed the drug reaction).
I came back here immediately and read more about garlic and saw somewhere a post from a mother who said her daughter's skin blisters when it's exposed to garlic. Since I've eaten raw garlic in green smoothies every day for the last year I didn't think it could be the garlic; perhaps a reaction to the plastic wrap (I'm multiple chemical sensitive and react to all sorts of things). So the night before last I put one slice of garlic on my forearm and covered it in paper tape for sensitive skin. In the morning it seemed fine... At first. By evening a red patch had appeared and I felt a slight itch. By the next day the spot was swollen and red and definitely itching. I've been treating my feet with ACV, magnesium oil, and triamcinolone acetonide (prescription topical steroid I was given for the Keflex reaction), so I put that on the arm spot that day each time I did my feet (every three hours). This morning the arm spot is still red, swollen, and itches and has a small blister.
Never again will I put raw garlic on my skin. When asked if I have allergies I will list a topical allergy to raw garlic.
My QUESTION is: Should I continue to eat raw garlic? I'm not certain yet, but it seems to me that I have a fit of intense itching shortly after drinking even a small glass of green smoothie with raw garlic.
High Blood Pressure
Posted by jake (chicago) on 04/14/2024
★★★★★
garlic - fresh pressed - I recently started with yogurt 1-3x per day for valley fever. Dr. Weil of Arizona suggests garlic as it is strongly anti fungal.
What I have found additionally is that it is cure for high blood pressure. Art's recommendation - carditone - took me down from 160 - 180 systolic to 130 - 140 range, but the garlic has brought my level down to 100 - 115 systolic. Of course the 100mg nattokinase I started a month back undoubtedly has contributed as well.
Raw Garlic Side Effects
Posted by Gertjr (Madison) on 08/30/2020
I know that when I eat lots of raw garlic, I will bleed more than usual. If I'm getting bloodwork done, I avoid it for a week prior. If I don't, the simple gauze pad on the site doesn't stop it from bleeding and I need to apply pressure for quite some time or it'll bleed right through the dressing. So, for me, it thins my blood. Who knows what that does to my blood pressure.
Garlic Side Effects
Posted by Marty (FL) on 03/19/2023
I have found when we do most things in extreme, we may end up with a healing crisis. All the uncomfortableness in the body is in the lymphatic system and toxins not having a way out of the body so all kinds of things can happen until it does. If your kidneys are not filtering, then all the waste in the lymph is being held somewhere. That can be dangerous when all of a sudden a big load gets dealt with and then it can't go anywhere, make sense?
Slowly build up to more and more but listening to the body is important and using kinesiology on yourself is helpful too.
Colds
Posted by Tinyx (South Bend, Indiana) on 03/28/2015
★★★★★
I put 1 clove of crushed garlic for each of my baby's socks when he had colds. I put 1 pair of socks on his feet then the socks with garlic next. This is the only remedy that I have tried for his colds from 1 month to 1 year old. It only took 2 applications for him to recover from the early signs of colds.
Garlic and Blood Thinning
Posted by El (Al) on 12/20/2013
Hi. I felt I was coming down with the flu, so ate lots of garlic. Next day, I had a horrible nose bleed. Since then, I've had bruising. Apparently, the garlic thinned my blood too much. So, if I want to take garlic for the flu or whatever, what should I take with it so I won't bleed? I've always been a free flowing person, so when I donate blood they have to do extra wraps. Low BP, too. Suggestions?
Garlic and Blood Thinning
Posted by Mike 62 (Denver, Colorado) on 12/20/2013
El: Farmers add yucca liquid extract when watering fields high in clay because the natural soaps do something to the electromagnetism making the water wetter. Wetter water can penetrate the clay when regular water does not. Thinning the blood requires removing matter from the blood and the garlic does not do that. Garlic makes the water wetter. Pour some soapy water in a cup. The water stays there. Poke some holes in the bottom. The water leaks away, not because the water was thin, but because the cup was leaky. The capillaries are weak and porous from not enough nutrients from eating cooked regular food. Watch raw food videos for the best body and brain of your entire life. You can also take raw grassfed animal products, superfoods, and home brewed water kefir like I do to function at peak performance.
General Feedback
Posted by Om (Hope Bc Canada) on 12/18/2013
Regarding garlic, I was reading the pet section and indeed some had died from ingesting garlic. Different bodies have different tolerance to herbs even in general. In my case, if I ingest more than a sliver of garlic, I feel so nauseous that I hope to regurgitate it which does not happen and after a few minutes all is well again.
Eastern medicine, such as Ayurveda, state that as for garlic, too much for some can damage kidney and liver.
Great caution with regard to the place garlic was grown. What comes from China has a good dose of arsenic and a study claims people who ate garlic regularly also had high count of arsenic in their body.
Garlic is a powerful medicine and ought to be respected as such instead of a dish consisting of lots of roasted garlic for normal consumption. Bodies have different chemical composition and here we come to understand that medicating is a very individual procedure that demands much discrimination and insight. Om
Circulation
Posted by Health (Virginia Beach, Virginia) on 05/20/2012
★★★★★
I began taking a garlic oil supplement or a small clove a day last summer. While I did notice a few side effects, the positives far outweighed the negative. POSITIVES first: improved mouth health - less aching, irritation, sensitivity. Vastly improved resistance to colds and/or sickness - I took garlic every day for at least four months, and noticed an increased immune response in times where I would normally already be sick - colds, coughs, anything. Cardiovascular health - greatly improved erections, ability to sustain longer periods of intense exercise. NEGATIVES - dry hair - for some reason my hair is more straw-like. I'm a guy and generally take good care of my hair, and I noticed this easily. Mood - I tend toward a little more grumpiness for some reason - I don't know why this is the case but it has been. I will try cutting down on my dosage to see if it helps. Headaches - this only happens when I take too much, which is caused by I assume to be too much thinning of the blood. All in all, for the the immune factor itself, I count this as a life-long food!
Garlic Capsule Side Effects
Posted by Charlotte (Essex, Clacton, England) on 03/16/2012
I tried taking garlic capsules every day, twice a day, high strength. After three weeks I got a rash, it didn't hurt or sting, you could just see it, brain fog where I could not concentrate or think straight or remember much - very scary. Will continue to take it but much smaller doses. Now trying Apple Cider Vinegar and wild oil of oregano - this is for my sinuses and allergies which spread to ears and cause bad headaches sometimes.
Ear Aches
Posted by Lynn (Mpls, Mn) on 01/20/2012
★★★★★
I have used garlic to cure my son twice now from ideas I got from this site. He had an earache, I did the clove in the ear. He would only keep it in for a little bit at a time, I just kept putting it back in until he fell asleep. The next day his earache and head congestion was gone. For the past 2 days he was complaining of sore throat and swollen glands. I took 5-6 cloves minced in boiling water for a minute. In a large mug, add honey, cayenne, capful of ACV and then arlic water with the cloves. I tasted it and it wasnt bad! One sip gave me some serious garlic breath. In a few hours he felt better. It works!
Fresh Garlic vs. Garlic Supplements
Posted by Khakimo (Atlanta, Usa) on 01/27/2012
Actually - all the research I've done says that you wait the 10 minutes after cutting/crushing to allow the allicin to build to maximum potency. Then it should be consumed within an hour of cutting/crushing or it will start to lose its potency.
Chewing Raw Garlic
Posted by Liz (Boston, Ma) on 04/21/2011
Absolutely! In fact, taking it that way yields the most benefits. Chop up a clove (but be sure to let it sit for about 10 min's after chopping), put it on a spoon and swallow/wash down with plenty of water.
Garlic, Horseradish, Honey Remedy
Posted by 1rose (Sacramento, Ca) on 12/02/2010
★★★★★
Greetings to everyone. I'm very grateful for this site, I've used the information I found here and it has helped greatly, I'm writing now my 1st post because I want to give back as a thank you. :)
I have this amazing recipe that's actually a tremendous antibiotic, antiviral, anti critter remedy. I've used it for 3 years now with GREAT results. A friend told me about it when I was very sick with the flu in 2008, I have lost my voice, my whole body ached and I was half dead in bed for 4 days. She came over and brought this jar with stuff (I'll tell you in a minute) and I took a tablespoon of it and in 20 minutes my voice came back and I felt 75% better. I was stunned! By the next day I was fully recovered. Last year I got the swine flu and I got rid of it the same day by taking this remedy.
Here is what you need: equal amounts of fresh garlic and fresh horseradish, for ex. 3oz fresh peeled garlic and 3oz fresh horseradish. You will need a small food scale for weighing the stuff. Use a small grater and grate both the garlic and horseradish. Put them in a glass jar and add enough organic, raw honey to make a paste that will keep both the horseradish and garlic paste together. Close the jar and let it macerate for at least 3 days and then take 1T every 4-5h for at least 3 days or so...
I felt my body coming down with the flu again this year and I just made this mixture real fast and took 1T right away and in 1h I was sweating buckets... It does miracles... It kills infections of all sorts, etc. I've told everyone and their mother about this :) some do it and are amazed, some laugh. I have a jar with the stuff already made in my cupboard for emergency, :) the stuff doesn't expire because of the honey and it doesn't lose its potency either. To me it tastes good because I know what it does to my body, it kills the viruses, bacteria and it strengthens the immune system, it can't get any better than that! I pray that this post will go around the world and will save many people from misery. Thank you Earth Clinic for this wonderful site,
God bless. 1Rose
PS: It's safe for the kids, the dose is smaller 1t every 4-5h. The problem is that they complain about the taste, :)
Chewing Raw Garlic
Posted by Izzy (St. Louis, Mo, United States) on 10/08/2010
What is the best way to take it? I tried chewing it but dear gawd it burn like hell, so I was thinking about just chopping it up and letting it sit so that the good stuff has time to form then just mixing it with either honey or olive oil and swallowing it like a pill! Any suggestions?
Broad Benefits
Posted by Om (Hope Bc Canada) on 01/13/2014
Becki from Portland, Or:
Why not take old socks, fold them down so you can shove a quantity of turmeric in, then walk in it. Should work extremely well. You may have orange feet but keep them, it is beneficial. Namaste, Om
Garlic Tea
Posted by Kelly (Cincinnati, Oh) on 01/15/2010
★★★★★
a great way to ingest garlic for multiple ailments is using it in a broth. It can be any kind of broth (no solids) so as to give your digestive system a break. Personally, I love the taste of roasted garlic. So I either sautee/bake fresh garlic and add it to the broth,then finely chop fresh garlic and add it as well (after heating-stir in and let sit a couple of minutes). The amount depends on ones tolerance for garlic. But that way I get the best of both worlds. The flavor of the roasted garlic and the allicin (the enzyme in garlic that fights disease) as well. cooking garlic kills most of the allicin so this is a good way to get it raw in a larger quantity. God Bless!
Tooth Abcess, Infection
Posted by Drugfree (Trenton, Nj, USA) on 12/21/2009
★★★★★
just 2 days ago i was in pain all day long. it was keeping me up all night. even advil wasn't working. had 4 fillings done at the dentist and even a month later i couldn't drink cold drinks because it would hurt right away and i couldn't drink juice without brushing right away because it would hurt really bad 30 minutes later. noticed a bubble on my gums. found out it was an abscess. started researching tooth abscesses. while searching the web found earthclinic which helped me before with hypothyroidism, for that i used coconut oil. noticed that garlic really works for infected teeth and abscesses. at first i just rubbed half a clove of raw garlic sliced in half on the abscess. didn't really help. so i chewed 1/4 clove of garlic and let the garlic juice sit on the infected area for at least 10 minutes, sometimes 30 minutes. by the 3rd night all the pain was gone. now i can drink cold juice without the pain like before although if i do drink cold juice and don't brush its still a 1 on a scale of 1 to 10 for pain. thanks to everyone who posted their testimonials. can get back to my life now. earthclinic is a real lifesaver.
Garlic Side Effects
Posted by Lin (Qld, Australia) on 08/18/2009
Reading the benefits of garlic and with winter ailments around I bought a bag of garlic and added crushed 1/2 a garlic in our family meals, (in our meat or potato etc)
After 4 days of garlic in our meals my stomach continued to worsen with bloating, gurgling and upset stomach until a dose of diarreah. I felt very ill and am not game to touch it again. Within two days I was back to normal but wonder if I'm allergic to it. None of my family reacted at all. Perhaps this is a cleansing thing but I have my doubts as previously after taking high potency garlic capsules for a week or two my hands break out in red itchy blisters, especially between the fingers and eventually clears up after I stop using them. Should I keep clear of Garlic?? I tried the hydrogen peroxide therapy and it had no side effects.
Garlic Tea
Posted by Ermila (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) on 06/16/2009
★★★★★
GARLIC DO WONDER.
I was suffering from fever and flu, the Company Doctor prescribe medecine and anti biotic. All the medecine had been finished and yet my fever haven't gone, and worst of all i also suffer from tonsilitis.
I've been a regular reader of Earth Clinic and try this garlic soup 'walla' the fever is gone and so with the tonsil ache. Whenever my kids suffer from sorethroat, this is the best remedY.
