Garlic. nature’s original remedy [Newly rev. ed.] 0892817259, 978-0892817252

Citation preview

Nature's Original

Remedy

Garlic Nature’s Original

Remedy

Digitized

by the Internet Archive in

2015

https://archive.org/details/garlicnaturesoriOOfuld

Garlic Nature's Original

Remedy

Stephen Fulder

John Blackwood

Healing Arts Press Rochester, Vermont

Healing Arts Press

One

Park Street

Rochester, Vermont

www.InnerTraditions.com Healing Arts Press

Copyright

©

a division

is

of Inner Traditions International

1991, 2000 Stephen Fulder, M.A., Ph.D. and John Blackwood

All rights reserved.

No

of

part

book may be reproduced or utihzed

this

in

any

form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing

from the pubUsher. Note

to the reader:

This book

is

intended

as

an informational guide. The remedies,

approaches, and techniques described herein are meant to supplement, and not to

be

a substitute for, professional

be used to

treat a serious

medical care or treatment.

They should not

ailment without prior consultation with a quahfied

healthcare professional.

Congress Cataloging-In-Publication Data

LffiRARY OF

Fulder, Stephen. Garlic p.

:

nature’s original

remedy

/

Stephen Fulder, John Blackwood,

cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 0-89281-436-5 ISBN 0-89281-725-9 1.

Garhc

original reissue

—Therapeutic

PJVI666.G15F85

use.

2.

Garlic.

I.

Blackwood, John.

II.

Title.

1991

91-8673

615'.324324—dc20

CIP Printed and

10

bound

in

Canada

987654321

Contents

Acknowledgments Authors’ Note

vi vii

1

Garlic Presented

1

2

Garlic Planted

7

3

Garlic Past

15

4

Garlic Prescribed

26

5

Garlic

6

Garlic Proved: Against Infections

49

7

Garlic Proved: In the Circulation

63

8

Garlic Purifier

80

9

Garlic Pesticide

89

10

Garlic Products

93

11

Garlic Preparations

101

12

Garlic Prospect

117

Probed

39

Recommended Reading

125

Index

132

Acknowledgments

The

authors

would

for their assistance

like to

thank the following people

and support: Mr. David Backhouse

and Mr. David Roser of Hofels Pure Foods

Mr. Anton Graf of Madaus Murdoch Inc., Vicomtesse Anoushka d’Amonville, Mr. Dick Barker, Professor William Blackwood, Dr. D. J. BouUin, Monsignor David Greenstock, Dr. Anthony Hyder, Dr. A. Nibbi, Mr. Arthur Oaks, Lama Chime Radha, Dr. Lance Cousins, Dr. Malcolm Stuart, Mr. Richard Temple and the library staff of the Royal Horticultural Society, London, and the Department of Botany, Oxford University. Ltd.,

Authors’ Note

This book presents the case for a place for garlic in general health care. Readers should not take suggestions

concerning

its

use

lems. Likewise,

as prescriptions for specific

we

are not attempting to

health prob-

judge and com-

pare remedies for specific diagnosed conditions, but only to

weigh general advantages and disadvantages. Those

with health problems should always seek professional assistance.

1

Garlic Presented

Man’s relationship with bulb

garlic

is

extremely ancient.

Its

pungent, energy-giving, and easy to store, and

is

would have had an immediate appeal as a food. Then, by trial and error, by inspiration or by accident, man would have discovered its power to heal infections and cure disease. It

Could

it

The

may

well have been one of his

have been discovered in rain beat

upon

the yurt,

first

remedies.

way?

this

making the

felt sides

hang

The sound of water came from far away also, as the snows melted and streams rushed down the mountainsides. The man sat inside, with his wife and small

heavily.

son.

Next

He

man began

day, the

lay helpless,

headed, and his

to shiver

smoke opening and away over with boulders.

and

his

body ached.

wracked with pain. He became lightsoul passed from him, out through the

A

the high ground strewn

demoness pursued him. She had one

eye and one ear and her hair was like the branches of thorn bushes. Her hair was flecked with blood.

1

2

Garlic

The woman went

to the kam, the wise

He

man. “Call

drum and

back

his soul,” she

spirit

songs so that he might enter the land of shadows.

He

begged.

beat his

sang

rode the long-necked bird to the door of the Land

of the Dead, to the gate of Erlik’s kingdom. The demoness

was wrestling with the man’s sharp;

its

recognized

its

Its

its

The kam wondered

He

power.

pulled

in.

were long and round head grew

leaves

were purple and

flowers

ground.

in the

him

soul, trying to drag

Beside the gate a plant grew.

it

the plant but

at

up, broke off three

from the head and threw them into the sky. They hung there like crescent moons. They made a loud sound in the sky, like gongs, and they distracted the demoness’s attention. The kam had

pieces

tricked her.

To grew

He

lifted

the

man onto

the back of the bird.

return was hard. Crossing the red desert, they tired.

earth.

Crossing the iron mountain, they

They were caught

escape.

narrow

in a

place,

fell

to

without

So the kam took more pieces of the plant and

them home. fed

to the bird.

strength revived and they flew

Its

The man stiU lay in fever but his soul had returned to The kam went out to find the plant which he had seen in his vision. He brought it to the woman. “Break him.

the pieces of the head and put

them

in a

soup for your

husband.” She crushed the cloves and their smell the yurt.

Then later

eat

The man sweated more, but

his fever left

filled

him.

the people of that tribe gathered the plant and

they grew

it

for themselves.

and good for many

They found

illnesses. All

it

good

the tribes carried

to it

with them on their joumeyings for strength and for healing.

Could

there be any truth in this tale of garlic’s origins as

medicinal plant? There are

—of

inspired discoveries

coca plant. Moreover,

many

legends of similar dream-

ginseng, for example, and of the

we

have

tried to give

it

the flavor of

Garlic Presented

Central Asian shamanism because

from

that region that

have come. The area in question

botanists believe garlic to lies

it is

3

north of Afghanistan and northwest of Tibet,

at

the

meeting of the southern borders of Russia and the western borders of China. ity.

Hun

It

has always been a crossroads of human-

and Mongol conquerors swept through. Alexander

the Great passed that

Amongst

way

many

the

to India.

explorers of that region

Russian botanists Alexis and Olga Fedtschenko,

covered

many specimens of

group to which

were the

who

dis-

plants

from the botanical

garlic belongs, the

genus Allium. The

majority were found growing in the narrow gorges which

provide access to the great mountain ranges. One, called Allium

longicuspis,

appearance else

as

in the

had, in almost every respect, the same

the garlic

world was the

originally wild state.

grew It

tains

it,

we know. Here and nowhere

From

and from here

may seem

it

garlic

here,

plant

man

growing

first

in an

gathered and

spread around the world.

moun-

strange to connect garlic with the

of Central Asia rather than the sunny shores of the

Mediterranean, but in different climates

and

fact

will

it

adapts extremely well to

grow

in

most regions of the

world, except the Arctic and moist equatorial jungles. has always

van

been

men chew

a part

of life in those high regions. Cara-

cloves of garlic as an antidote to altitude

sickness and, in Tibet,

it

is

fermented with butter and

grain to produce a general-purpose medicine.

weather,

it

book High

It

In cold

strengthens the heart of the traveler. In his Tartary,

Owen

Lattimore gives the following

description of Chang’s Vinegar

Shop

in

Ku

Ch’eng-tze,

Zungaria, which he visited in the winter of 1927.

It is

a

scene which must have remained unchanged for centuries.

Garlic

4

The

daily terms included

chiu

[distilled grain spirit],

messing in

ers

common

two

full

meals, with free shao-

camel owners and camel pull-

at

four-man

tables in the

kitchen, in a snug frowst of steaming

roaring ovens.

From

huge

men warmed by

the smoke-blackened

rafters, glis-

tening like dark enamel in the gloom overhead, de-

pended

of garlic, and the cooks breathed equality,

strings

and

fraternity,

with renewed

meat

patties

garlic as

—and

—steamed

saucers of grilled sliced

mutton and

of sauce and vinegar, and stacks of

fried onions, dishes

puffy steamed

they rushed from table to table

of garlic laden chiao-tze

platters

rolls.

Moreover, by some coincidence of history, some quirk of fate, garlic has a double connection with the Eastern Turkistan of the

Bower,

a

nineteenth century. In 1890,

young Indian Army

He

that region.

to sell

late

him an

was approached by

crumbling

an extensive side

of

Bower

a

series

nearby

treatise

mound

hill.

who

offered

He

had found

it

sealed

of brick and wood, close to

When

this text

(now known

taken back to Calcutta,

it

as

the

caused

was found to be a medical down between ad 350 and 375, and was

a sensation.

copied

Turki

in

of cave dwellings hoDowed out of the

manuscript) was

something of

a

Lt.

was traveling

ancient manuscript consisting of sheets of

birch bark inscribed in Sanskrit. inside a

officer,

It

therefore the oldest Sanskrit manuscript in existence. It

provides a wonderful introduction to garlic lore.

It

begins with a description of the sacred mountain where healing plants grow.

Om!

In

your beautiful groves, resounding with the voices

of various kinds of night like

birds, the

sacrificial fires.

medicinal plants glow

at

Garlic Presented

On factor

that

mountain which

of all

is,

through

its gifts,

creatures, there dwell the sages

5

the bene-

of enlightened

mind. These roam the countryside in company with one another, enquiring into the

and names of

ers

all

Having observed

forms,

tastes, properties,

pow-

medicinal plants.

with leaves dark-blue

a plant

like

sapphire and with bulbs white like jasmine, crystal, the

white

lotus,

his attention

moonrays, or the conch aroused by

Kasiraja with the enquiry as to

Kasiraja then garlic. It

tells

and having

what

it

could be.

the Indian story of the origin of

begins with the legendary struggles between the

gods of sweetness and

devas,

shell,

Susruta approached the sage

it,

and

light,

asuras,

mischie-

vous demons. At an early period of time, the devas and

made a truce and Great Ocean from moon, and also the

asuras

the

the

—

Rahu, king of the containing the

churning came the sun and

this

amrita or ehxir of immortality.

made off with the crystal vase The god Vishnu pursued him and

asuras,

elixir.

cut off his head.

together churned the waters of

But from

garlic.

Other

Garden of Eden,

garlic

On

find

hellishness is

its

Satan

and onion appeared

at his right.

indeed something heavenly and

garlic.

powers.

who

is

its is

these sprang

There is a went from the appeared from the ground where

when

story that,

his left foot rested

There

—from

cultures have similar legends.

Mohammedan

about

which had drunk

his throat,

the ehxir, drops feU to the ground

It

gives food a divine flavor;

the other

demonic

has healing

hand there have always been people

pungent smeU and the source of

the sulphur

also it

its

It

unbearable.

strength.

compounds which

active healing properties.

taste

give

needs

As

very

shall see,

it

pungency and demonic power.

it its

its

we

Its

Garlic

6

Garlic, said the diseases: thinness,

Bower

manuscript, cures a long

weakness of digestion,

lassitude,

list

of

coughs,

colds in the head, inflammation of the skin, hemorrhoids,

swelling of the

abdomen, enlargement of the

digestion, acute

abdominal pains, painful constipation, ex-

cessive flow

spleen, in-

of urine, excessive menstrual bleeding, worms,

rheumatism, consumption, leprosy, epilepsy, and paralysis.

It is

an astonishing

a cure-all!

list

dence

we we

garlic

was

called

Yet, wherever and whenever one looks, one

finds very similar claims tions,

—no wonder

being made. With

a

believe that they can be justified

few excepby the evi-

present in this book.

The Bower manuscript joy and pleasure

as

well

describes garlic as a bringer of

as health.

The

was observed when winter arrived and rooftop moonlit parties. Then on

Festival

it

of Garlic

was too cold for

the housetops, gateways and upper windows,

garlands of garlic richly set should be displayed, and

on

the ground itself one should have worship performed.

One

should also have the people of one’s household

wear wreaths of

garlic.

This

is

the

manner of observing

the festival, appointed for the people and

name of Svalpovama,

the Incomparable.

known by

the

2

Garlic Planted

Garlic

grows in almost every part of the world, in tem-

perate, subtropical

grow

own

easily in

or,

even

not take up

and even

You

your garden. better,

put

can give

it

it

a plot

will

of

its

among other plants. It will of room above ground, as its

it

a great deal

and

tropical regions,

in

main work is done below. Garlic is grown not from seed but from individual cloves. One clove, given the right conditions, will produce a bulb or head containing eight to

twenty cloves, so

it

is

a productive plant.

up a round, solid, smooth stem, which can grow up to one meter tall. The leaves, which are flattish, narrow, and about fifteen centimeters long, emerge from the bottom of the plant. A cluster of purple-white flowers grows out from the top of the stem, enclosed in a papery sheath. Garlic does not fertilize itself by pollination and cultivated plants rarely, if ever, produce seed. Garlic sends

Sickle-shaped garlic cloves are so familiar that they hardly

need description. fresh eye?

A

Is

there a

way of

seeing

them with

medieval folktale collected by the 7

a

Hebrew

Garlic

8

is about an island where been seen before. The king’s magician

poet, Bialik,

He

had never

garlic is

given a clove:

took one of the cloves and tore off the covering

with

He

thumbnail.

his

undressed her naked

day of her birth, the white line of her flesh.

Then

the clove appeared in

as

on the

her secret

breasts,

her splendor, the

all

one, the simple, the clear and the clean.

What

can one add to

of garlic cloves tiful?

is

except to say that the covering also rather

beau-

Sometimes, the purple-clad cloves are stronger in

By

flavor.

worry if your cloves are flavor and goodness may be

the way, do not

comparatively small,

more

that,

sometimes purple and

as their

concentrated. Cloves

are often smaller, but

grown

in good, organic soil

have been proved to contain a

higher proportion of the flavor-producing and medicinal

They

ingredients.

are also healthier

and

Garlic should be planted in late

supply next year. If put in too early,

up before the winter and be is

a tradition

year.

It

of planting

it

may

on the

start to

shortest day

of the

Cloves should be put into the ground

cm

come There

by

can also be planted in the spring, for a

depth of 5

rot.

for an early

frost.

killed later

garlic

prone to

less

autumn

tip

later crop.

upwards

at a

They should be spaced 20-25 cm

(2 in).

cm

between rows. Garlic a good but not over-fertilized soil. Sulphur and sulphides in the soil increase its potency and flavor. Though garlic is the most famous of the plants which (9 in) apart,

with 30

likes a reasonably

fight infections,

best

(12 in)

dry and sunny location and

it is

known of these

the rotting of cloves

troubled by certain ones is

itself

The

the black spotting of the skin and

which occurs before and

after har-

Figure

1:

Garlic (Allium Sativum)

Garlic

10

vest.

This

is

caused by certain fungi called Fusarium and

should be carefully watched attacked by mites, or tiny

In the ground,

for.

worms

soil

it

may be

called nematodes.

As the plant matures, the stem, the leaves, and the roots all die away and it is then ready to harvest. This should be done during good weather. Pull up the bulb and remove the earth from it, then lay it out on the soil. It is

essential to store garlic

completely dry or rotting

may

occur. Garlic should be strung up in a cool, dry, and

reasonably well-ventilated place and a year or

it

will then

keep for

more. Braiding bulbs together in decorative

One

them individually onto a piece of rope and hang them from that. Garlic’s botanical name is Allium sativum. Allium was the classical Latin name for garlic and sativum meant cultivated. The botanical name Allium describes a whole genus or group of plants. At one time, there were over 1,000 species of Allium but now the number has been reduced to around 450. The best known are the cultistrings

is

a satisfying art.

can also

tie

vated ones: the onion. Allium cepa (from the Latin for head);

the leek. Allium porrum; the shallot. Allium

ascalonicum (so called because Palestine);

it

grew around Ascalon

in

and chives. Allium schoenoprasum.

The alliums join the other groups of bulb plants to make up the LiHaceae or lily family, so garlic keeps company with that symbol of stainless purity. Also among the hlies are the

daffodil,

the tulip, the hyacinth, and the

saffron-producing crocus.

from other LiHaceae smell.

etables

What

is

distinguishes

What their

distinguishes the albums

pungent and penetrating

them from underground veg-

of other families such

as

potatoes

is

that their

bulbs are not part of their root systems but a continuation

1

Garlic Planted

of their stems. This

most

is

1

with the

clearly observable

which is just a continuous tube. Whereas potatoes grow from the roots of the plant, and the turnip is just one giant root, garlic’s tassel of rootlets grow out from below the bulb. leek,

Many of the alliums are wild garlics. We have room to mention only a few of the more common ones. (See the table on page 13 for easy reference of common garlics.) Allium ursinum, ransoms or bear’s garHc, carpets large areas

woods or

in

broad bels

river valleys.

elliptical leaves

—of white,

It

likes moist, rich soil. It has

and beautiful

star-shaped flowers. At

be mistaken for lily-of-the valley but

on

it

you know

it

is

Allium scorodoprasum or serpent garHc,

form

devil’s

a

first

soon

tail. It

the botanical

whose

central It

has a small bulb

Rocambole

but this

ampeloprasum,

sight as

it

you

name

can

tread

rocambole

for

stem ends in marvelous

which

has purple flowers

is

which

is

mild and pleasant

sometimes called the sand

name properly belongs

which grows wild

as

since

grows up to

Allium

to

in sandy regions

considered to be the forerunner of the leek.

known it

um-

called

barb-shaped seed pod, giving the serpent a

to the taste.

leek,

as

—

a garlic. is

snake-like twists and turns. later

clusters

It

and is

is

also

great-headed, elephant-headed, or giant garlic,

to the skies a large

1.8

m

(6

ft)

in height, finally raising

round baU of

seeds. Its bulb

times, but not always, divides into cloves

and has

somea mild,

nutty flavor. In the Far East, the aUiums most

commonly grown

are

Allium Jistulosum (the Japanese bunching onion) and Allium tuberosum

(jiucai

or Chinese chives).

these plants are the mainstays of salads.

The

leaves of

Both

are used

Garlic

12

medicinally; the great Chinese medical

compendium, the

Ben Cao Gang Mu,

of aU

Allium

vineale,

lists

jiucai the first

or crow’s

garlic,

cm

has a 60

grassy banks.

It

(2

ft.)

hollow

and small cloves the

size

garhc if

leaves,

is

supposed to have the

they so

much or

nothorscordum,

know

if this

false

or

on

long, spindly stem,

of dried

it.

peas.

Crow’s

So too does Allium

(non-smelling)

phenomenon

fields

ability to stupify those birds

land near

as

plants.

grows wild in

has ever

garlic.

We

do not

been observed, but

it

new dimension to the phrase “stone the crows.” Some alliums make good garden plants, having a defi-

adds a

cate a

and unobtrusive beauty. Allium Jlavum looks nice in

rock garden and Allium triquetum, with

shaped white flowers,

with

den

its

is

a

good pot

bright yellow flowers,

plant. Its

name

derives

is

its

unusually

plant. Allium moly,

another attractive gar-

from the moly of the Greek

myths, being the herb which protected Odysseus from the spells of Circe and prevented her into a pig, as she

had

from turning him

his sailors. Garlic

is

well

known

as

a magical protector.

many

between garlic’s various names. In ancient Mesopotamia it was known as sum or shum, the same as the modem Hebrew shoum and There

are

interesting connections

directly related to the Arabic thoum. Various derivations

have been suggested for the Latin word album.

came from the word

One

is

As this means to give was intended. Whatever the odor, the Roman eagle carried it around the Mediterranean. The Latin allium became the Itafian aglio, the French ail, and the Spanish ajo. The ancient Greek name for garlic was scorodon. The famous French physician Henri Leclerc, who was a serithat

it

halere.

off a fragrant smeU, perhaps a joke

An Array

of Alliums

Species

Common Name

Locality

Use

A. ampeloprasum

summer leek

Europe

spice

sand leek

Asia

giant garlic

America

shallot

Europe Near East

A.

ascalotticum

vegetable spice

remedy A.

bakeri

China

vegetable

Japan

spice

remedy A.

cepa

onion

Europe

vegetable

Asia

spice

America

dye

remedy A.fistulosum

winter onion

East Asia

spice

remedy

Japanese

bunching onion A.Jlavum

A.

longiscuspis

A. moly

yellow leek

Balkans

ornamental

Europe

false garlic

Europe

— —

leek

Europe

vegetable

Asia

spice

original wild garlic

Turkestan

yellow

Europe

garlic

ornamental

leaves as spice

A

.

nothorscordum

A.porrum

America

A

A

.

.

schoetioprasum

scorodoprasum

Europe

vegetable

Asia

spice

America

seeds as

snake leek

Europe

spice

serpent garlic

East Asia

—

East

chives

remedy

rocambole

A

.

triquetum

Medi-

ornamental

terranean

A

.

tuberosum

A. ursinum

Chinese chives

East Asia

vegetable

wild garlic

Europe

remedy

ransoms

North Asia

spice

Europe

—

bear’s garlic

A.

vineale

crow’s garlic

Garlic

14

garlic

and used

skaion rodon,

which he

ous student of it

from

stinking rose. called

There

is

“The Lovers of

at

it

in his practice, derived

said

meant

rose

puante or

present in California a society

Rose” which

the Stinking

serves

banquets, every course containing garlic.

The words lauch, leac, Ink and so on are, in fact, common to many Germanic, Slavonic, and Celtic languages and mean either a leek or any kind of tasty plant. The English garlic comes directly from the Anglo-Saxon garleac,

meaning

spear-leek.

because of

its

flat,

It

was known

ture Organization of the

the

Food and Agricul-

United Nations gives

garhc crop of 2,315,000 metric tons.

on

the spear plant

pointed leaves.

The Production Year Book of

estimate that,

as

average, each person in

counted for well over half a clove of garlic garhc

is

spread world wide.

The

world one can the world ac-

From

a

this,

a day! Clearly

leading producers in

1982 were China, with an estimated 550,000 metric tons

grown, and

The

India,

with an estimated 213,000 metric tons.

garlic speciaHsts are also

Spain with 197,000 metric

tons in 1982, South Korea with 186,000 metric tons, Thailand with an estimated 180,000 metric tons, and

Egypt with 166,000 metric tons. Egyptian fields gave by far the highest yield, with 33 metric tons per hectare, compared with a world average of just over six metric tons per hectare. This shows that garhc does

weU

in hot,

dry climates with plenty of irrigation.

The world over the

last

is

25

eating

much more

years, garlic

garlic.

For example,

production has doubled in

Spain, tripled in Egypt, Mexico, and Brazil and quaStates, where most of the garhc and around the town of Gilroy, Cahfomia.

drupled in the United

grown

in

is

3

Garlic Past

Garlic’s

first

appearance in history

is

visual,

not verbal,

and takes us back nearly 6,000 years. In 1911, clay models of garlic bulbs 'were found in a tomb at El Mahasna in

They can be dated back to 3750 bc, well before They were made of unbaked, whitewashed clay, with nine or more elongated rolls pressed around a globular core; experts have remarked on Egypt.

the time of the Pharaohs.

their lifeUke quality.

In the

tomb of

the Pharaoh

splendors of gold and lapis lazuli

Tutankhamen, among the were found

dried and perfecdy preserved. Garlic

The tomb of the

architect

Kha, which dates from the same

period, around 1500 bc, and

the Egyptological

was

like

Museum

six garlic bulbs,

was found in many tombs.

which

has

in Turin,

been reassembled

was

an ordinary room, with furniture,

a simpler afiair; utensils,

and

at it

vari-

ous foodstuffi, including a basket of garlic.

Why was

Did

as

an offering to the

it

sustenance for the

it

have a religious or magical role

gods or soul

on

as a its

protector against evil?

journey to the

halls

15

Was

of judgment?

it

there?

Garlic

16

Greek and

Roman

had some views about this. Phny said that onions and garhc were sacred to the Egyptians because they swore oaths by them. Juvenal, who had an intense dislike of everything Egyptian, wrote Later

writers

in his fifteenth satire:

How Egypt mad

with superstition grown

Makes gods of monsters, but too well Tis mortal sin an Onion to devour. Each

is

known;

clove ofgarlic has a sacred power.

Religious nation, sure, and bless ’d abodes

Where

every garden

Whatever it

is

its

o^er-run with gods.

place in reHgion, garUc was almost cer-

common

tainly a

is

item of Egyptian

now. The most famous garhc

diet, in early

story of

all

times

as

concerns

the amounts eaten by the builders of the Great Pyramid.

We

owe

who

the story to the Greek historian, Herodotus,

Egypt around 450 BC. Recounting to the Pyramid of Cheops at Giza he says: visited

There

an inscription in Egyptian characters on the

is

pyramid which records the quantity of and it;

garlic

and

who

consumed by perfectly well

the labourers

remember

read the writing to

pended It

I

his visit

in this

way was

me

radishes, onions

who

constructed

that the interpreter

said that the

money

ex-

sixteen thousand talents of silver.

seems strange that such mundane information was

inscribed

on

the walls of the Great Pyramid,

used exclusively for religious

texts.

On

which were

the other hand,

would indeed have been an ideal and likely food it would have been nutritious and would have protected them from disease. garlic

for the workers;

Garlic Past

We

between

find a connection

17

and Egyptian

garlic

workers in the Bible. The Jews ate it when they were forced to labor for the Pharaohs of the New Kingdom 1,500 years

They longed

later.

wandering the

years

Then the come by again,

who

rabble

“Who

had joined the people were over-

will give fish

cucumbers, melons,

we

meat

us

They

to eat?”

manna

settled in

onions and

leeks,

for us to look at."

garlic!

Here we

that

(Numbers

is

noth-

11: 4-6)

Canaan, the Jews resumed their

eating and have continued

recommends

said,

used to eat free in Egypt, the

wasting away, stripped of everything; there

ing but

Once

during their forty

it

greed, and the Sons of Israel began to wail

“Think of the are,

for

desert:

it

it

ever since.

garlic

The Talmud

should be eaten especially on the eve

of the Sabbath, in order to encourage the matrimonial

love-making appropriate to that day.

been popular in the Middle East and the earliest civilizations of Mesopotamia grew and ate it. Texts dating from the reign of King Naram-Sin, who ruled from 2260-2233 BC, show sum being distributed to Garlic has always

important individuals, to lords, generals, and governors.

There was often a considerable volume of trade; one account, dating from the time of King Nabonidus, who yielded the throne of Babylon to Cyrus in 538 bc, mentions the transfer of no less than 150,000 strings of garlic: fifteen million bulbs!

GarHc was found vated.

We know

when

that the Athenians

reveled in their garlic.

renowned

the palace at Knossos was exca-

It

was

for giving health

a

of the

common

and energy.

Classical

Age

item of diet and

Aristotle described

Garlic

18

it

On new moon

as a tonic.

Greeks used to

nights, the

leave out banquets of garlic for Hecate, the

Underworld. These were placed on roads. Garhc’s link

Queen of the

of stones

piles

with darkness and the depths

at cross-

is

world-

wide, but has always been particularly strong in Greece and the Balkans; here

The

plays

are full

we

have early evidence of

it.

of the ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes

of jokes about

Some

garlic.

are medical, so his

audience must have been thoroughly familiar with

medical a pair

of new boots

a boil

on

his foot

told that he looks as if he

is

with

of garlic.

a clove

Aristophanes’ characters eat garlic, they sive

and warlike, and he records

in starting the Peloponnesian

Some drunken young feUows so the Megarians,

broke out

all

that

curing

is

others of

become

aggres-

even played

it

stole a girl

and with

When

in

a part

War:

primed with

Aspasia’s in revenge,

Of course

its

Someone hobbling uncomfortably along

uses.

named Simathia, two girls of

garlic, stole

that

began the war which

over Greece.

there will always be those

to be too close to the smell of garlic

who do

not Hke

on someone

else’s

we

learn

breath. In Aristophanes’ play Thesmophoriazusae,

how this can be used to establish an alibi. Certain young women have taken to deceiving their soldier husbands who are on night-sentry duty. Coming back at dawn, they quickly eat cloves of garlic so that their husbands will

never imagine that they have been unfaithful.

The Romans, strength

it

like the

gave their

Greeks, valued garlic for the

soldiers.

ing were synonymous;

allia

Indeed, garHc and soldier-

ne comedas,

“may you not

eat

Garlic Past

garlic,”

Roman

was the

“may you not The Romans were extremely

equivalent of

receive your draft papers.”

supplying their legions with food and medical

efficient in

supplies

and

garlic

was

of their Empire, to There they planted

to England.

and the

rose,

in the gardens

Garhc was laborers.

also the

forts

and

villas.

food of

Roman

Virgil describes

farmers and farm

as “essential to

it

Here he

of harvesters.”

tain the strength

together with the

it,

beneath the walls of their

of their

The poet

by the Romans France, to Spain, and

certainly carried

to the borders

violet

19

main-

depicts the

height of the harvest season:

Now even the cattle seek the cool shade, Now the green lizards hide in the thorn And

Thestylis

pounds for

thickets,

the reapers, spent with the scorching

Heat, her savoury herbs ofgarlic and thyme.

Strangely, the

of

daily diet

there

it,

Romans

also

condemned

pro criminum expiatione

may have been

a quasi-magical side to this; purity

pungent smells have often been used in In England, too, at a time

magic were

close,

we

doctor

named

rites

when

find garlic as

against both. In a collection a

However,

punishment may have been intended, since

rather than

tion.

criminals to a

aliis.

first

of purifica-

medicine and fine protection

of remedies written out for

Bald, around

ad 900, we

find the fol-

lowing (recorded in an 1865 book, Leechdoms, Wortcunning and

Starcraft

Work gobhn

of Early England):

thus a salve against the elfin race and nocturnal visitors,

and for

women

with

whom

the devil

Garlic

20

hath commerce: take the female hop plant,

wormwood,

bishopwort, lupin, ashthroat, henbane, harewort, viper’s bugloss,

heathberry plants, cropleek

garlic,

grain of

hedgerife, githrife, fennel: put these worts into a vessell, set

boil salt,

them under the altar, sing over them nine masses, them in butter and sheep’s grease, add much holy strain

through

a cloth,

and throw the worts into

running water.

Those

at risk

had the ointment rubbed on

heads, eyes, and body; they

book

also has

cross

ordinary complaints, such give one of

them

were censed with incense

made over them. Of course. some useful garlic remedies for more

and had the sign of the Bald’s

their fore-

our

in

as last

coughs and swellings;

we

chapter.

At some time, garlic fell out of favor with the English and with English-speaking people. It remained out of favor for a long time and their prejudice against it is only just now coming to an end. When did it begin? Shakespeare’s references to garlic indicate a lowly role for the food of rustics

it.

It is

A

Winter's Tale IV, 3),

{Henry IV, Parts

III,

I;

common working men

mer Night's Dream IV, 2 and Coriolanus IV,

6)

1

and

{Midsum-

and beggars

Yet we believe that Shakespeare was secretly on garlic’s side. In Midsummer Night's Dream, Bottom the weaver tells his fellow actors to “eat no onions or garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath.” Yet {Measure for Measure

it

is

III, 2).

Bottom who

the garlic-eating

and attended by her

is

loved by Titania,

fairies.

Clearer signs of the prejudice can be seen during the

seventeenth century.

The

begin to apologize for

garlic’s smell.

herbalists,

for the

first

The famous

time,

herbalist

Culpeper in 1649 spoke of “the offensiveness of the breath

Garlic Past

of him that hath eaten garlick.” John Evelyn,

diarist

21

and

on many branches of natural history, summed up new view in his Acetaria, a Discourse of Sallets (or

writer the

salads),

eat is

published in 1699. Spaniards and

with everything.

it

he

Italians,

says,

medicine and

as a

it

right for country people, especially if they live in

all

damp .

places, or for

.

.

we

it

seamen, but

absolutely forbid

by reason of

its

Punishment

horrid’st crimes.

those

who

and which made

To

for such as

be sure

touch on the Dish, with

the poet Shelley

What do you will

’tis

was

(as

we

read)

had committed the

not for Ladies

nor

Palats,

court them, further than to permit a light

supply ’d by the gentler

And

entrance into our Salleting,

its

intolerable Rankness,

so detested of old: that the eating of it

part of the

think?

never guess what

There was thus also

known

It is

a clove there of,

much

better

Rocambo.

on

a visit to

France wrote back:

Young women of

—

rank eat

—

^you

garUck!

a division

between the English, and

other northern European races like the Germans,

and the peoples of the Mediterranean; the one may have linked garUc to the indiscipline and hot blood of the other. “Unless very sparingly used,” says Mrs. Beeton, in

her cookbook that was the bible of Victorian households, “the flavor

The

is

disagreeable to the English palate.”

difference of

—and

view spread

to the English colo-

to the countries of the New World. A United Department of Agriculture pamphlet of 1938 remarked that “demand is practically limited to the needs

nies

States

Garlic

22

of the Mediterranean

York, Chicago and

races, the

St.

main markets being

New

Louis.”

Since that time, however, the whole situation has

changed. After

World War

more common and

New

II,

foreign travel

foreign cooking

became much

more

appreciated.

generations of English and white Americans have

begun

to shake themselves free

of the age-old prejudice.

Garlic has even attained something of a cult status in California and the annual garlic festival at Gilroy, near

San Francisco,

now

rivals

those of Spain and southern

We

hope that, in the end, everyone will realise is, and how beneficial to health. Its pungency will then present no problems, for garlic eaters never notice the smell of garlic, either on themselves or on others. Whether they eat it or not, everyone knows one thing about garlic: it keeps off vampires. Bram Stoker’s famous book Dracula is the usual source of this knowledge; when bulbs were placed on the heroine’s window sill, the bloodsucking Count could not pass. Stoker was in fact drawing on age-old traditions and no book about garlic would be complete without some account of them. The belief that it protects against misfortune and the evil eye is found in almost every part of the world. However, its connection France.

how

tasty

it

with vampires seems to belong almost exclusively to Eastern Europe and the Balkans and that

are

we still

find the richest store of customs, alive today.

There,

every crucial stage of life,

put

it

it is

on

garlic’s

in those regions

many of which

help was called

when harm might

befall.

their pillows during childbirth

its lips

at

Women

and in

their

would not take its were smeared with garlic. Young

children’s clothes at baptism. If a child

mother’s milk,

on

Garlic Past

men

about to be married kept away

brides braided

in their hair.

it

into the coffins of the dead, eternal

The author

Phillip

While staying tains in a

with

it;

it

thus ensuring the soul’s

book

Thornton

story in his au-

tells this

and Oxen, published in 1939.

Iron

in a small village in the Carpathian

moun-

northern Romania, he was invited to the funeral

young

Here he

child.

The two boys a

evil spirits

gypsies even put

life.

tobiographical

of

The

23

describing the burial:

is

in charge of the bier carried

it

to within

yard of the open grave and then removed the coffin

lid.

The

vested in a faded purple chasuble, blessed

priest,

the grave, cutting the sign of the cross into the earth

with

Then he

a spade.

aspersed the dead child twice

with water and once with his

thumb. The mother

garlic

She

oil,

crossing the forehead with

filled

the child’s

and drew the shroud over the

also placed a ten lei

little

mouth with

creature’s head.

coin in the child’s right hand,

for the ferry fare across the Styx.

The

lid

was replaced

and the father lowered the coffin into the grave with length of

a

fines.

Thornton was

told

how

the child had been found dead

in a garden adjoining the parent’s house, the victim of a

vampire.

On

the occasion quoted above, the garfic

would

have been used to keep the soul of the dead child from

harm and most of all,

to prevent the

ing further use of the body it

effective against

as a

such monsters?

vampire from mak-

base for

We

its

would

activities. Is

firmly wish

not to have the opportunity of finding out. In the countries of the Orient, garlic was also used against the evil eye, but the priesthood didn’t necessarily

get along with

it.

Garlic

is

almost universally used in

Garlic

24

India,

however the Laws of Manu forbade Brahmins

eat

And

it.

may not be brought

today, garlic

pilgrimage places, such

as

to

to certain

Gangotri near the source of the

The Bower manuscript proposed a way around the prohibition: feed a cow with garlic for three days and a Brahmin may drink her milk. In fact, now it is only the Ganges.

yogis and a few Jains and Brahmins who on the grounds that garlic would stimulate their passions. One of the authors of this book found this out when he was staying in Benares. As a friendly gesture he offered some garlic to an elderly Indian neighbor of his; unfortunately the old man was a lifelong celibate and chased him angrily out of his room. It is recorded that the Buddha’s most senior disciple, Sariputra, cured himself of an upset stomach by eating strictly celibate

keep the

rule,

garlic; thus

Buddhist monks are allowed

However, they fear

it

are not officially allowed

as a

it

medicine.

as a

food for

of upsetting the other monks. The rule which reached

Tibet was even

stricter: if you

have eaten

not enter your monastery even to save

garlic, it

you may

from burning

down. However, we have it on first-hand authority that this was a prohibition which Tibetan monks generally ignored, sensibly in view of the cold climate. In Japan likewise,

Zen Buddhist

their gates saying that alchohol

vegetables of the onion side;

class)

and “kun” (meaning

in country areas these notices could

Buddhism came

century ad and,

at that

still

be seen

time, the Japanese adopted a

“to bear insults with patience.” garlic eaters,

all

to Japan in the sixth

for garlic, ninniku, the characters for

been great

at

could not be brought in-

quite recently.

word

temples had notices

new

which mean

The Japanese have never

perhaps because the Koreans, to

Garlic Past

whom of

it.

25

they consider themselves superior, eat such a lot

In

this,

they differ from the Ainu, the aboriginal

people of Sakhalin, the northernmost island of the Japanese archipelago. They believe that wild garlic is the

food of their gods.

When

a child

is

born, and the family

gather round to celebrate, they throw

summon With

it

into the fire to

the gods to attend the festival.

that far distant ceremonial

we must end

account of man’s relationship with

garlic.

We

this brief

have con-

sidered his likes and dislikes, his prayers and rituals, but

we a

have

as

medicine.

yet said

We

next chapter.

little

about

garlic’s traditional role as

deal with this wide-ranging topic in our

4

Garlic Prescribed

For the thousands of years of man’s history, medicine

meant herbal medicine. The changeover to chemically defined and synthetically produced medicines began during the twentieth century. Until then it was plants, eaten raw, dried, steeped, brewed, or cooked, which provided

man with

his remedies, together

with

a lesser

number of

animal substances and some naturally-occuring minerals. Garlic has always had an honorable place nal plants.

Wherever one

looks,

one

among medici-

finds

its

uses de-

scribed in a remarkably consistent way.

Let us begin in ancient Greece; having mentioned

Greek jokes about seriously.

Hippocrates, as

on

garlic,

let

us

now

The Greeks’ most famous

who

lived

some

take the subject

physician was

from 460-370 bc and

is

known

the Father of Medicine; he founded a medical school the

Aegean island of Kos. Hippocrates and other Greek mine of information on our subject. Garhc

doctors are a

was used, and

first

of

all,

as a

cleanser of the digestive system

as a diuretic.

26

— Garlic Prescribed

It is

good

for increasing the flow

when one

of urine.

It is

about to drink too much, or

is

drunk. Garlic boiled or roasted

is

best taken

when one

a diuretic,

27

and

is

relaxes

the stomach. Garlic causes flatulence, because

The

last is

like.

Diodes prescribed as a digestive

mixed

stops flatulence.

an example of the Hippocratic principle of

curing like by

garlic

it

a clove

purge, “a

of

more

garlic

placed inside a fig

efficient

one being

fresh

taken in neat wine with coriander.” Praxagoras it

with

oil in

stew for severe bowel pains.

was used for dealing with infections and inflammations of various kinds, internal and external for example, of the lung. Again, from Hippocrates: Secondly,

But

if

it

there

is

no cough and you recognise the

signs

of

suppuration, the sick man, for his evening meal and

before he goes to bed, should eat raw garlic in great quantity and should drink a noble and pure wine. If by this

means the pus

erupts, so

much

flammation of the rectum, one uses

cooked

in black

the better. For ina poultice

of

garlic

wine mixed with water.

Hippocrates also used garlic to encourage menstruation, to bring

pregnancy

away the

afterbirth,

and in the following

test:

To know whether

a

woman

clove of garlic, cut

ofi*

see if next day her

mouth

will bear a child.

the top, place smells of

it it.

Clean

in the vagina

a

and

If she smells, she

will conceive; if not, she will not.

It

was in

Roman

times that the foundations of Western

28

Garlic

medicine were established. The most

on herbs was Dioscorides, who AD.

He was

a

influential writer first

century

Greek, and chief physician to the

Roman

lived in the

armies in Asia Minor. His Materia Medica gives the fol-

lowing account of Garlic

and

is

sharp, biting,

wind producing,

creates thirst. If eaten

worm, bite

it

when

of

vices.

excites the belly,

helps ehminate the tape-

it

drives out the urine.

with wine, or

against the bite

and

garlic’s virtues

good

It is

against snake It is

good

makes the voice

clear,

crushed with wine.

a rabid dog. It

and soothes continuous coughing when eaten raw or boiled. Boiled with oregano, It

clears the arteries.

it

an ointment for blood-shot eyes;

Together with with honey,

it

spots, leprosy

incense, in the

it

salt

and

oil,

it

heals eczema.

it

it is

also helps baldness.

Together

heals white spots, herpetic eruptions, liver

and scurvy.

Boiled with pine-wood and

soothes toothache

when

the solution

mouth. Boihng the umbrel of the flowers

for a sitting bath to help the

mush from crushed

is is

kept

good

coming of menstruation and

the placenta. For the same purposes

It is

Hce and bed bugs.

kills

Burnt and mixed with honey,

it

A

can be smoked.

garhc and black ohves

is

a diuretic.

helpful in dropsy (edema).

Another notable authority was Gaius Pliny the Elder. His Natural History runs to many volumes and covers a vast range of subjects. Here is a part of what he says on garlic:

Garlic

is

believed to be useful for making a

number of

medicaments, especially those used in the country. For the

bites

of serpents

with

own

leaves

also

its

it is

and make

.

.

very efficacious to roast a linament

for bruises on the body, even

if

by adding

.

it

oil;

they have swollen

Garlic Prescribed

into blisters

.... To

asthmatics

though some have given with vinegar and water, in the throat.

ache

By

it

given cooked,

is

useful as a gargle for boils

is

pounded heads with vinegar toothit is by rinsing the teeth with a

as

decoction, and inserting garHc Garlic juice,

it

Pounded and drunk

three

relieved,

is

raw.

it

29

itself into

mixed with goose

the hollow tooth.

grease,

is

dropped

also

into the ears. Garlic in drink, or infused with vinegar

and nitrum, checks

and

lice

scurf,

it

boiled with milk, also beaten up and

cheese .... For a cough a decoction

with milk; or

grease, or

or pus,

it is

if

is

stops catarrhs if

mixed with

soft

taken with

stale

there be also spitting of blood

roasted under live ashes and taken with an

equal part of honey. With fat, it cures suspected tumours. Mixed with sulphur and resin it draws the pus from

[pipe-shaped ulcers or infections], with pitch

fistulas

extracting even arrows. Leprous sores, and lichen-like

and freckly eruptions are cleansed and cured by wild maijoram, or by

and

fish

sauce.

Used

a

in this

erisypelas [inflammations

One a

of the

sleep also,

fresh coriander

as

an aphrodisiac,

it

[

freely

^

of

induces It is

and

It

injures the

creates thirst.

certainly being used for a considerable

ber of conditions. influential

It

when pounded with

and taken with neat wine.

stomach when taken too

was

and

deep red in colour].

and makes the body of a ruddier colour.

believed to act

eat

skin,

head of it taken in dry wine with an obolus

drachma] of silphium shakes off malaria ....

Garlic

it

made of its ash with oil way it is also good for

linament

It is

doctor of

num-

not surprising that Galen, the most

all

time, having seen a

countryman

instantly of bowel pains, called it Countryman’s cure-all would be a since a theriacum was a remedy for all

and cure himself

theriacum rusticorum.

good

translation,

complaints.

How

could there be any sense in such

a variety

of uses?

30

Garlic

Yet,

if one

examines them

carefully, a pattern

does emerge.

helps digestion and elimination.

Firstly, garlic

Edema and

by poor functioning of the kidneys, or by poor blood circulation, which garlic also helps (“it

swellings are caused

clears the arteries”). It acts against various kinds

of in-

flammations and infections, including coughs, respiratory problems, and even tuberculosis (“spitting of blood or pus”).

It

and

kills

it

is

an anti-toxin for poisonous bites and stings internal parasites.

It

already seen that the Greeks and

we

gives energy;

Romans

regarded

have it

as

At the same time, garlic can have adverse can irritate the stomach or the skin. If one

a general tonic. effects;

it

looks at the

one

of uses given in the Bower manuscript,

list

finds that they are very similar and,

same claims continue

tory, the

to

throughout his-

be made with remark-

able consistency.

The medical

practices

Romans

of the

passed chiefly to

the Arabs, and the great Arab doctors, such as Avicenna,

So too did the medieval medical school of Salerno, in Sicily. Another of garlic’s medieval champions was that remarkable woman St. Hildegarde of Bremen,

used

garlic.

who was born

in 1099. Despite being a cloistered

nun

was one of the foremost and writers of her age on botany and other scientific topics. a recognized visionary, she

Indeed,

nun (and

as a

later

an abbess) she would have

been concerned with health and healing, since it was to the religious houses that many, especially the poor, came for treatment.

It

garlic she said:

gives health both to those

who is

Of

are

ill.

cooked,

eyes,

And its

it

who

are

weU and

those

ought to be eaten raw, because

strength

is

lost.

Neither does

nor on account of its heat

is

it

if it

hurt the

the blood around the

Garlic Prescribed

by

eyes strongly excited

it,

but through

it

they

31

become

clear.

Here Hildegard is refuting the widespread belief, dating from Hippocratic times, that garlic is bad for the eyes;

it

account for especially

difficult to

is

onion, garlic does not

make you

when you

cry

unlike

as,

cut

it.

St.

Hildegarde continues: It

should be eaten in moderation,

man

overheats. In truth, if garlic

lest

the blood of a

forbidden, a man’s

is

health and proper strength vanish away; but if

mixed with food

in

due proportion,

it

it is

then

will bring

back

his strength.

With

botanical studies.

The

was William Turner’s

some time

Queen

came

the Renaissance

he became her

I

flowering of medical and

first

substantial herbal in English

New

Herbal of 1562. Turner spent

in exile for his

Elizabeth

a

extreme Protestant views, but

gave him her special protection and “Garleke,” he

herbalist.

said, “is

hote and

is

according to the

Galenical classification of medicines

which have four

drye in the fourth degree.” This

qualities

strength,

(hot, dry,

moist and cold) in four degrees of

the fourth being the most powerful.

being hot and dry and at

full

of

combating moist and cold

perfectly with

its

chial congestion

power and to

rising

diseases,

to break clear

movement,

away

up

and

this

catarrh

Garlic, is

good

matches

and bron-

impurities in the di-

gestion and the blood.

London College of Physicians valued garlic an antidote to poisons and to the bites of venomous

In 1649 the as

beasts, as

and

as

an encourager of urine and bowel movements,

good

for

edema,

ulcers,

and toothache. They used

Garlic

32

it

only

“simple,” that

as a

is

to say

on

We know

in their elaborate mixtures.

young and independently-minded Culpeper, translated their

official

into English and used

as

Culpeper added an this

herb.” If one

is

it

own

its

this

and not

because the

doctor, Nicholas

pharmacopeia from Latin

the basis of his

own

“Mars owns

astrological ascription:

going to link plants and planets. Mars

seems the appropriate one for

garlic, since

both are bringers

of dynamic energy. (Enthusiastic astrologers might plant their garlic

herbal.

on 6th or 7th November,

at

like to

15° Scor-

Later editions of Culpeper’s herbal contained the

pio.)

following warning. Garlic’s heat

is

very vehement, and everything of that

description naturally conveys ill-humours to the brain.

In choleric cases

it

adds fuel to the

pressed with melancholy

it

fire;

in

confounds the idea with strange visions and

The

op-

fancies.

advice not to use garlic in “choleric cases” implies

not to use also

men

extenuates the humor, and

it

during hot inflammation or fever.

It

might

exaggerate the aggressiveness of those inclined to

much. no way,

anger; the ancient Greeks certainly believed as

However,

we

as to

are sure,

Garlic

is

“strange visions and fancies,” in garlic

an hallucinogen!

was one of the many remedies suggested by the

College of Physicians for the Great Plague of London in 1665. There

and

that

is

a tale that

no one who

this, garlic

ate

it

then cost a guinea an ounce

it

died.

Whatever the

truth of

has often had the reputation of being able to

protect against the plague. In Marseilles in 1721, so the story runs,

four thieves were released from prison in

order to collect and bury the bodies of the victims of the

plague which was then raging. Such workers were not

33

Garlic Prescribed

expected to

live long,

but to everyone’s surprise, the four

was then discovered that they were drinking vinegar mixed with garlic juice every day. From that time on “Four Thieves Vinegar”, ‘‘Vinaigre des Quatres remained healthy.

Voleurs,”

It

was sold

in Marseilles; in

give the recipe for

our

last

chapter

we

it.

John Waller, author of the New

British

Domestic Herbal of

1822, observed a similar occurrence during a plague in Oxford.

The author can vouch

for the circumstances that, during

the prevalance of a very contagious fever in the vicinity

of Somers

who

Town

and

St.

Giles, the

constantly used the plant in

rations visited the

most

all

French

ecclesiastics

their culinary prepa-

and infectious hovels with

filthy

impunity, whilst the English ministers of the same

reli-

gion were generally infected with the contagion, to which several of

In

all

them

fell

victim.

these cases, garlic

might have given internal pro-

tection against infection and

aged the plague-carrying

been

said that insects

It is

might also have discourfrom biting, for it has often

it

fleas

do not care

surprising to learn

how

for garlicky blood.

often garlic has been used

and with some success. Sir Thomas Sydenham (1624-1689), one of the founding fathers of

against serious illness,

how he used it as part of his how he cured a young noble-

English medicine, described

treatment for smallpox and

man

in this

way. In the medical journals of Paris between

1849 and 1853, three reports appeared of effective treatments of cholera in Provence and elsewhere. Poultices and massages with infusions of garlic were used. Nearer our

own

used

time. Dr. Albert Schweitzer

garlic

against cholera

hospital in Africa.

is

reported to have

and typhoid in

his

mission

Garlic

34

Garlic continued to be widely used

by doctors

En-

in

gland until the second half of the nineteenth century.

A

Jonathan Stoke’s

comments about

Botanical Materia Medica

appearing in no

garlic

medical books of the time.

promote

(to

It

and

under

kill

The

among

on

worms),

a rubefacient

the skin), and as an

names. However, the tide was turning

and

against plant medicines,

probably

fevers),

regulate menstruation): the traditional

(to

new

reduce

produce sweating), an

(to

remove and

cause irritation or burning

emmenagogue uses

than forty

called a tonic, a diuretic

throat), a febrifuge (to

diaphoretic or sudorific

antihelminthic (to (to

less

lists

urination), a stomachic, an expectorant (to

clear the lungs a

was

of 1812

the

first

1870

Practitioner in

absurd medicaments

.

.

garlic,

to lose popularity.

An

article in

among “the quaint and now obsolete among physicians.” listed

.

because of its smell, was

it

In the United States, the old-style country physician,

used local folk remedies along with the more

who

modem dmgs,

survived longer than in Britain. Herbal medicine also lasted

more

successfully

tradition

on

of health

the continent of Europe, through the

and natural

spas

cures.

In other parts of the world, and especially

people, garlic has never lost

medicine. Because

many

conditions,

it is

it is

its

among poorer

place as an important

so easily available and covers so

the typical folk remedy.

Here

are

few instances, out of many. In Iran, people chew cloves keep away coughs and influenza. The Dmze, in the hilly areas of Lebanon and Israel, give women great quantities of garlic for ten days after childbirth in order to prevent infections and bring the utems back to shape. Gypsies everywhere use it, especially cmshed in milk, for a

to

all

kinds of children’s ailments. In Majorca, a garlic “cure”

35

Garlic Prescribed

is

commonly

breakfast for

taken in autumn: one clove every day before

one week, two cloves

week, three cloves in the and in the

week

fifth

two

third,

a

day in the second

cloves in the fourth,

again one clove daily. This

is

de-

signed to keep away colds, coughs, and rheumatic prob-

lems during the coming winter. In the

USSR,

garlic

is

highly regarded. Paul Kourenoff, in his Russian Folk Medicine, describes

how

it

used to build up strength

is

minced garlic and onion are mixed with apple vinegar and honey to make a syrup. Another Russian remedy uses 450 grams of garlic ground with the juice of twenty-four lemons; and improve the circulation of the

this

is

left

for three weeks, then a teaspoonful taken daily

for obesity in old people

pean household bites

and

elderly:

stings

and

and

a sliver in the

cheek for toothache or coughs are

in the ear for ear infections. Garlic syrups for

common. These

made by crushing

syrups are

honey, perhaps because honey antiseptic

and

also

Euro-

for general debility.

include applying crushed garlic to

tips

garlic in

both nutritious and

is

can help disguise

taste

garlic’s

and

smell.

In the Orient, herbal medicine nized; in the

it

never

is

still

officially

and sophistication

lost its strength

recog-

as it

West. In India, the Ayurvedic tradition

widely practiced and time of the

Bower

garlic

is

used

much

as it

was

is

at

did still

the

manuscript. In China, herbs, together

with acupuncture, massage, and other traditional therapies

take their place alongside conventional

modern

medicine. Patients in clinics and hospitals are treated with

one or the other, according to the nature of their problems. as a

their

own

preferences and

The Chinese look on

pungent herb, warming in

quality.

It is

garlic

not one of

36

Garlic

the

gentle

“kingly” herbs, which are only used

preventatively, to balance and adjust the body’s processes. It

is

a non-toxic, niiddle-range

and preventive.

remedy, both curative

some extent too strong

to

It is

and action for the Chinese,

who

in flavor

prefer to use the gentler

Allium fistulosum or Allium tuberosum for the same purposes.

Its

principle use in Chinese herbalism

is

as

an

worms. A modern Chinese herbal manual gives the following uses for garlic, which by now should sound familiar. antidote to intestinal

•

For dysentery: eat fresh

garlic

and take

a garlic-juice

enema. •

For resolving boils and carbuncles:

a garlic plaster

with

oil.

•For whooping cough, tuberculosis, and coughs:

garlic

taken with other herbs.

•For insect and snake

bites:

apply crushed garlic to the

Also boil garlic and Sophora subrostata

bite.

(a

Chinese

herb) and take internally. •

For helping the flow of urine and resolving edema: take garlic

and plantain.

Herbalism in the West, having declined almost to extinction,

is

now

enjoying a revival, and there are

practicing herbalists. Stuart,

He

who mns

the

We

now many

spoke to herbalist Dr. Malcolm

Cambridge Herb

Clinic, about garlic.

gives fresh extracts for bronchial infections, laryngitis,

tonsillitis,

sometimes

abscesses,

and septicemia.

as a gargle

He

with myrrh; also uses

it

and

also for ulcers,

to

lower blood

pressure and to help against hardening of the arteries. Like

the Russians, he finds

it

effective for the general debility

Garlic Prescribed

which can

affect the elderly; for this

and other

kola, centaury, as

it

as

they are understood by the

On

establishment.

with damiana,

he regards

he mixes

it

it

have so

works

as

far said

nothing about

well for

them

as

it

closest

medical it

up-

with stomach-calming

herbs like sweet-flag, angelica, fennel, or

We

modem

the occasions that his patients find

setting to their digestion,

but

it

herbs. Like the Chinese,

“strong” medicine and therefore one of the herbs

dmgs

to

he mixes

37

dill.

garlic for animals,

human

does for

beings,

and for the same kinds of conditions. The European country folk

who hung

garlic

and on the horns of their tune also put

it

the doors of their barns

guard against misfor-

in their animals’ feed to

While researching Arthur Oaks,

on

cattle to

who

this

book,

we

keep them healthy.

visited a farmer,

Mr.

keeps sheep and horses on the edge

of Exmoor, in Devon, England. Twenty years ago, on the advice of a local gypsy

renowned

of animals, he began giving influenza and found

it

and the sheep raw

couch

knowledge

sheep against

extremely effective.

He

has also

worms by

giving the horses a

garlic tablets

during the winter,

kept his animals free from

three-month course of

for his

garlic to his

garlic juice

with root of male fern and

he finds he needs no other kind of

grass;

treatment and the

worms never become

worm

resistant.

Having begun this chapter far back in time, let us end on a personal, present-day note. The cat belonging to one of the authors of this book was recently very ill; she refused food and water for five days and was at death’s

—something

door. Finally

before

—

in milk.

that should

have been done

she was given a few spoonfuls of crushed garlic

She revived immediately, began to

soon quite recovered.

eat

and was

38

Garlic In this chapter,

we

have

tried to

show

the unity behind

the diverse uses of garlic as a medicine.

attempt to bring

account the traditions.

it

into the

modem

scientific research

Can

However, any

age must take into

which checks the ancient

garlic stand the test?

5

Garlic Proved

The

search for the chemical constituents of plant medi-

cines

began in earnest around the beginning of the nine-

teenth century. There were several early successes;

morphine was extracted from the opium poppy in 1803 and cinchona bark gave up its quinine soon after. Garlic, too, was mashed, heated, distilled, acidified, and mixed with alkalis. The concentrated and powerful oil which emerged from such operations was used medicinally, but no great progress was made in determining its chemistry. It was observed that it contained sulphur not a difficult conclusion given the fumes that must have filled the laboratories; however, sulphur is a very common con-

—

stituent

of organic matter.

The first significant observations were made by Professor Wertheim in 1844. By condensing the steam which mush, he produced “an evil-smelling oil” whose main com-

he passed through

a

bubbling

garlic

what he called ponent was, he said, diallyl sulphide. allyl from the Allium of garlic, and 39

He it

is

coined the word

now

in regular

Garlic

40

Wertheim was

usage in chemistry. Professor

nearly there:

on the right track but at the last moment caught the wrong culprit. It was not until 1892 that A.P. Semmler correctly identified the

main components of

The major one, which had and made up 60% of the disulphide.

He

found

also

total

garlic oil.

characteristic smell

garlic’s

contents,

was

compounds. There was one mystery, among many. come to taste and smell as it does? In

diallyl

(20%) and

diallyl trisulphide

several other sulphur

quite odor free.

it is

taste

or smell. If

A peeled whole

you

boil a

How does its

garlic

natural state,

clove, uncut, doesn’t

whole head uncut and untaste, somewhere between It is sharply pungent only

touched, you get a vegetable onion, mustard, and potato.

been bruised or crushed. In 1944, the scientists Cavallito, Bailey, and Buck, who v/ere working for the Winthrop Chemical Company in the United States, got part of the way toward a solution. Using the most sophisticated techniques of the time, including spectroscopic analysis, they found that undamaged garlic tissue contains a certain mysterious sulphur compound which after

has

has

it

no

taste

original a

and

or smell. as

yet

When

unknown

garlic

is

cut or crushed, this

somehow produces new compound which

material

highly reactive and pungent

time. In chemical terms

they identified for the

first

diaUyl thiosulphinate,

commonly known

as allicin.

it

was

They

had found the active component of garlic, and soon proved that

it

was

a

powerful

reactive to last long.

changes

pounds ents of

itself into

It

bacteria-killer. is

Yet

a

main

too

few days

the strong smelling oily sulphur

like diallyl disulphide, that are the garlic oil.

allicin is

unstable, and in

com-

constitu-

Garlic Probed

The complete

41

emerged through the researches of two Swiss chemists, Dr. Arthur Stoll and Dr. Ewald Seebeck. By crushing garlic at a very low temperature, they were actually able to extract the mysterious forerunner of

picture

allicin just as

purified

it

it

exists inside garlic.

and eventually succeeded in

They

carefully

isolating crystals

amino acid which they called alliin. The substance which changes alliin into allicin they found to be an enzyme (i.e. a natural biological catalyst made from protein), which they called allinase. Alliin and allinase exist separately in the cell until crushing of some kind brings them together and the chain reaction is set in of

a sulphur-rich

motion. Alliin, as

we

present in the

them all

said,

body

is

an amino acid.

are the building blocks

living organisms are

all

One of The common

these, called cys-

cysteine helps to

kinds of rather special sulphur-containing amino

acids in garlic, leek, chives, onion,

and even in cabbage

and mustard. All of them have strong strong influence

on

garlic that

flavors

and quite

a

They form, for example, make us cry as well as the

us humans.

the substances in onions that

ones in

acids are

twenty of

from which the proteins of

made.

teine, contains sulphur.

make

Amino

in considerable quantities;

make

us well.

Figure 2 shows the script of garlic’s chemical drama.

The chemical formulas of given in Figure

these unusual

compounds

are

3.

Garlic has another chemical act

Professor Erick Block of

New

we

York

should

know

about.

State University at

Albany found that when garlic was heated with water and solvents such as acetone in the laboratory, the allicin goes in another direction

—

to

make

a

compound

called

Figure

2:

Transformation of Garlic’s Active Ingredients

Normal amino

acid

CYSTEINE

Special garlic

no

taste

amino

acid;

or smell; no

medicinal action.

ALLIIN

Crushing or

ALLICIN

chopping

-H Reactive, pungent, unstable. Strongly

ALLINASE

medicinal.

Soon

Enzyme

breaks (biological

down

\/ 1

to

catalyst)

DIALLYL DISULPHIDE

plus

other sulphides,

etc.

Main

constituents of

garhc

oil:

and

taste;

active.

strong smell

medicinally

Figure

3:

Chemical Structure of Garlic’s Active Ingredients NH, I

HS\

/C. H ^COOH

Cysteine

Ha

NH,

C

H\ COOH

AUiin

Allicin

Diallyl

Disulphide

Methyl AUyl Trisulphide

(Example of another

oil

constituent)

Ajoene

^

X u

44

Garlic

ajoene (from the Spanish ajo, meaning garUc). This

is

a

very potent medicine against blood clotting which re-

new

searchers are currently exploring as a basis for

However

clotting drugs.

laboratory only,

as it

it

may be

does not appear in natural garHc

whether cooked, crushed or

dried.

Dissolved in the fluids of the

the

cells are

garlic

does

insect, or garlic’s

crying

released, ashes.

this.

worm

like

In an-

cell, alliin waits.

enzyme also stands damaged by crushing or

other section, the

powerhouse is from the cold

anti-

product of the

a

ready.

As soon

as

biting, the allicin

a flaming

Phoenix

This gives you a clue

as

rising

to

why

Imagine the shock facing any animal, that takes a bite out

of

garlic.

AUicin

protection against being eaten by pests just

compound

is

for the onion.

And

garlic’s

substances defend us too, against bacteria,

as

is

the

defensive

worms, and

other “pests” affecting humans.

As soon as allicin is made, it begins bit by bit to decay. The major products are diallyl disulphide and diallyl trisulphide, as we have seen. But it also produces a whole range of other kinds of sulphides, disulphides, and trisulphides such as methyl allyl trisulphide, thiols such as methanethiol, and other compounds. This oily “soup” is very strong smelling and tasting and is the typical garlicky odor. As allicin decays more or less immediately if it is cooked or fried after crushing, the fried garlic is therefore equivalent to this oil. It is hard to preserve the aUicin and from turning into the oil. Vitamin C, citrus oils, and low temperature help preserve it. However, it still decays, and therefore all garlic products and garlic that you crush and eat are an unstable mixture of allicin and its oily breakdown products, the proportions depending stop

it

Garlic Probed

how

on

they are treated. Heated garlic and garlic

gone

capsules will have

all

way

the

to the

freshly crushed garlic will contain almost

nal allicin.

It

makes

,

different effects

on

oil

while

of the origi-

and the

the body.

and the other components of the

Diallyl disulphide also

all

oil,

a difference to us since allicin

compounds have

oily

45

oil

change and become, in time, an exotic mixture of di-

and polysulphides and other

tri-

similar materials. Sulphides

generally have strong smells, but

it is

the simpler sulphides

which have the stronger smells; the smell of rotten eggs is due to a gas, hydrogen sulphide, which is the simplest of all

and, fortunately,

polysulphides ucts

is

which

are

of allicin are not

smell or

taste.

not present in

among

medicines and have

little

In other words, extracts lose their strength

after

weeks or months of

or

they are

if

the final

effective as

Most of the breakdown prod-

garlic.

left

storage, faster if they are heated

exposed to the

The amounts of

air.

by no the location and

active constituents present are

means constant, but vary according to methods of cultivation. Alliin and sulphur content run roughly parallel, and Stoll and Seebeck found enormous variation in sulphur content in the bulbs which they collected from twelve different parts of Europe. Bulbs gathered near Basel contained only around 500 mg/kg of sulphur, while some from Piacenza in Italy had 1790 mg/kg. Those grown in an experimental garden in Basel had 3720 mg/kg. It may be that these were grown organically. Monsignor David Greenstock, Head of Biology at St Alban’s College, Valladolid, in Spain, a world expert on growing and using garlic, found similar variations in bulbs grown in different parts of Spain and noted that they corresponded exactly to the extent to

Garlic

46

which they were

organically grown. Garlic, as

one might on sulphur. Feeding sulphur or

expect, also does well

These variaand weight alone are no sure guide to potency, but strength of flavor and amount of

sulphates dramatically increased

its

flavor.

tions are significant; size

sulphur are a guide to potency.

member

this

when buying

It

garlic

is

and

important to reit

will also affect

the quality of the various health preparations

contain

We such

which

it.

have been discussing these detail that

it

may come

essential

components

in

as a surprise to learn that

make up only a tiny fraction of the bulb. The oil which Semmler extracted weighed between 0.1% and they

0.2% of the

and

total,

experimental

this

A

scientists.

is

the figure quoted by most

Mediterranean clove of

garlic

weighs on average 3 g. while an American-grown garlic clove might weigh 6 g., twice as much. So on that basis there are 3—6 mg. of oil to a small clove and 6—12 mg to a large clove.

The

aUiin/allicin content

was generally

found to be around 50% higher than the oil content. Garlic is around 60% water and each clove contains on average 1 g. of carbohydrates (90% of this in a starchy form called sinistrin), 0.2 g.

of protein, 0.05

g. fiber,

0.01

g. fat.

Vitamin A, Vitamin Bl, some Vitamins B2 and B3, and

Vitamin C. The thiamine (Vitamin Bl) allicin,

is

combined with

something most unusual in the plant world. The

combination aUithiamine

The Japanese, who

first

is

easily

absorbed in the

discovered aUithiamine,

intestine.

now

use

it

some of Another substance in garlic is adenosine, a nucleic acid (a building block of DNA and RNA). As we shaU see, their nutritional supplements.

in

it

may

also contribute to garlic’s effects

on

the blood.

Garlic Probed

47

minmangaaluminium, germanium, and selenium. These last

Garlic contains a proportionally high level of trace erals

nese,

including copper, iron, zinc,

two have

attracted the attention

Germanium

has

been discussed

tin,

calcium,

of health

as

enthusiasts.

an anti-cancer agent.

Selenium, which supports the activity of Vitamins E,

is

at a

present in a concentration of

9 p.p.m.

at least

and It is

higher level in garlic than any other plant remedy,

although

it

httle garlic.

be

C

much

is

not important health-wise

The

less

total

amount

we

as

in a clove or

than in a serving of

eat such

two would

fish.

among them The total sugar

Garlic contains about ten different sugars, glucose, finactose, arabinose, and inuHn.

amounting to about a quarter of all substances. This confused a key researcher, Runquist, who was working in Scandinavia during World War I. He concluded that the active medical component, which many researchers of the time were looking for, was a sulphur-sugar compound. This view held for some thirty years until it was over-turned by Cavallito and his colleagues. However, it is still propounded in Japan through the work of a Dr. Kominato, who believes that the main content

is

quite large,

medicinal component

complex

is

a sulphur-sugar

structure called scordinin,

—

with

which

is

a highly

present in

rather small amounts 0.03% of the bulb weight. This view must be seen in the fight of the Japanese tendency to regard garlic as a restorative nutrient rather than a specific

medicine.

The Japanese

are,

on the whole, not

interested in the powerful effects of allicin

and

so

diallyl

disulphide. Instead, they have looked for odorless constituents

which might be

nutritious. Despite the general

excellence ofJapanese natural-product chemists, the weight

Garlic

48

of evidence

is

overwhelmingly against scordinin

as

the

active medical ingredient.

There are other substances in garlic which contribute minor themes to the symphony of its taste and smell. Dimethyl disulphide adds a taste of cabbage, propenyl disulphide an onion smell, some isothiocyanates a taste of horseradish and mustard, and some thiophenes a fried onion flavor. When you cut an onion, it is propenyl sulphenic acid which makes you cry. Because of garlic’s importance as a food, its chemistry has been comparatively well researched. The Nobel prizewinner, Professor Artturi Virtanen, together with Dr. B.

Granroth and their group of analyzed

it

scientists in Helsinki, has

in such detail that they

were able to reveal the compounds. What

interactions of hundreds of different

we

have said here

may seem complex, but

forward compared to the

total picture.

it is

Indeed,

straightall

contain thousands of constantly changing substances,

plants

more

than a chemist could ever analyze, and no one could

deny as

that this rich variety also contributes to their value

medicines.

6

Garlic Proved:

Against Infections

When we on

garlic,

began looking into the

first

we

consulted

all

puter information banks.

scientific research

the relevant libraries and

To

our astonishment,

we found

some 700 papers had been published over

that

twenty tion.

these are studies

animals; there are not as as

the

last

each one representing a serious investiga-

years,

Most of

of people

com-

many

on

isolated tissues or

large-scale

trials

one might wish. Nevertheless

on

on groups

their results

give impressive scientific backing to the effectiveness of garlic

and the wisdom of traditional medicine.

marveling

at

knew

so

much

it.

In this chapter, uses. Garlic has

tive against tis,

is left

the old doctors, not only because they se-

lected garlic for use but also because they

about

One

consider a particular group of

always had the reputation of being effec-

stomach

upsets, diarrhea, dysentery, bronchi-

and infected by bacteria, harmful invading the body and overcoming its normal

catarrh, throat

wounds. All these bacteria

we wiU

and ear

infections, ulcers,

are infections caused

49

Garlic

50

defenses.

Other

of the

infections, particularly

skin, are

caused by fungi, and garlic was known as a cure for ringworm and for various unpleasant kinds of “scurf” What does the scientific community say about garlic’s power against infections? Let us first consider bacteria and begin with one of the great men of science.

Laboratory Culture Studies In 1858, Louis Pasteur tested the antibacterial properties

of both onion and

garlic

and he found

that they killed or

stopped the growth of bacteria prepared in culture dishes in his laboratory.

At

medicine. Later

as a

that time garlic its

use died out, but

on the Continent fought half.

by

a

German

In 1930, a

that the

growth of

was well established

some

researchers

on its beF.A. Lehman, showed

a rear-guard action

scientist,

Bacillus proteus bacteria

concentration of garlic extract

as

was inhibited

low

as

1

part in

50,000. Other workers in the 1930s found this efiect against staphylococci.

Even

eaten garfic killed bacteria.

had

report in the Science Weekly

of Frankfurt showed that freshly-crushed bacteria at a distance of

who

the blood of people

A

could

garlic

twenty centimeters by

its

kill

vapor

alone.

How

strong

is

it,

compared

paper which deals with

this

to other antibiotics?

thoroughly appeared in 1977

in the Indian Journal of Experimental Biology

from

a

team

at

One

and came

the University of Pantnagar in India di-

rected by Professor V.D. Sharma.

paper soaked in dishes of bacteria

They placed

disks

of

middle of culture and measured the area of the bacteria

garlic extract in the

— Garlic Proved: Against Infections

killed. as

They found

that fresh garlic extract

common

any of the

wide range of

was

capable

as

with

antibiotics to deal

51

a

very

including those causing food

bacteria,

poisoning, digestive problems, throat, lung, and skin in-

The most

fections, as well as other harmless bacterias.

effective

of the antibiotics tested was chloramphenicol,

which worked

better than penicillin, tetracycline, strep-

tomycin, and others. Yet col and, in

two

matched chlorampheni-

garlic

cases, killed bacteria resistant to

These kinds of

have shown that

tests

have an unusually broad action against

garlic

it.

extracts

kinds of bac-

all

including bacillus, staphylococcus, escherischia,

teria,

pseudomonas, streptococcus,

vibrio, and mycobacteria though more indiscriminate than modern weaker. It is a shotgun, compared to mod-

species. Garlic, antibiotics,

is

ern antibiotics penicillin is

as

is fifty

marksmen’s

times

around ten times

as

strong

as allicin,

for weight,

and tetracycline

as strong.

Nevertheless, because

any harm or toxicity to over

Weight

rifles.

it kills all

kinds of bacteria, without

us, garlic has

antibiotics. In particular,

where

some

great advantages

infections

keep com-

ing back, or are mild and continuous and never seem to go

away, taking, garHc

may be more

effective

and

safer

than

repeated doses of antibiotics. Chronic infections of the

mouth, gums,

throat, ear, chest, stomach, or urinary system

are examples.

However

with

fever,

ment.

Do

Garlic

when

it

the infection

and spreading inflammation not expect

is

if

also

first

garlic to deal

—

becomes acute

seek medical treat-

with

it.

very useful to knock out an infection

appears.

Fulder’s family feel the

Whenever anyone first

signs

in

Stephen

of an infection, such

as

Garlic

52

they immediately have a good course of

a sore throat,

together with a raw food diet (mostly

garlic,

fruit),

anti-infective herb teas, particularly sage or thyme.

infection soon goes away.

No

one

in the family has

and

The had

antibiotics for at least fifteen years.

Another advantage of garlic is that it does not, as far as we know, create bacterial resistance. This occurs when the bacteria get canny: they adapt to the usual antibiotics

which become

New

useless.

biotics are required. Studies

and often more toxic antiby Dr. Michael Jackson at

the University of California at Davis have garlic risk

keeps

power.

its

of bacterial

How

sulphides in garlic

coats

bacteria?

kill

appears that the

It

knock out sulphur-containing

biologi-

(enzymes), especially those in and under the

of the bacteria, which are needed for growth and

reproduction. In its

that

resistance.

does garlic

cal catalysts

shown

can be used repeatedly without

It

this, garlic is similar to penicillin,

and to

forerunners which were discovered in the 1930s and

called sulpha drugs;

in

all

of them

it

is

the sulphur-

containing part which does the work. Let us look

at

some

accounts by doctors

interesting

who

used

and well-documented

garlic to

cure infections.

The Digestive System Dr. E. E. Marcovici’s experiences with garlic began in

World War I, where he was in charge of experimental studies on preventing and curing gastroithe trenches of

Writing in the Medical Record twenty he described how giving a bulb a day

ntestinal infections. five years later,

Garlic Proved: Against Infections

(crushed)

to soldiers

with dysentery produced

return to health, sometimes within a week.

a

He

53

rapid

found

some problems with the burning sensations caused in the mouth and stomach, so he made his own ground garhc tablets. Later he used a preparation made by the Sandoz Pharmaceutical Company, in which garHc is combined with charcoal and slowly released

as it passes

digestive tract. After the war, Marcovici

periments to check his wartime experiences. rabbits 2.5

g of

garlic

pletely protected

powder and found

them from

a

along the

conducted ex-

He

that this

gave

com-

dose of dysenteric organ-

isms ten times the lethal dose.

The when those

bacteria present in the intestines radically change

garhc

is

eaten.

The

trouble-makers, for example,

which cause dysentery,

enteritis,

or “Montezuma’s

revenge,” disappear, and the normal ones return.

It is

not

quite true to say that garhc selects only the unfriendly bacteria for attack.

It

tends to attack foe rather than friend,

but nevertheless knocks out some of each. However, the

which hve naturahy in the gut soon recover from this, while the invaders do not. Garlic also removes the poisons secreted by some bacteria; one of these is Escherichia coli, which sometimes turns ugly and causes stomach upsets. Both Marcovici and Sharma demonstrated that garhc can prevent E. coli from making poison. At

bacteria

lower doses, garhc does not kih bacteria but simply stops

them

multiplying. This gives the

marshaU Garlic

its is

own defenses. also known as

aniseed, angelica,

when

to

a carminative. Like mustard,

and fennel,

of digestive juices;

body breathing space

it

stimulates the secretion

the stomach

is

underactive

it

Garlic

54

encourages

it.

This was demonstrated in

a

paper in the

Review of Gastroenterology by Drs. Damrau and Ferguson, which reviewed twenty-nine successful cures and presented several case reports. For example, a fifty-five year-

woman

old

had, for a year, experienced a whole series

of troubles: stomach heaviness and distention

after eat-

ing, flatulence, continual belching, nervousness,

of appetite. She was given two

tablets

and

loss

of dehydrated

twice daily after meals and, within two weeks, the

garlic

symptoms were almost gone. Garlic

is

the only antibiotic which,

killing bacteria,

body

the

may

and

produced by the

as directly lethal to bacteria as

However,

take longer to work. ing,

the same time as

encourages digestion and protects

also

against poisons

not be

at

safe action

make

it

its

infection.

some, and

It

may

balanced, wide-rang-

an excellent treatment, ex-

cept in serious cases.

Very recently Professor Mirelman, Professor of Microbiology

at

the prestigious

Weizmann

has found that garlic extract could

Institute in Israel,

kill

the amoebas that

lead to amoebic dysentery. Fresh garlic extract, or

by

itself

killer

(though not

garlic oil)

that was about one-tenth

was as

a

allicin

powerful amoeba

potent dose for dose

as

the leading anti-amoeba drug metronidazole. Professor

Mirelman concludes that an allicin-rich garlic remedy could one day benefit millions of entamoeba sufferers throughout the world.

Chest Infections Garlic

is

known

all

over the world

as a

remedy

for chest

complaints, especially troublesome and persistent coughs

Garlic Proved: Against Infections

55

and bronchitis. Laboratory research has been done on

many

but there are not

this,

However, Institute

a

few years ago,

direct studies

a Polish

group

at

on

patients.

the Pediatric

of the Academy of Medicine in Poznam, under

the direction of Dr. T. Ratinsky, studied the effective-

of

ness

three

on 382 children aged between years. They obtained their best

garlic treatments

months and

fifteen

results

with cases of recurrent catarrh and chronic bron-

chitis.

In the

USSR

and Eastern Europe,

garlic

often

is

used today by professional doctors where antibiotics would

be prescribed in the West; at

Soviet pharmacies has

cillin.”

as

widely sold

“Soviet peni-

In 1965, during an influenza epidemic, the Mos-

cow Evening News the

a certain extract

become known

told everyone, “eat

government flew

in a

more

garlic,”

and

500 metric ton emergency

supply.

The

use of garlic against tuberculosis has a small chap-

own. At the turn of the century. Dr. William Minchin found himself in charge of the tuberculosis ward of the KeUs Union Hospital, Dublin. One day, an eighteen year-old boy with severe tuberculosis of the right leg and foot came to see him, but refused the amputation which Minchin recommended. Six months later he saw the boy in his home town walking without difficulty. It appeared that he had gone to see a farmer, a Mr. Charles Walker of County Meath, who was well known for having a secret remedy for tuberculosis in his family. Minchin discovered that ter

this

of medical history

all

of

its

consisted of a poultice containing soot,

powdered

garlic.

By

be the active ingredient and from then on used hospital treatments.

salt,

and

experiments, he found the latter to

He

it

in his

applied the oil externally, gave

Garlic

56 large

amounts

in the diet and, for tuberculosis

of the

lung, his patients also inhaled the oil vapors for several

He

hours a day through a specially-made inhaler.

he could successfully

treat

almost every case that came to

him, provided there was some kind of passage of

and from the tubercular

area; if this

away, he used surgery. In Tuberculosis with

Oleum

found

Allii,

air to

was completely shut

his

book The

he

also

Treatment of

recorded the expe-

Between 1912 and 1914, Dr. M. Metropolitan Hospital in New York

rience of other doctors.

W.

Duffie of the

comparing aU known treatments tuberculosis with 1082 patients. Garlic gave the

carried out a large study against

best results of

all.

This

may be

because

permeates the

it

lungs so throughly.

Many

quickly and easily

spreads through the body;

it

people have remarked on

even wrote that he could smell

it

on the breath of babies

born to garlic-eating mothers. Tuberculosis especially in

ing,

modern drugs a serious

is

how

one doctor is

resurfac-

Third World countries, and where

are not available garlic

condition and

it

is

an

is

ally.

essential to seek

But

TB

medical

treatment.

Chest infections on the other hand, which are not so dangerous and

far

more common, can

with exclusively by the use of

garlic,

often be dealt

although the treat-

much more effective if a therapeutic diet is followed. In fact a new license has been issued for garlic by the Ministry of Health in the United Kingdom which ment

will

be

allows manufacturers to claim that garlic

edy of

traditionally used for the treatment

rhinitis

and

catarrh.

is

a herbal

rem-

of the symptoms

Garlic products are

more

fre-

quently used for these purposes in Northern Europe than for

any other reason.

Garlic Proved: Against Infections

Wounds and

Ulcers

Garlic’s properties

wounds, cleansing was used during

57

make it a rather effective dressing for them and preventing suppuration. It

for this purpose in front-line dressing stations

World War

government asked duced and offered

I.

It is

for as

said that, in 1916, the British

much

garlic as

could be pro-

pound for it, a large price coming into use during were short, particularly on

a shilling a

those days. Penicillin was

in

World War

II,

but supplies

the Eastern front. In 1942, a Russian team of scientists

conducted successful experiments on treating war wounds with the

garlic,

and

it is

known

that the Russians used

it

in

field.

whole range of external infections. The Poznam study mentioned earlier in this chapter reported very good results in the treatment of children’s abscesses. A practicing herbalist deGarlic has traditionally

been used

man who had

scribed to us the typical case of a

due to poor peripheral

leg ulcer

in a

a recurrent

circulation. Garlic cured

the ulcer, although the circulation remained defective; he

used other plants, like comfrey and aloes, to stimulate the processes of healing and repair. Garlic itself tive,

but will not encourage repair

when

is

anti-infec-

the infection

has gone.

Fungal Infections and Candida Fungal infections include albicans,

all

of which are caused by

the Candida group.

ringworm, tions,

urethritis, vaginitis,

tinea,

There

and Candida

a yeast-like

fungus of

are fungal skin diseases, such as

athlete’s foot,

and certain eye infec-

and there are internal infections such

as

Garlic

58

which

cryptococcosis

is

carried

by bird droppings and

caused by contact with pigeons or chickens.

modem

Fungal infections are rising dramatically in the

world, in parallel with the decline in bacterial infections

Also

—when

bacteria go, fungi often take their place.

many modem

treatments, such as the use of steriods

and chemotherapy, reduce the effectiveness of the body’s system, and open the way for fungal infections.

immune

Today, Candida

is a major health problem, causing a wide symptoms, from depression to allergies. The dmgs currently used have many disadvantages; they ei-

variety of

ther have an unusually large

number of side

effects (e.g.

amphotericin) or they are not absorbed in the digestion

Most of them have to be taken for long periods typically a month or two as opposed to one or two weeks for bacterial antibiotics and even (e.g. nystatin, candicidin).

—

—

after this the infections quite often return.

Research has found that garUc can

act as effectively as

more quickly. Drs. Moore and Atkins, University of Cambridge in England, found in

these agents and at

the

careful laboratory studies that garlic juice

the antifungal

had

a

dmgs amphotericin and

much wider

around

There

are

as

strong

many

many

it

similar reports

other kinds of

from

scientists

the world. Candidiasis in farm animals has

successfully treated

as

Again

range of action, working particularly

well against Candida, but also against fungi.

is

nystatin.

with

garlic.

been

Neal Caporaso and

his

colleagues at the New Jersey Medical University have even shown that after people took garlic juice, their own

blood could

kill

infecting fungi, although the doses used

were high. Because of this kind of research,

garlic

is

now

Garlic Proved: Against Infections

the

number one

59

natural treatment for Candida infections,

by thousands of holistic physicians in America. Other fungal infections, such as that of the skin, are also treatable by garUc. A letter in the Medical Journal of Australia of January 23, 1982 from a Dr. Rich of Adelaide recounted how he and all his family were infected with ringworm by a stray kitten. His teenage daughter, the in use

last

to suffer, did not think

much of the drug

the others

were using and decided to try garlic instead. Dr. Rich, being a scientific man, persuaded her to treat one arm with garlic and the other with the modem dmg; the lesions on her garlic-treated arm healed in ten days, while the other took three to four weeks. A 1977 study by Robert FromtHng and Glenn Bulmer, of the Department of Microbiology at the University of Oklahoma, on cryptococcosis looked at eighteen different disease-causing strains. They were stimulated by concern about the

New

year in

were

in cryptococcosis

— 15,000

cases

a

They found that aU the fungi amounts of garlic extract were the dishes where they were growing.

killed

placed in

rise

York

when

alone.

small

Virus Infections There

are

no known dmgs of proven use

infections.

—

A

against

vims

doctor will prescribe symptomatic treat-

—

ment two aspirins and bed rest for influenza and, for more serious viral infections, like shingles, there are dmgs which are only partially effective and toxic, like amantidine. colds

It

has often

been claimed

and influenza, and perhaps other

that garlic helps viral diseases.

If

60

Garlic

this

is

immune

which

say,

in association

at

it

and helps the heafing process. Dr.

Murdock

with colleagues

product, Garlicin, does laboratory culture. garlic

may

own

works because, as traditional and induces sweating,

at

Pharmaceuticals in Utah,

Brigham Young Univer-

have found clear evidence that

sity,

on

itself,

fiery

is

it

cleanses, cools,

Bronwyn Hughes,

the infection

produces, or on the body’s

it

Maybe

defenses?

medicine would

which

work on

does garlic

true,

the poisons

kill

Some

garlic

viruses in cells

initial

or a garlic

growing

in

evidence indicates that

prevent rather than treat influenza. Science

has, as yet, little to ofier

on the

question.

What Works? What is it in garlic that kills bacteria and fungi? do the authors of all these studies consider to be the main Their findings can be sumanti-infective component?

What

marized

1

as follows:

All the studies using garlic juice or fresh garlic

.

strong

effects.

decreased with time.

2. Effectiveness 3. If

the extracts

The

all

were

boiled, they lost their effectiveness.

allicin,

made from

older extracts had

changed to

is

diallyl

alliin,

little

or no

allicin,

because

it

had

disulphide and other sulphides. In

some might even have evaporated away. therefore the main anti-infection component.

the boiling, Allicin

The fresh extracts when garlic is crushed.

implications of this are clear.

contain

The

found

Garlic Proved: Against Infections

This has been confirmed by a

among them

number of

They

tested synthetic allicin, as

strong

there.

However, there

is

unknown

no doubt

the most important one.

Then what about bacteria effective

well,

garlic oil

—does

it

anti-infective agents

that allicin

it

work

and fungi? Researchers found than fresh

to be allicin.

it

which worked

the complete fresh extract. So

as

likely that there are other

is

compo-

carefully isolated the

nent which killed Candida and found but was not

researchers,

Drs. Frank Barone and Michael Tansey at

Indiana University.

They then

61

by

far

aU against

at

that

is

was

it

less

Pure diaUyl disulphide, the

garlic.

main component of the oil, does kill bacteria, but is much weaker than allicin. In one or two scientific studies where a commercial garlic oil capsule was opened and tested on bacteria and fungi, nothing happened. However, it is not known if this is due to the weakness of the oil compared to fresh garlic, or to the small amount of actual garlic oil in the capsule.

Nevertheless, garlic in

Europe

oil

capsules have

for coughs, catarrh,

least forty years.

One

been widely used

and other infections

for at

cannot discount the thousands of

reports of this kind: I

have suffered from catarrh for years and

worse when

I

moved

to

my

said that there wasn’t really

the best thing

A

which helped

me

in a

me

absolute joy

my

move

I

reconmiended

enormously, but they

way which

acne, although

friend

I

am skin

doctor

well past

my

to the

garlic pearls,

also benefited

was not expecting.

is

was much

My

anything he could do and

could do would be to

I

South of France!

it

present address.

teens,

I

suffer

and

wonderfully improved.

from

to

my

62

Garlic

We ness

are not going to

of the

garlic

packs

in allicin.

oil its

be able to decide on the effective-

without cHnical strongest

studies.

punch when

Yet

it is

it is

fresh,

sure that

and rich

7

Garlic Proved: In the Circulation

Heart and circulatory disease

is

now

the

number one

in the

developed world; just over a half of

due to

it.

This chapter, therefore,

causes.

One

is,

of course, that deaths from infectious

have been greatly reduced, making

eases

more people our

ercise,

to die

It is

of heart

modem way

its

of

failure.

life,

with

complex worries and

dietary imbalances

fats

perhaps the most

vital

of our book. The present-day epidemic has various

part

that

is

killer

deaths are

all

now

is

of the wrong are

no doubt

is

lack of physical ex-

tensions,

and

its

various

creating this kind of disease.

recognized that there should not be too sort in the circulation.

ones are the so-called saturated

which

it

But there its

dis-

possible for

fats, as

found in high quantities in

meat, dairy products, eggs, Drastically reducing the

lard,

The dangerous

well

as cholesterol,

common

amount of these

fats

reduce the

problems. But cholesterol

made by

also

63

foods like

and some cooking

terol in the diet certainly does is

many

oils.

and choles-

risk

of heart

the liver as the

Garlic

64

body needs some as raw material for the manufacture of hormones. During stressful times the body makes too much. If there is too much cholesterol and fat in the blood it collects on the inside walls of the arteries, which get like old and furred pipes; they become bumpy and ridged and the blood can no longer flow through them smoothly. Arteries get like that from other causes, for example if there are too many stress hormones like adrenaline making their rounds. Unrelieved and nagging stress constricts blood vessels, which raises blood pressure; this also

damages the

more

strongly.

heart has to

arteries as the

As the

work

blood

forced through

is

narrow and harden, the get the blood around, thereby

arteries

harder to

pushing up the blood pressure; thus there connecting cause and

circle

and

effect. Less

is

a vicious

less

oxygen

reaches the heart, the most oxygen-hungry organ of the

body; lacking oxygen, parts of

it

die

and there

is

a heart

attack.

A

further factor plays a part in this and that

blood’s tendency to clot. This stops us bleeding cut ourselves but, clots

if

the tendency

becomes

occur internally. The blood builds up

bumps of the

artery walls

and tiny

to circulate, eventually blocking

excessive,

clots

vessels

ing thrombosis. This excessive clotting

high

the

on

the

may even begin

clots

blood

is

when we

is

and caus-

also related to

fat levels.

Can

garlic

have an

disease? In traditional

effect

on

all

this

and help heart

medicine there are references to

it

and purifying the blood. Dioscorides this claim and the Charaka Samhita of India says that garlic maintains the fluidity of

clearing the arteries

and William Turner make

Garlic Proved: In the Circulation

65

the blood, strengthens the heart, and prolongs Hfe.

Ac-

Ayurvedic

tually, the

traditional

that garhc reduces fat in the

medicine of India

blood and

states

up milk

dries

in

the breast. Garlic was almost universally recognized as a

edema

which poor circulation causes a buildup of water in the tissues. However, circulation problems belong to the modem age; it is from modem research cure for

that

we

The

Effect

in

get the clearest possible backing for garlic’s use.

Work on

on Cholesterol and Other Fats

garlic

and the circulation began with Professor

Wessehn Petkov founders of

in Bulgaria.

modem

famous for proving

Petkov was one of the

research into medicinal plants. scientifically the

He

is

old belief that the

biological effects of plants vary according to season. In

1949, he

artifically

induced atherosclerosis (hardening of

the arteries) in rabbits by feeding cholesterol, so that their

them

a diet rich in

blood cholesterol

levels

went

sky high. Rabbits that were also given garlic had reduced cholesterol and blood vessels in far better condition. Since

then around thirty similar studies have been done. Dr.

Bordia and

his colleagues at the

Rabindranath Tagore

Medical College, Udaipur, India, and Dr. Jain at the University of Benghazi, Libya, are the pioneers in this field.

In a typical study, cholesterol levels in the blood of

the fat-fed animals increased by twenty-five times but in

those fed also with garhc only by five times.

of the clot,

first

The blood

group showed twice the normal tendency to

while with the second, clotting actually became

likely. Studies

have

also

shown

that if garlic

is

less

given

at

— 66

Garlic

the same time as

reduces the fatty obstructions in

fats it

the blood vessels by half

The normal drug given ease

due to high

brate.

It is still

was discovered

though

in use, that

it

to people at risk of heart dis-

of cholesterol used to be

levels

less

clofi-

so than before. For

it

actually increased the death rate

from cancer, gall bladder trouble and, ironically, heart attack of those taking it. The Lancet summed it up by

—

was

saying, “the treatment

successful but unfortunately

on fat-fed animals which we have described, garlic was more efficient than clofibrate at low^ering cholesterol levels, removing fatty dethe patient died.” In the studies

posits,

and reducing the blood’s tendency to

clot.

from becoming obese and had a considerable effect on a blood protein called lipoprotein, which carries cholesterol around the body. It has been shown that where one form of this, HDL (highdensity lipoprotein), is present, the heart and arteries are Garlic also prevented the animals

generally healthy and

when

another form,

density lipoprotein), increases, there rosis.

more

LDL

artificial

at

process and

it

fat is

and cholesterol

is

HDL.

a rather

more meaningful on normally-fed animals.

perhaps

the effects of garlic

(low-

atheroscle-

Garlic dramatically shifts the balance towards

Feeding animals extra look

is

to

A

team of scientists led by Dr. Qureshi at the United States Department of Agriculture laboratories in Madison, Wisconsin, gave a range of doses of garlic extract to chickens, pigs, and other animals, in their normal soya-bean-based diet. Even when garlic formed only 0.2% of their total feed, the chickens were found to have significantly less cholesterol and other

fats

in their blood.

Garlic Proved: In the Circulation

67

How Garlic Works The

scientists

Madison, and others

at

at

Alcorn State

University, Mississippi, and at the famous Wistar Institute in Philadelphia

have

the cholesterol and

investigated

all

fats

in the body.

how

Quite

garlic

lowers

a clear picture

has emerged.

Cholesterol and

by makes

liver, carried

The

liver

the blood arrive there from the

fat in

the

LDL

(the “unhealthy” lipoprotein).

its

own

cholesterol and fat and

gathers that absorbed in the digestion. Besides liver has a waste-disposal rubbish

extra

now known

increases the

much

catalysts

that garlic acts in

dumping of

gland. Secondly

ing so

also

the

gets rid

of

the bile gland.

fat:

It is

bag which

it

this,

fat

it

fat

two ways.

and cholesterol by the

and cholesterol. fats

It

does

this

it

bile

from mak-

actually prevents the liver

which make the

Firstly

because the

on sulphur

in the liver rely

or thiol groups. Garlic’s reactive sulphur interferes with these catalysts just as

way

garlic

it

does that of the bacteria. In

both prevents loading the

and

a fatty meal,

irrespective

also

of the

liver

with

this

fats after

lowers the cholesterol in the blood

diet.

Enough of animal studies: let us move on trials with people. The first scientific hint that

to clinical garlic

does

the same sort of thing to us was a fascinating study carried out

among

the Jain

community by Dr.

Sainani and

colleagues of the B.J. Medical Centre in Poona, India.

The

Jains

all

share

more or

less

the same vegetarian diet

but some, for reasons already described, do not eat or onions, while others do.

More

garlic

than 200 Jains joined

the study and were divided into groups similar in age and

68

Garlic

sex.

The

of

oz)

garlic a

their lives. levels

a

of onion and 50|-g

mg/ 100 207 mg/ 100

of the three groups were: group one 159

ml; group

two 172 mg/ 100 ml; group

ml. These are

show

group had

weekly consumption of over oz) of garlic; the (1 less than 200 g (7 oz) of onion and lOjg oz) ( week, and the third had never eaten either in They found that the average blood cholesterol

first

600 g (21 second ate

all

levels

three

within the normal range, but they

considerable differences, as did the levels of other

fats

and of LDL: the more

the

less

diet,

cholesterol in the blood.

As with the animal

show

and onion in the

garlic

studies,

that garlic stops the rush

it

has

been quite easy

to

of cholesterol in the body

For example Dr. Bordia gave

straight after a fatty meal.

several volunteers a butter-laden breakfast. Their choles-

few hours

terol levels a

later

were

slightly increased.

Where

garlic oil was also given with the meal, cholesterol levels were down 10—15%, lower than if they hadn’t had any fat. Garlic can take some of the harm out of fatty diets. There is obvious sense in garlic butter, and even more so, in lacing steak with garlic as do the French, who have remarkably low levels of heart disease despite a high fat diet. is

—

Mind you, this should be put in perspective garlic we shall see, a substitute for taking proper care

not, as

of yourself

A

diet

of hamburgers and French

pretty disastrous for

or not

The

you

your hear

in the long

fries will

be

run whether

eat garlic too.

do

for

people with a blood cholesterol problem. Fortunately

this

real

question

question has

now

is,

of course, what

been extensively

neering research has

come

garlic will

investigated.

as before,

from

India.

The

A

pio-

report

published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

is

Garlic Proved: In the Circulation typical. Twenty healthy volunteers

terol level

adult

of 233 mg/dl

garlic,

with an average choles-

(slightly raised, a level typical for

male Americans) were given

head of

69

each day for

six

garlic oil equivalent to a

months. The cholesterol

went down to 200. A comparison group given pretend garlic pills showed no change. When the subjects stopped

levels

taking garlic, the cholesterol levels returned. Sixty-two patients

who

had had

and

a heart attack or heart disease,

very high levels of cholesterol, were also given case the cholesterol levels

first

increased

compared

taking the pretend garlic (placebo), perhaps, suggest, because fat

Anyway,

after

is

who

garlic.

to those

the authors

as

being removed fi*om the

some months

there

had

In this

was an 18%

arteries.

decrease.

A similar double bfind trial has been carried out at the John Bastyr Naturopathic College in Seattle on twenty healthy young people with normal blood cholesterol levels (195 mg/dl). After taking garlic oil for four weeks their blood cholesterol went down to 180 mg/dl. During a similar period in which they took a similar-smeUing placebo pill, there was no change in cholesterol. The major contribution to this work in recent years has come from Germany, where garlic is a licensed medicine for atherosclerosis. Professor Ernst of Munich University started the ball rolling

by proving

that if patients

high blood cholesterol (260 mg/dl) were put on their cholesterol

was added

fell

around 10%. However

to this diet, the level

fell

if

with

a diet,

dried garlic

an additional 10%.

Garlic seems to go very well with dieting to reduce cardiac risk factors.

Many German a string

a

scientists

jumped on

the

bandwagon and

of cHnical studies was published, aU agreeing that

10-20% reduction

in cholesterol could

be expected by

70

Garlic

using

garlic.

This culminated in a major study, recently

published in the international journal Drug Research.

It

was organized by the German Association of General Practitioners. No less than 261 people who had cholesterol levels over 200 mg/dl, from thirty clinics around Germany, took part. Some were given 800 mg of dried garlic tablets

(Kwai brand), equivalent to

fresh garlic,

each day for sixteen weeks. Others were

given a placebo. There was a clear

a small clove

10%

reduction in

cholesterol in the garlic group along with a

tion in

fats,

Some

compared

of

17% reduc-

to the others.

two-thirds of adults in the United States have a

somewhat raised blood cholesterol, around 200-250 mg/ dl. They are normal healthy people and doctors are reluctant to give them drugs, thereby turning the majority of the U.S. population into

remedy

The

We

like garlic

Effect

is

patients.

A

safe,

sorely needed.

on Blood Clotting

have already said that

garlic has a beneficial effect

the blood’s tendency to form clots. Let us this again.

is

now

look

on at

Small structures called platelets circulate con-

tinuously in the blood. that

mild, natural

They have

to say that if they

meet any

a certain “stickiness,” sort

obstruction in the vessels, they adhere to

of sharp edge or it

and begin the

complex process of forming a clot. If this tendency increases beyond the normal, webs of a protein called fibrin build up on the walls of the arteries. Tiny clots may also form and circulate dangerously in the blood stream; they cause strokes if they lodge in the vessels of the brain, or

coronary thrombosis in those leading to the heart.

When

Garlic Proved: In the Circulation

was

it

first

proposed that

garlic

could increase the blood’s

fibrinolytic or clot-dissolving power, a

were done

over the world to

all

by Dr. Bordia had heart large dose

Most of

of

number of studies

assess the findings.

Udaipur, on twenty patients

at

showed

attacks,

garlic

a

and an

72% 80%

on blood

the studies

increase with

who one

increase over a

In

all

cases the

blood was

as it

had

single

month.

is

exam-

an easy additional

less sticky

and

less fikely

dropped by 16% in those taking

garlic.

the twenty to thirty studies carried out

on

A

test.

to clot.

For example in the John Bastyr College study, blood ness

One

cholesterol both in the

laboratory with animals, and with people, have also

ined the clotting of the blood

71

sticki-

summary of

garlic

and blood

shows that if you take garlic over a period of you can expect around a 50% increase in the fibrin-

stickiness

time,

olytic, clot-destroying activity

The

of the blood.

advantage, from a research point of view, of

testing garlic’s effect

on blood

clotting

is

that there

an immediate and very noticeable effect directly

is

after

By

comparison, the effect of garlic on up slowly over weeks. Studies show that three to four hours after eating fried or raw garlic, the clot-removing activity of the blood increases. Then garlic

is

eaten.

cholesterol builds

it

gradually

falls

back to

This indicates that

we

its

original level after a day.

should take garlic three to four

times a day to maintain dose levels in the body.

A

study carried out

at

Saarland University in Saar,

West Germany, and published

recently in the British

was done

unique research lab set up to explore the way the blood flows. It was found that after a subject took garlic powder the blood was more fluid (less viscous). The clot-removing action

Journal of Clinical

Practice,

in a

72

Garlic

increased by around 50%.

The more

garlic taken, the

greater the effect.

body to break up clots, garhc also from sticking together and starting the

Besides helping the stops the platelets clotting

mechanism. This can be confirmed

a little

blood

how

long the

after garlic has

easily by taking been eaten, and checking

platelets take to

clump. For example in

1981, Dr. David BouUin, working

at

macology Research Unit

UK,

of people directly

after

at

Oxford,

they had eaten

the Clinical Phartested the

garlic.

He

blood

gave

his

volunteers four cloves each and found that, an hour afterwards, their blood had lost this gradually

its

abifity to stick together;

returned over two and a half hours

as

the

garhc substances were lost or excreted. Dr. BouUin pub-

He has done furwhich has not yet been published but which he kindly discussed with us. Concerned that his original

lished these discoveries in The Lancet.

ther research

dose did not realisticaUy reflect people’s eating habits, he repeated his experiments using normal dietary amounts,

no more than

a third

of a clove over two daily meals. In

test this smaU amount his subects ate no month and he then gave them the smaU

order to

garlic

for a

garUc

doses.

He

found

that their

after the garlic. In

blood was

much

less sticky

other words only one third a clove a

day, the amount anyone can cope with in a normal diet, wiU prevent thromboses in the blood vessels. The effect is as potent as that of aspirin, which is usuaUy given by doctors in smaU amounts for this purpose.

How

Garlic Stops the Clots

Since the blood stickiness to probably the

test

is

so easy to do,

it

has led

most interesting and sophisticated

series

Garlic Proved: In the Circulation

of research projects which

exists

on

garlic. Drs.

73

Makheja,

Vanderhoek, and Bailey, of George Washington Univer-

Washington DC, took the anti-coagulant properties of garlic and onion seriously. They split garhc oil into various chemical groups, testing each one on blood stickiness. One of these was so effective that, while the normal sity,

blood stuck together completely in

blood

treated

first

permanently liquid Garlic’s sulphur

dins.

These

little

clump. Garlic

are again responsible.

catalysts

It

seems

in platelets, as every-

way

platelets

reduces the stimulus to clot in the walls of

the blood vessels themselves.

ting)

found

the body, and they control the also

a

with the enzymes which make prostaglan-

local messengers are

else in

and then returned to

state.

components

that they interfere

where

stuck a

five minutes, the garlic-

does so by restricting the

It

which make thromboxane (which promotes

clot-

and encouraging the opposite, prostacycHn, which de-

lays clotting.

Aspirin works in a

somewhat

Y ou may feel that it would be

similar

way.

unwise to thin the blood

and delay the clotting process. In

fact,

in the

modem

world most people’s blood clots too easily. It goes with cholesterol and fats; if these are excessive, clotting is faster. Garlic brings

it

back to normal. Large quantities of

garlic

can be consumed without any danger of excessive bleeding. Nevertheless

it

would be wise

tor about taking garlic along

and not

to

check with

a

doc-

with anti- coagulant dmgs,

to take garlic just before surgery.

High Blood Pressure Cholesterol levels are a rather recent story. Previously,

people used to worry most about their blood pressure

as

74

Garlic

of

how

was doing. Garlic used to be taken against high blood pressure, and until very recently, this was the main East and Central European use of it. There are many pre-war East European scientific reports showing that garlic can reduce the blood pressure a sign

of animals,

their heart

well

as

as patients

was thought

with high blood pressure or

worked by cleaning up the intestine, thereby removing poisons that raised blood pressure. A typical study was carried out in 1966 by garfic’s hypertension.

It

at

the time that garHc

pioneer researcher. Professor Petkov.

114 hypertensive patients he found in systolic pressure

Such

pressure.

ous to

a

change could

a

On

safe.

and

10—20

On

giving garlic to

20-30

mm/Hg drop

mm/Hg drop

tip

the other hand

a

in diastolic

the scale from danger-

many of the

early studies

were somewhat unreliable. We now know that many things can affect blood pressure even attention from doctors or nurses can bring it down so it must be studied carefully. Recent research has tended to pardy confirm these early

on blood

pressure

—

reports. Garlic

does lower raised blood pressure, but

mild drop, and the blood pressure

Foushee and colleagues

Durham, found given to pressure

rats

that

at

it is

a

again afterward. Dr.

North Carolina Central

when

high doses of

University,

garlic juice

were

with chronic high blood pressure, the blood

dropped to normal,

Several

raises

—

modem

cHnical

at least for

trials

twenty-four hours.

using placebos and double-

blind methods have been completed in Europe between

1988 and 1990. Small doses of dried used, and

it

was found

pressure experienced a

A German

garlic

that those subjects

powder were

with high blood

drop of 5—10% over

several weeks.

study compared twenty hypertension pa-

Garlic Proved: In the Circulation

75

with the same number given re-

dents given garlic

pills

serpine, a standard

blood pressure lowering drug. Neither

the patients nor their doctors

knew which was which.

dropped the blood pressure from 176 over 99 to

Garlic

164 over 85, a modest drop of around 7%. Reserpine was slightly more effective.

The drop

known

in

more

likely

to

due to

any

outside of the

vessels.

The

body expand

fine

blood

vessels

slightly after garlic

ingenious experiments have proved

suring, with delicate instruments, the easiest

to see: those at the

Garlic

is

on

the

back of the

is

on the taken.

by meablood vessels

this

eyes.

not a specific medicine for high blood pres-

There

sure.

effect

garlic’s

For prostaglandins control the tightening and

loosening of blood

Some

is

on prostaglandins than

effects

intestines.

blood pressure

are

other herbs that are

more

effective.

its effects on blood pressure are most useful complement to those on fat and cholesterol. Indeed the only remedy known to help both raised fats and

Nevertheless as a it is

raised

blood pressure. Garlic

is

ideal for Hfelong

tion and protection of the heart and circulation. a total

medicine for those

Instead of taking a to

pill

all at

once,

safely,

cardiovascular diet

The

Effect

has been

less

also

to deal with cholesterol, another

with

with

It is

have mild atherosclerosis.

lower blood pressure, another

against clotting, each

It

who

preven-

its

garlic.

of

a

as a diuretic,

side effects,

And

it

it

and

aspirin

can be done

may even make

that

punishment.

on Blood Sugar

known

for a long time that garlic lowers the

sugar level in the blood. Central and Eastern European

Garlic

76

folk medicine used

it

regularly for this purpose.

the herbalists of history levels.

results

Of course

knew nothing of blood

sugar

But they would have noticed the debility that from mild diabetes and would have used garlic as

a “tonic.”

Several studies confirm that garlic does reduce blood

sugar levels,

at least in animals.

The

effect

in this case garlic’s cousin, the onion, scores

For example

and Johnson

a study at

is

mild, and

more

points.

was done on animals by Drs. Chang

the United States Department of Agri-

culture Laboratories in Beltsville, Maryland, to deter-

mine whether the

liver

changes the

way

it

handles

fats

and sugars when garlic is eaten. Using radioactive “laon fats and sugar in the body, they found that fat manufacture in the liver went down by half. Blood sugar also went down, as the liver took sugar out of the blood to store it. The reason was that more of the hormone insulin was released into the bloodstream. How bels”

garlic

encourages the pancreas to release insulin

is,

at

This has not been proved in studies with people one should be cautious about recommending garlic

so

present,

this case.

unknown.

However

along with

a diet,

it

would be

fair to

in

say that garlic,

could be helpful to those with high

blood sugar, and there

is

no harm

in trying

it

along

with other treatments.

What Works on It

is

most

the Circulation?

the fresh, allicin-containing garlic anti-infective properties.

which has the

For thinning the blood.

Garlic Proved: In the Circulation

however, the fresh and the older or heated

work

equally well. This

is

or used garHc

reducing

fats.

oil

The same

oil extracts

also true for the anti-choles-

terol properties, for researchers fried garlic

11

and boiled

their cut

just as

good at on blood

and found

it

holds true for the effect

pressure.

So any kind of garHc

will protect the circulation, pro-

Morewhich ones are the most potent, garlic is broken down into its components and the active ones are vided

contains those odorful sulphur ingredients.

it

over, to check

individually tested to determine their blood-thinning prop-

Within one hour after these garlic compounds are is possible to check the stickiness of the blood. This has been done by several researchers, including the teams at George Washington University and New erties.

taken

it

York State University, as well as others in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Delaware and the College of Medicine of the University of Utah. The results

are interesting.

Block to be ished

many

a

Ajoene was discovered by Eric

powerful anticlotting compound.

scientists

article in Scientific

when

American.

it

Though

fresh garhc or garlic products, a possible

new

was described

it is

it

is

It

aston-

in a

major

not present in

being investigated

anti-coagulant drug. In fresh garhc

it

as is

which has blood-thinning properties, while in the oil there are several compounds with as powerful effects as allicin. One, discovered in Japan, is methyl ally trisulphide (MATS) which makes up about 5% of garhc oil. Another compound which the George Washington University team felt to be the main one in the oil is aUicin

called dimethyl trisulphide, or

DITS

as

we might

christen

Garlic

78

They

it.

found

also

in fresh garlic

tities

against

blood

potent.

The

that adenosine, present in small is

clotting. effect

sum of

thus be the

extraordinarily rich,

quan-

highly active

is

Each of the above compounds

of whole all its

garlic or

active

is

products will

its

components.

In Conclusion

Department of Agwork when they found

Garlic researchers at a United States riculture laboratory

that

their

blood smelled of garlic. Said one,

that rats’

seem

ended

me

“It just doesn’t

anyone would be interested in smelling much of garlic, no matter what it could do for to

that

them.” Alas for White Anglo-Saxon Protestants! taste

may be

Why

is

it

Our

dis-

giving us dis-ease! that heart disease

is

highest in garlic hating

countries and lowest in garlic eating ones? For example, it is

a

have

well-documented less

fact that the

Mediterranean peoples

Europe There was recently a

heart trouble than those of Northern

despite eating a great deal of meat.

discussion of this question in

The Lancet.

One

doctor

was because, statistically, they ate more garlic; another wrote to say that they drank more wine; yet another that they ate less fat but that there were so many factors it was impossible to be certain about any of wrote saying

it

them. However, one can carry logic-chopping too the overall picture

is

clear.

Don’t

eat

far;

without allium;

don’t cook without a clove.

Nowadays, we to

are given a great deal

of advice on

keep our hearts and circulation healthy.

exercise to keep

meat,

salt,

fit.

caffeine,

We

We

how

should

are told to eat less saturated

fats,

and sugar and to avoid worry and

Garlic Proved: In the Circulation

79

magnesium, vitamin E, B vitamins, GLA, fish oil, and a host of useful herbs. All these help, yet sometimes one is confronted with so many suggestions that it is difficult to know where to start and difstress.

Then

there

is

put them

ficult to

offer because

it

all

into practice. Garlic has

works on

many of

so

nected with the heart and circulation.

be it

clear,

improve the functioning of the

can help in

fat levels,

moving cess

salt

It

many

much

to

the factors con-

does not, heart.

let

us

However,

other ways, lowering cholesterol and

reducing clotting, lowering blood pressure, re-

toxins,

and encouraging the elimination of ex-

and water. Garlic

is

the perfectly balanced

preventive remedy for the circulation. There could be no better

first

step than taking

it.

8

Garlic Purifier

Infa e'

thoum was a Cairo

we

street-sellers’

—

cry

garlic

is

useful.

what we consider to be garlic’s remaining uses and whether they can be confirmed by science. Many, though not all, of these have to do with its ability to combat poisons. In this chapter,

Bites

will discuss

and Stings

In the past, one of garlic’s

most popular

virtues

was

as

an

antidote to poisonous bites and stings. Almost every herbalist

mentions “venomous beasts” of some kind: snakes,

mad and othof men. Nowadays, we have

scorpions, spiders, shrew-mice, toads, dogs, erwise, and even the bites

more powerful and

specific anti-toxins for

dangerous snake

But there are toxic bites, for example from scorpions, which are painful and for which antidotes are not used. Country people, such as the Druze villagers, often put garlic on these bites. Stephen Fulder and his family also use it when they are unlucky enough bites

and for

rabies.

80

Garlic Purifier

to get a scorpion bite,

essence;

you must

and

it is

effective.

Speed

cut a clove and rub

may

before the poison begins to spread. Garlic the toxins

from by

by means of

insects

such

as fleas

Nor

to inflammation.

will

and mosquitoes

it

is

on

their hair

parts

and

it

are not helped

help with bee or wasp stings.

women

put

keeps off head

different sorts

this.

it

Farmers in

Vampires and vampire

it.

(Incidentally,

their saliva

scientific

bats

may be

garlic repels both. In

Central and South America, where the bats that they will not attack horses

many

helps keep their

modern Russian

of phenomena, but

kinds of

all

in the oil they rub

it

lice.

of the world have found that

animals free of ticks and a

study confirmed

neutralize

almost entirely due

Garlic has the reputation of discouraging biting creatures. Indian

of the

the bite

sulphur components. Bites

its

the pain they cause

garlic, since

is

on

it

81

live,

it is

said

which have been fed on

vampire bats secrete an anti-coagulant in

which keeps the blood of

their victims flow-

ing smoothly. Science does not reveal the anti-coagulant

employed by Count Dracula.)

Worms and Parasites was frequently used in the worms. One can well understand Garlic

past to expel intestinal

how

any

worm

comfortably in the gut would be repelled by

phurous fumes. The thread worms or pinworms inside the anus are especially sensitive to

it.

living

garlic’s sul-

that live

If garlic

is

taken by children with pinworms, large numbers are passed out, inert. Scientific evidence for this

searchers have

shown

is

scanty;

few

re-

interest in exploring this less dra-

matic territory. However, in poorer countries the problem

82 Garlic

of internal

parasites

eight billion

is

truly

roundworms

around the world.

enormous. As you read

this

sheltering in intestines

are

Garlic’s ancient reputation should

be

urgently tested.

Metal Poisoning Let us sort.

now

consider poisons of a

more

typically

modem

Minerals in the body are usually held in place by

sulphur compounds. Since these can capture atoms of it is to be expected that garlic’s sulphur can catch and remove unwanted toxic metals.

metals

Professor Kitahara of

Tokyo

garlic juice will trap a tenth

has indeed

of its

own

shown

that

weight of lead or

mercury, which are highly toxic. Professor Petkov showed that garlic can reduce the signs

in industrial workers; over a

of chronic lead poisoning

hundred took the Bulgarian

garhc preparation Satal and blood indications of heavy

metal contamination were considerably reduced. In Japan, a growing awareness of industrial pollution led to

some unique studies on how a garlic preparation can help remove toxins. When mercury was fed to rats, those given the preparation eliminated it two to three times faster.

In the test tube, the garlic extract directly pro-

tected blood cells metals,

and there

is

from the destmctive effects of heavy evidence that it works by helping the

liver neutralize poisons. It is

an exciting possibility that what

neutralize in

we

some of the many contaminants and

our bodies.

also include

A campaign for a clean

can help

eat

pollutants

environment should

our inner environment and, so

far,

medical

science has not seriously investigated this subject.

Garlic Purifier

83

Poisons from Bacteria and Fungi

We said in

chapter six that,

when

dealing with infections,

poisons given off by bacteria

garlic also neutralizes the

how

and fungi. Dr. Marcovici, for example, described

it

counteracted the toxins from the dysentery-causing organism, shigella. If this

pharmacology has

is

true,

failed to

it is

modem

striking, for

come up with dmgs

to block

by

these often unpleasant by-products. Diseases caused

eating food contaminated

mon,

especially in

example,

is

curring in

by fungi

com-

are extremely

Third World countries. Aflatoxin, for

an extremely potent poison, sometimes oc-

moldy

peanuts.

Monsignor David Greenstock,

writing in Ceres, a Spanish language agricultural journal, has

made

material

a strong case that garlic

which

is

is

perhaps the only

capable of counteracting such poisons.

Hangovers While on the

subject of poisons,

the friendliest and most often

we

should not forget

welcomed.

“Garlic,

enness,” says a nineteenth-century paper Garlic

there

is is

on the

subject.

widely used on the Continent “the day a special garHc

a Vivroigne. In fact, the

and onion soup

known

hangover problem

is

in

dmnk-

strongly exciting the digestion, quickly dissipates

after;”

as

soupe

largely

due

not to alcohol but to other more toxic substances, such as

aldehydes, also produced in the fermentation process.

Garhc, by is

its

likely to

heating, diuretic,

and anti-toxic properties

be of help but to our knowledge

never been seriously studied. informal) experiment.

It is

this has

worthy of formal (and

84 Garlic

Oxidation If fruit goes

brown

or

ering oxygen from the

fat

turns rancid,

air.

Vitamin

C

it is

simply gath-

halts this process,

do Vitamin E, selenium, and linked sulphur amino acids, hke glutathione. The latter two are found in garlic, which is known to be an efficient anti-oxidant. Nowaas

days food preservatives are either anti-bacterial or antioxidant, but garlic meets both requirements.

It is,

in fact,

quite often used as a preservative and has been since earliest times, especially

several scientific papers

by nomadic herdsmen. There are on the subject, including one on

the preservation of camel meat!

Cancer difficult to distinguish

It is

treatments for cancer in the

old herbals, but Pliny, the Anglo Saxon Leech Book, and the medieval herbalist, Macer, speak of applying garHc in fat

or lard to tumors or swellings.

who

We

have met people

believe that taking large quantities of garlic can treat

cancer, a practice

which comes from German

folk

medi-

There has been some very interesting scientific work on this. Significant studies began with Dr. Weisberger, of Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio. He was cine.

by the antibacterial properties of garlic. He knew they were the result of its interference with the thiol groups which bacteria need for their growth, and particularly for cell division. Perhaps the growth of canfascinated

cer cells which, like bacteria, divide

normal

and

cells

more quickly than

could be similarly halted? In 1953, Weisberger

his colleague,

Pensky, mixed cancer

cells

with small

Garlic Purifier

of

quantities

allicin

These mice were without

allicin

and then injected them into mice. alive six

still

months

later

while those

died within sixteen days.

This led to further studies.

demonstrated that

garlic

A

researcher in

cancers, such as leukemia,

tumors in mice, but other

were unaffected. In Japan, the

Kamura and Yamamoto,

Hokkaido (where the

Germany

can cause the regression of cer-

tain tumors, particularly breast

researchers

85

at

the University of

best Japanese garlic grows), con-

firmed that garlic extracts prevented the divison of cancer cells

growing

Weisberger;

it

in the

human body. They

agreed with

seemed

as if

the thiol groups

were respon-

sible.

no way conclusive enough Much more research is needed and, fortunately, it seems that more is on the way. In 1982, Dr W. E. Criss and his team at Howard University, Washington DC, showed that injected garlic extract slowed the growth of liver cancers in animals by 50%. There was evidence that it was blocking the action of an essential growth enzyme. In 1983, Sidney Belman, of the New York University Medical Center, published a paper showing that garlic protected the body from cells that were on their way to becoming cancerous All this

is

interesting, but in

to support claims that garlic can cure cancer.

and concluded that having

garlic in one’s diet

could be

a useful preventitive.

This has been confirmed by Dr. Michael Wargovitch

at

who pubmedia attention worldwide.

the University of Texas System Cancer Center, lished a report that attracted

He

demonstrated that

in garlic

oil,

garlic, especially

the sulphide groups

helps the liver to destroy cancer-causing

chemicals, and thus prevents cancer. Put another way, if

86 Garlic

your food it

with

is

full

of additives and

pesticides, at least lace

garlic too!

Evidence of

a general

nature in support of this comes

from China. Dr. Mei Xing of Shandong Medical College found that Gangshan county in that province had a very low death rate from stomach cancer; the county next door, Qixia, had a rate

Their

diets

were

more than apart

similar,

ten times higher.

from the

people of Gangshan regularly ate up to 20 say nearly a

whole head of garHc,

a

fact

that the

g, that

to

is

day, while their

neighbors hardly ate any.

Some

germanium, which

reports have suggested that

is

present in garlic in comparatively large amounts, can pre-

vent and cure cancer. This it

is

an interesting possibility but

has not yet been proved and Weisberger’s ideas

garlic’s effects

scientists

seem more

plausible.

continue to take

its

We

must hope

on that

potential as a cancer pre-

ventive seriously.

Garlic’s Side Effects Garlic

removes poisons; can

it

be

a poisoner? Hippocrates

wrote, “garlic causes flatulence, a feeling of warmth in the chest, and a heavy sensation in the head;

anxiety and increases any pain which

“In the group to which raw garlic

(5

may be

it

excites

present.”

g/kg body weight)

died of the serious stomach

was administered, injury in twenty-one days,” wrote more modem investigators from Japan. These sources both refer to the side effects of garlic. We would expect it to have some; any five rats

medicinal agent which has one desired effect on the body

Garlic Purifier

will also

how

have other “side”

effects.

But what

87

and

are these

undesirable are they?

There

is

no doubt

that fresh garlic irritates; eating

mouth and perhaps

causes a burning sensation in the

stomach

as well.

taken with

To moderate

at least

some

water.

this, it

The

creates

fresh garlic

is

placed in the occur. In fact,

sons by

should always be

effect

it is caused by no such discomfort. However,

and passes away;

if

temporary

is

and

allicin,

prolonged, for example

it

the

garlic

oil

the contact with

if

it

is

repeatedly

gums or on wounds, then blistering can it was used in this way to draw out poi-

means of an

artificial

description as a rubefacient.

only becomes serious

at

inflammation

The

effect

on

—hence

its

the stomach

impossibly high doses.

The

rats

which died were given five grams of fresh juice per kilogram body weight, the equivalent of 350 grams for a seventy kilogram man; this is like eating at least one kilogram of garlic or 300 perfectly mashed cloves at one sitting! Even then, many of the rats completely recovered from this massive dose. In some studies, the equivalent of twenty cloves was given to people daily for three months without any signs of ill efiects, besides the passing burning sensations. There have been studies in which people were given 200 mg of oil, the equivalent of seventy cloves per day, with no signs of side efiects. Garlic emerges with a clean bill of health from the standard laboratory safety tests, including those on the causing of cancer. A concerted efibrt has been made by Japanese interests to demonstrate that

which showed

rats

normal killed

garlic

is

toxic.

by huge doses

proof of the particular harmfulness of

is

allicin,

The paper quoted

and

is

as

part

88 Garlic

of an attempt to market deodorized

which do not contain marketing strategy

is

We

than a friend.

garlic preparations

or diallyl disulphide.

allicin

to depict allicin as an

would beg

enemy

to differ.

For certain people, however, undesirable

we

can occur and

who

and

from

suffer

is

be

may

people

allergic to

rashes, flushes, asthma, or

aches. If they handle garlic they rashes. It

side effects

Some

should be aware of them.

are particularly sensitive to foods can

garlic

The

rather

head-

break out in skin

probably the sulphur compounds which are

shown

responsible, since studies have

that the allergy-

causing materials are soluble in water and destroyed by

heating or cooking. Allergic reactions are, thankfully, rare

but they should be watched for by sensitive individuals.

Onions and

garlic

cause

more

skin reactions than any

other vegetables.

There to garlic,

who, while not being allergic difficult to take. They may experi-

are other people

find

still

it

ence nausea, stomach upsets, aches. that

These

it is

pungent

thirst

are often transient

having stuff;

a

if

remedial

and dryness, or head-

and may even indicate

effect. Garlic

you have such dill,

nevertheless,

reactions

reduce your consumption or mix the carminatives, like fennel,

is,

garlic

or caraway.

you should with other

9

Garlic Pesticide

The

plant

world breeds many natural defenders of

own kingdom. There cinerariaefolium

is

its

pyrethrum from Chrysanthemum

and there

is

the Indian

neem

tree,

which

has recently provided several pesticides. Garlic, likewise, has the killing of pests it

among

near other plants keeps

gardeners

all

roses, others

over the world put cloves

line the borders

diers

at

its

many

them

powers. Growing

free

Some

say.

of aphids, or so put

it

of their vegetable beds with

and believe

near their

the corners of their orchards or

be

that pests will

less

garlic sol-

willing to pass.

The most

vocal promoter of the use of garlic as pestiMonsignor David Greenstock, whom we have already mentioned. He first tried to control attacks by the onion fly, which does so much damage in his part of cide

is

Spain.

He

tried planting garlic

onion beds but alternate lines

this

of

around the outside of his Then he tried growing

did not work.

garlic

and onions and found that the He found dead

onions were almost completely protected. larvae

around the onion bulbs and reasoned 89

that garlic

90 Garlic

which killed them. work by trying to find a

gave off a secretion through

Greenstock continued

its

his

roots

which would be an effective pesticide. many researchers, he worked by trial and error.

garlic solution

Like so

he tried boiling

First

work. Then he oil

and

this

garlic in water,

tried a

5%

but

this

did not

emulsion made from

gave excellent

results.

garlic

In the laboratory,

almost every one of the insects and their larvae died. In the field,

it

the insects

used garlic

was harder to estimate success because, when got a whiff of the garlic, they bolted. He with success on wireworm, cockchafer lar-

mole crickets, grey field slugs, cabbage-white and ermine-moth caterpillars, and pea weavils. In the end, he found it ineffective against Colorado beetles but this also meant that, unlike other pesticides, it did not harm

vae,

similarly-sized friendly creatures, such as ladybirds. His

home

recipe for an insecticide has appeared in several

books and journals and has the authors of this blackfly

and used

it

book

killed

has used

minced cloves of

it

One

of

successfully against

wash

in his

is:

garlic in

2 teaspoonsful

mineral oil (e.g. paraffin) for

24 hours. Dis-

thirty

(10 ml) of

it

pests.

regularly as a preventive

organic vegetable garden. Here

Soak

many

solve 7 g (V4 oz) of an oil-based soap in 600 ml (1 pt) of water and add it to the garlic, stirring thoroughly. Strain

Use 1

it

and as a

part in

store the liquid in a glass or ceramic container.

spray

on your

20 and

1

plants at a dilution of

part in

dilutions seriously because if

your

between

100 of water. (Take the it is

too strong,

it

can

bum

plants.)

Other

cultivators are less exact in the

their insecticide.

They

take

way

cmshed whole

they

make

bulbs, skins or

Garlic Pesticide

remains of plants, put them in leave

to stew.

it all

The

are the oil sulphides

a

91

tub with water, and

components of garlic for some time. After a

insecticidal

which

last

few weeks or months they will decay but, as long as the mixture is primed with fresh material, there is no reason

why

should not work.

it

Garlic’s ability to kill insects entific

1969

study by S.V.

at

was backed up by

Amonkar and

E.L. Reeves,

the University of Cahfornia.

kind of algae, which

that a certain

is

They had

solutions, a simple dilution

another of garlic

oil.

They

of

in

noticed

toxic to mosquito

larvae in water, gave off a garlicky smell.

two

a sci-

made

They made up

a garlic extract

tested these at different

and con-

on various species of mosquito larvae, including one that was highly resistant to pesticides. With the first extract, all the larvae died at dilutions of between 100 and 200 p.p.m. (or one garlic clove in 15 liters (4 gal) of water) With the second, they died at between 30 centrations

.

and 50 p.p.m. Amonkar subsequently showed that oil of fresh garlic was even stronger; it killed all the larvae at

(264

gal).

ents

were

If garlic

1

teaspoonful (5 ml) of garlic juice in 1000

He

diallyl

can

and animals, garlic has

cide.

also

it

1

demonstrated that the active ingredi-

disulphide and diallyl trisulphide.

kill parasites

and fungi in human beings

ought to do the same for

been found to be

plants. In fact,

a very useful garden fungi-

Farmers used to spray

it

on grapes

in Spain to

control wilt or yellowing of the leaves.

Another useful procedure

is

to put a garlic clove into

the hole before planting a cabbage, cauliflower, or other

vegetable of the Cruciferae family: this keeps getting club root. This

was proved

to

be

them from effective in

92 Garlic

experiments root

is

a

at

most

Good

the

Gardener’s Association. Club

persistent fungus infection,

roots and rotting

them from

Scientific studies

have

also

malforming

the inside.

been made of

garlic

as

a

fungicide. Peter Ark, Professor of Plant Pathology at the

showed

University of California in Berkeley,

1%

ing with a

that spray-

solution of garlic-water extract and dusting

powder stopped downy mildew of cucumber and radish, bean rust, anthracnose, brown rot of fruit, and blight of tomatoes and beans. Another good

with dried

garlic

emerges from

tip

winter, dip

A

study

University

them

this:

before storing your apples for the

in a garlic solution.

at

the Department of Plant Sciences of Indiana

at

Bloomington, Indiana, compared the amount

soils in which garlic is grown to which had been garlic-free for several years. Indeed, the garlic soils had much less bacteria than the other soils although there was not much difference in the amount of fungi. The kinds of bacteria and fungi in the soil were

of bacteria and fungi in

soils

also

changed.

Garlic’s great advantage

to

its

users

is

that

it is

completely harmless

and to birds and animals.

It is

weaker than

when applied in nature, so it needs to be given However today there are few safe pesticides and fungicides. There must be many people saying to

pesticides

more

often.

themselves, “I don’t like putting poisons find

we

me

something

safer

say, “try garlic.”

and

I’ll

use

it.”

on

To

my

plants;

such people

10

Garlic Products

Fresh Garlic Freshly crushed garlic has

down

fresh garlic has a

is

there

is

powerful smell, and the

How

we

can

chewed, most of the odor

mouth. The a

rest

little

is

none of it

is

reduce

from

from the stomach, and

odor from the lungs and

ing” the garlic with parsley, aniseed and fennel.

cress,

More of

is

When

leftovers in the

some time The mouth

after

skin.

garlic

water, soup, or milk, and other odors reduced

You

will

allicin

this?

odor can be prevented by swallowing crushed

as

It

the slippery slope of chemical changes.

pungent and burning. garlic

undoubtedly the strongest form.

the allicin in the original clove, and

all

have started

Yet

is

with

by “chas-

or aromatic seeds such

this in

the next chapter.

can try some creative ways to take

garlic.

One

day

a visitor to Stephen Fulder’s farmhouse saw what to her was an amazing sight. There in the kitchen sat his sixyear-old daughter who with great concentration and a

serious expression

was inserting 93

slivers

of peeled cloves

94 Garlic

“What on

into grapes.

“I’m preparing

visitor.

earth are

my

you doing?”

said the

medicine,” she answered, and

forthwith popped one after another into her mouth.

work as a medicine, you consume a sufficient dose

Freshly crushed garlic in food will

make

but you must as

some of

sure that

the medicinal value

is

lost

with

Yet if

fresh garhc

is

a bit

they are not used to

much

it

for

method.

this

Also, don’t forget that heating will destroy the

most people,

allicin.

especially

in their diet. Fortunately there

wide range of products

which reduce or garlic. As one might expect, they are extremely popular in countries where garlic is not often used in cooking. Today are a

available

ehminate the odor and the pungency of fresh

garlic tablets are

German

among

the best-selling of

pharmacies. In Europe

as a

all

remedies in

whole they

are the

top selling over-the-counter remedy for circulatory prob-

Three-hundred million capsules

lems.

the United garlic

But

a year are sold in

Kingdom. Around $100 million worth of

products are sold in the United States every year. this

very popularity has brought

a great deal

confusion to consumers. Every manufacturer

product

is

the best, often deluging shopkeepers and

bers of the public with

You would need

a

of

claims his

mem-

conflicting quasi-scientific data.

Ph.D. to work through

this material,

and even then you wouldn’t know who to beHeve. So let us look at the different ways garlic is made into products

and the strengths and weaknesses of each type.

Garlic Oil Capsules

These were the

first

of

all

garlic

products. Originally

called garlic pearls, they were devised in Europe in the

Garlic Products

1920s and are

popular there, and especially in the

stiU

United Kingdom. Garlic

Steam

is

oil

essential oil

of garlic

and

is

usually

made by

is

condensed.

made when

only the oily sulphides

tains

is

bubbled through a mash of crushed

which the

allicin

roughly equivalent to crushed fried

The oil However

is

95

the strongest smeUing of

after distillation

and put into one-piece

it

is

distillation.

garlic,

The

oil

breaks

from con-

down,

garlic.

garlic products.

all

diluted with vegetable oil

capsules.

When

swallowed whole,

they pass straight into the stomach, before dissolving, thus

avoiding almost

all

the taste and smell.

until

it

which

delays the release

is

some-

of

its

contents

has passed through the stomach, into the intestine.

Garlic oil capsules are garlic

smell

by coating the capsule with an

times further controlled “enteric” coating

The

against infections,

much less efrective as we have already

than fresh discussed.

However they are fully active in protecting the circulation. They are also an inexpensive form of taking garlic. The problem with oil capsules is that they very often contain very small amounts. Let us consider the quantities

involved.

Garlic

oil

is

extremely concentrated.

Semmler and other chemists found that, when they disthey produced between 1 and 2 g of oil for every kilo of garlic. This means that the oil is 0.1—0.2%

tilled garlic,

of the 0.

total content.

1-0.3% given

This

is

very similar to the figure of

in the definitive pharmaceutical

book, Martindale^s Extra Pharmacopoeia. that a small clove oil.

weighs 3

g,

it

will

Now

if

hand-

we

have 3 to 6

say

mg of mg

Garlic oil capsules generally contain around 0.7

of oil, which means that you would need to take 5 to 10 of them to obtain the equivalent of one small clove.

garlic

96 Garlic

The weakness of the commercial

oil capsules has

confirmed on more than one occasion where studies

which used them

been

clinical

confirm cholesterol

failed to

lowering and other

effects. Laboratory-made garlic oil worked, commercial capsules did not. As one clinical researcher, Dr. R.R. Sampson of the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, wrote, “our findings indicate that the garlic

content in proprietary health food capsules

So

to alter platelet aggregation.”

you

if

is

insufficient

take garlic oil

many.

capsules, take

Dried Garlic Products These

newer and more modern way of preparing

are a

medicinal garlic products.

They have

the advantage that

dried garlic

more of the two main types of products. Since both of them aim to release

both

and sulphides in the

they contain whole garlic in a dry form, so

may be

constituents

allicin

present.

There

intestine, the dried garlic

products should be effective for garlic

powder

than the

oil.

have packets

is

also

much

are

all

garlic’s uses.

Dried

easier to analyse chemically

Companies making the powder products a reasonable level

of

allicin.

This

is

a great

plus for these dried garlic products. For if a herb has a

defined level of active substances, list

added to

it

of herbs, from ginseng to gingko that

standardised.

It is

growing have been a

an end to the old uncertainties about

the dosages and effectiveness of plant remedies, and ushers in the

The

age of hebal “phytopharmaceuticals.”

alert

reader will notice something contradictory in

the above paragraph.

It is this.

guaranteed in a product

How

if allicin

is

can

allicin levels

be

unstable and sponta-

Garlic Products

neously changes to

sulphide daughter substances. This

its

a good question and the answer powder products do not actually

indeed

is

garlic

They mostly which make of the

contain the precursors,

on

allicin

intestine.

So

is this:

contain

alliin

and

that the allicin.

allinase,

dissolving in water or in the juices

would be more

it

97

correct to say that

the products guarantee not allicin itself but “allicin yield.”

Since they contain mostly the precursors,

zyme, they are released only

when

the

inside the body. This

is

powder

and enodour being

alliin

also relatively odorless, the

dissovled in liquid

is

the third advantage of this kind

of product.

Such products 1.

are

made

in

basic ways.

Odor-Controlled Powder Capsules

One way

to

out losing

remove most of the odor from

its

activity

is

as follows.

the conversion of

to stop

crushed and dried. This tains the alliin

Allicin

is

digested.

Garlic

is

garlic first

with-

treated

Then it is powder which conclove but no allicin. Allinase

alliin

to allicin.

results in a

of the original

added to the powder and

is

two

made only when The active odorful

it is

put into hard capsules.

the capsule

is

dissolved or

ingredients are released only

The advantage of this is that the capsules contain 100% garlic powder without the need for any oils or diluents. The disadvantage is that no one knows how much allicin is actually made after digestion. after

the capsule

is

swallowed.

method

2 Partially Odoiful Tablets and Capsules .

There

ways to reduce odor and make a garlic releases allicin on digestion. These mostly

are other

powder

that

98 Garxic

way

which garlic is cut and sliced and the conditions under which it is dried. GarHcin is a product of this type. Kwai Garlic is another one; it involve manipulating the

is

made

in

in the following way. Garlic slices are dried

The powder is made into enteric coated. The powder

ground. also

the sulphides (where the garlic

is

and allinase (from inside the combine after swallowing to make

alliin

Aged Odorless Aged

extracted,

made

it

slices),

which, again,

allicin.

Garlic Extracts

odorless garlic extracts are

and aging

and

which are thus contains some of cut) plus uncombined small tablets

made by chopping

in alchohol over a long period.

and prepared

Aged

extracts,

nated in Japan, do not appear to have ingredients,

dicinally active

is

then

product, or dried and

as a liquid

into tablets or capsules.

It

garlic

such

as

which origimain me-

garlic’s

allicin

or diallyl

disulphide. Indeed, Japanese producers have stated that allicin

is

harmful and the aged product

not having any.

However

dous amount of

scientific

fifty

years

which

is

this

and

clinical

unequivocal:

is

advantageous in

contrary to a tremen-

is

work over

garlic’s

main

the

last

active in-

gredients are the odorful ones.

This

raises serious

doubts about the medicinal activity

of this type of preparation. “Totally odorless rations are ineffective” writes

one

garlic

gious pubhcation The Lancet of 15 January 1990.

such odorless preparations

may be

active in

anti-toxicity, for

established.

prepa-

scientist in the presti-

may have

Of course

nutritional value or

some peripheral uses of garlic, such as which the active compounds are not yet

99

Garlic Products

Garlic

There such

Food Products are also

many

as garlic paste,

kinds of garlic products sold

or

food,

as

powdered or granular dried

garlic.

In principle these products will contain the ingredients

you expect

However

to find in garlic.

as

they are often

dried with heat and are not fresh, they will not contain allicin,

effect

and the longer they have been stored the they will have,

They may have

as

less

the sulphides slowly disappear.

similar medicinal properties to the oil

be unreliable. Furthermore

capsules, but their effects will

they have the same smell medicinal benefit. So

it

is

fresh

as

garlic

without the

preferable to take fresh garlic

or capsules or tablets rather than garlic food products.

We are

can briefly summarize the nature of the various

made, and the

results. It

is

say that dry

fair to

products are preferable to garlic

garlic

usual dosage because of the small capsules.

It is

without comparative

how

powder

oil capsules at their

amount of

studies.

oil in

the

ifiuch garlic there

of powder garlic products However, you should comis

that

all

garlic

and look worth re-

in the products

for standardization: guaranteed potency.

membering

they

not possible to decide on the relative effec-

tiveness of the various kinds

pare

how

products in Figure 4, which compares

garlic

It

is

products are effective

if their

dissolved contents smell and taste strongly of garlic. If

you

are not sure,

open

a capsule or tablet

and

try

it.

extract,

Odorless.

containing

inside?

compounds.

is

What Tablet/capsule

Daughter

made?

they

odorous.

dissolving.

are

Partially

on

How allicin

tablet.

garlic

Releases

Products:

Dry

Garlic

4: diluted

Odorous

capsules

oil.

oil

vegetable

Figure

Garlic

in

11

Garlic Preparations

we

In this chapter, sions based table

on

some

first

be used

practical conclu-

both ancient and modern. The

on page 103 shows conditions

sider garlic can

the

will present

research,

as all

for

which we con-

or part of the treatment. In

column, under “general use,” are the health

problems which, according to helped by

garlic.

use,” indicates

all

the evidence, can be

The second column,

where

it

may be of

that

of “limited

help.

Dosages

What is mended

the right

amount of

no

were

common

a

to take?

dosages of garlic vary considerably.

herbals contained

left

garlic

matter of

Recom-

The

early

precise amounts, either because they

custom or because they were However, one of quantities involved. These

to the individual art of the herbalist.

can often infer the sort days,

doses,

one finds enormous variations in recommended from the gigantic to infinitesimal. Deciding on 101

Medicinal Uses for Garlic Preparations Part of

body

Chest and head

General Use

Limited Use

Bronchitis

Colds

Catarrh

Coughs

Laryngitis

Middle-ear

Sore throats

infections

TonsilHtis

Gum

Mouth

infections

Mouth Digestive system

Sinusitis

ulcers

Diarrhea

Gastroenteritis

Dysentery

Cohtis

Food poisoning

Constipation

Indigestion

Hemorrhoids

Candidiasis

Urogenital

Cystitis

Thrush Vaginitis

Skin

Absesses

Acne

Athlete’s foot

Pdngworm

Yeast-hke infections

Suppurating

wounds Ulcers

Circulation

metabolism

and

Atherosclerosis

High blood

High blood cholesterol High blood fat Tendency to vascular

High blood

pressure

sugar

thrombosis

Others

Poisoning from heavy metals and

some

other contaminants Bacterial

and fungal toxins

Bee

stings

Debihty

Hangovers Lice and ticks

General nutritional tonic

Round worms

Threadworms

Skin and hair

Bites(non-lethal)

tonic

Garlic Preparations

what

suitable

is

is

far

considers that the soil

methods and

from straightforward. When one in which the garlic is grown, the

especially the temperatures used in prepar-

ing extracts, their age and affect

potency, and

how

—

complexity involved

We

they are stored,

that different kinds

suitable for different purposes,

vestigated.

103

a

all

will

of extracts are

one can get an idea of the

complexity never thoroughly in-

will attempt to

be

as precise as

describing three levels of dosage. (Please note:

we

can by

all

metric

one

sitting

conversions in this chapter are approximate.)

Very High,

**

Treatment Doses

Saturation

These involve taking whole heads of garlic and

are usually used to

or deep-seated complaint.

ment first

A

traditional

Chinese

day (equivalent to

head of garUc)

treat-

on the 30 g (1 ten average cloves, or about one and working up to 90—120 g (3-

for tuberculosis involves taking

smallish

at

purge the body of some serious oz)

4 oz) during a period of “ purgation,” then reducing to

At the same time, the patient inhales garlic fumes several times a day and has its juice in oil rubbed on his back. Russian folk medicine uses saturation doses, one head of garlic to a cup of milk, for whooping cough, dysentery, seizures, and as an enema for threadworms. Marcovici used a bulb 30 g

a

(1

oz) a day again for 3 months.

day to

treat dysentery.

The American began with

study on reducing high blood pressure

dose of 35 g (about It oz) of fresh juice, corresponding to about four heads. Few of the subjects a

could stomach

two bulbs was most

this in

one go, so

settled on; this

scientists as a tolerable

is

a

dose corresponding to

the limit agreed

dose for one

on by

sitting.

The

104 Garlic

Indians of the lieved that

Bower

manuscript, however, clearly be-

was both

it

safe

push the patient beyond .

.

and therapeutically useful to

this limit.

the fresh juice of garlic, strained through a piece of

.

cloth

.

.

there

.

is

no

with

a fan

made of palm

Medium

On

him with

paste

of

and

leaves;

drinking one should sprinkle

rub

While he

fixed measure.

one should gently blow on him

ing,

drink-

is

soft currents if

of

air

he swoons whilst

him with

cold water and

sandal.

Regular** Treatment Doses

the basis of evidence and also of

would consider an

common

sense,

we

appropriate standard medicinal dose of

garlic to act against infections at doses

You cannot expect much less than this.

Michael Tierra’s syrup, which appears

later in this chapter,

garlic to

is

be around three cloves

a day.

a carefuUy-thought-out preparation

and comes from

his

manual The Way of Herbs; the dose he recommends corresponds to around nine grams or three cloves a day. The British

Herbal Pharmacopoeia, the semi-official reference

for herbalists, calls for

two

to four

book

grams of the bulb three

times a day. There are other folk cures and preparations

which recommend about one clove three times is

not an excessive amount.

We

the Jains and the Chinese of Ganshan county

consume

The levels

a

head

a day, sick

a day. This

have already mentioned

who

happily

or well.

doses in scientific studies often go up to saturation

because they are looking for decisive, short-term

effects.

The

blood’s tendency to clot

is

the most sensitive

of all measures of garlic’s action; here researchers achieved measurable reductions with a clove a day and less. However,

when

the doses given in scientific studies

went

105

Garlic Preparations

much below what we have

called regular, the effects

faded.

Minimum,

^*Heart~Care** Preventive Doses

one clove a day. This may northern Europeans unused to

In this category are doses of

be more acceptable to garlic, as

it

is

only appropriate for a very gentle, long-

term treatment or dose

as a

terol levels,

when

mild preventive measure. Such

a

reducing blood clotting and choles-

effective in

is

taken over a considerable period.

How to Take Fresh Garlic are many ways of taking garlic medicinally, but none can compare with a tooth-and-nail assault on a fresh clove. In that way you get the most allicin, so as

There

discussed in the

with tis,

all

last

chapter, fresh garlic

kinds of infections

absesses,

—

and so on. The

best for dealing

is

digestive troubles, bronchi-

first

essential operation

is

to

crush garlic; the garlic must be thoroughly broken up so that as

mash

it

little as

in a blender into a

insufficient bulk,

dosage.

A

The best way is to homogenous paste. If there is

possible remains solid.

add an onion but do not count

meat grinder or

garlic press

method. Otherwise cut the clove into possible, place

them on

knife and press with

a board,

your

fist.

it

in the

the second-best

is

as

small pieces as

cover with the

Put the crushed

flat

of

a

garlic into

of lukewarm water and mix, adding honey to As you drink it down, chew up what remains of the solids. This is important, since even a presser leaves a lot uncrushed and, if you do not pulverize it now, it

a glass^ taste.

106 Garlic

go through you undigested like any other vegetable fiber. Try to have water in your mouth as you will simply

chew,

as this lessens

There yourself.

the burning

taste.

which you can make up more convenient to have one

are various preparations

You may

find

it

of these on hand, rather than go through the process of

We

crushing each time.

on how

give detailed instructions

to make up these preparations at the end of this chapter. There may be certain advantages in taking them. We

recommend

using the

the ear, or

where the

such

oil for infections

as

those of

fresh juice irritates the skin.

The

syrups are designed to sooth soreness of the throat and to

be easy on an upset digestion. have been diallyl

So the unstable

let stand.

and

allicin will

change to

against bacteria

make up

as possible,

as

a

mild treatment for sore

an anti-toxin, these preparations are there-

as

fore perfectly effective.

to

these preparations to

disulphide and other sulphides. For “heating” the

body, for the circulation, throat,

A

However, they

and fungi than fresh

a preparation

which

will

be

garlic. If

will

be

less

potent

you want

as rich in allicin

then use Monsignor Greenstock’s anti-infec-

which

tive recipe,

The same

is

designed for

considerations arise

this

purpose.

when one

considers

whether it is better to take garlic fresh or after it has been cooked. Pliny, surprisingly perhaps, thought it more useful cooked than raw. Dioscorides thought that both cleared a cough and herbalists have argued it back and forth ever since. With the support of science, we would say that heating, like age, destroys the allicin and, again,

makes

it

lose

ing others. lation, as

its

anti-infective properties

Cooked

long

as it

garlic

is first

is

just as

good

though

retain-

for the circu-

cut or crushed. If

it is

cooked

Garlic Preparations

107

whole and untouched, neither aUicin nor diallyl disulphide will be formed and it will have only minimal medicinal properties.

Many There

remedies

call for

consumption three times

a day.

good reason for this. Scientific studies on diallyl show that it is oxidized to sulphate in the liver

is

disulphide

and eliminated within three or four hours. Dr. BouUin’s

work on blood lasted

clotting demonstrated that garlic’s effect

about three hours. So doses taken throughout the

day will best maintain

its

presence in the body.

Recipes for Remedies

Garlic for Everything This part of the chapter gives detailed instructions on preparing and taking fresh

garlic.

In this

first

group are

methods

suitable for every

cludes

kinds of internal infections, even, for example,

all

cystitis,

since garlic rapidly

kind of condition. This in-

and

easily

of the body. External infections can eating garlic;

it is

strongly

permeates also

all

parts

be helped by

for some types remove the internal

recommended

of eczema and for acne, since

it

helps

impurities causing the eruptions.

Fresh Garlic 1.

Chew

a clove. This, if you

for sinus infections, as the 2.

Chew cream.

a clove in

can do

it, is

especially

vapor

rises

upwards.

good

two tablespoons of yogurt or sour

108 Garlic

3.

Crush

a clove

4.

honey Crush

a clove

and mix in lukewarm water, adding

to taste.

and mix in

warm

Take one clove three times

a day,

Water Extract is Monsignor Greenstock’s

This

The onion enhances

milk.

with meals.

extract, rich in allicin.

the medicinal properties of the gar-

lic.

50 g (IV4 oz) of finely chopped garlic, previously frozen 25 g (just under 1 oz) of finely chopped onion, previously frozen pt) of 23% alcohol (or if unavailable, we recommend vodka and water in equal proportions) ml (V4 teaspoon) ascorbic acid solution (or 1 g of

200 ml (V3

1

Vitamin C)

Mix i.e.

in a blender; let stand for

two weeks

at

4

C

(39 F),

in the refrigerator. Store the Hquid in dark glass bottles.

Add

few drops of

a

A

eight months.

oil

It lasts up to would be 1-2 teaspoons

of mint or cloves.

“regular” dose

three times a day, with meals.

Garlic Pearls or Tablets:

For those

who

than fresh

garlic,

the

last

chapter. For a “regular” dose, take sufficient oil

you 3

capsules to give

mg

in

A Reminder on Dosage

them more convenient or palatable we repeat the dosages recommended in

find

all.

The

by piercing

oil

with

it

mg

of

oil

three times a day, or 9

can also be extracted from the capsule a pin,

and used

for ear infections or

external application. Dried garlic in tablet or other forms

has lost

its

fresh garlic.

water,

So

1

which comprises g of dried

garlic

is

of the weight of equivalent to 3 g of

109

Garlic Preparations

fresh garlic.

For

taining garlic

(V 3 oz) in

a regular

treatment dose of tablets con-

powder, take

all.

1

g three times

a day, or 3

For a mild, preventive dose, take

1

g g in

per day.

total

Gentler Garlic

The second group

contains remedies designed to help

the chest and head complaints listed in our table, or to

be used in cases where fresh

garlic

would

cause irritation.

Syrups This

is

based on Michael Tierra’s syrup. Put 250 g (8 oz) a 1 1 or 2 pt wide-mouthed

of minced or crushed garUc in

Almost

jar.

fill

with equal parts of apple-cider vinegar and

Cover and let stand in a warm place for shaking a few times a day. Add 1 cup of glyc-

distilled water.

four days,

and

erine 1

let

stand for a day. Strain through a cloth, add

cup of honey, and

stir

Keep

thoroughly.

cool.

For

deep-seated coughs, sore throats, chronic bronchitis, high

blood pressure, and circulation problems, take

spoon three times

A

a

simpler syrup: Pour 0.5

60 g

(2 oz)

1

vinegar and enough honey to

spoonful three times a day

a)

this

table-

of boiling water over

(1 pt)

of minced or crushed

garlic.

place for 10 hours. Strain, and add

To

1

day with meals.

as

make

1

Keep

in a cool

tablespoonful of

a syrup. Sip

1

table-

an expectorant.

can be added:

15'g (V 2 oz) of grated horseradish. This is a Polish it encourages sweating and so is good for bron-

practice; chitis.

b) 15

g (V2 oz) bruised fennel and caraway

seeds. This

110 Garlic

encourages and soothes the stomach and so

is

good

for

digestive problems.

Sage Garlic Tea and Gargle

Brew

2 tablespoons of dried sage and four or five minced

or crushed cloves of garlic in

Cover and

1

1

stand until lukewarm.

(2 pt)

of boiling water.

Take

1

small teacupful

four or five times a day and gargle every half hour. For tonsillitis

An

and to reduce mucus.

Inhalant

Take three or four and

a

cloves of

minced or crushed garHc

teaspoon of apple vinegar.

Add

.5

1

(1

pt.)

of

boiling water and inhale the fumes. For nasal congestion.

External Remedies

Here

are

ways

to the skin.

in

There

which

garlic

can be applied externally

are advantages in getting

it

as close as

possible to the site of the infection, provided care

is

taken to keep the surrounding area free from possible

and provided you are prepared to put up with some initial stinging. If it burns too much, let it stand for a few minutes and try again.

blistering

Poultices

To

apply garlic to a small area,

first

put petroleum jelly

on the skin around it to prevent blistering. Put a small amount of minced garlic onto a piece of gauze and tape it in place with adhesive tape. Leave it on for 15-30 minutes. For athlete’s foot, abscesses, boils, and other skin infections.

Garlic Preparations

To

and soothe

treat

a

wider

you can

area,

111

use this

bread poultice. Finely grate 60 g (2 oz) of garlic and add a crumbled 450 g (1 lb) wheat meal loaf soaked in cold milk.

Apply

to the skin.

For treating acne,

spots,

and mouth

simply hold

ulcers,

or rub a bruised clove against the place. (Russians used to press a half

skin as a

walnut

shell filled

means of getting

it

with crushed

garlic to the

into the system, but that

was

in the days before adhesive tape.)

From

Russia:

Mix

and ground

lanolin,

in a blender).

equal parts of zinc-oxide ointment, garlic (preferably fresh garlic

As always, use

not a metal one. Store in

a

covered

ground

ceramic container,

a glass or

jar.

For eczema and

hemorrhoids.

From

Take elecampane,

the Anglo-Saxon Leech Book:

garhc, chervil, radish, turnip, raven’s foot, honey,

pepper.

For

a

Pound

the plants and boil

them

and

in the honey.

“wensalve,” an ointment for boils and swellings.

Garlic in Oil

Mince or crush 250 g (8 oz) of garlic and put it in a wide jar. Add enough olive oil to cover the garlic. Close the jar tightly

warm

and shake

a

few times

a day.

Stand

it

in a

place for three days, then strain through a cloth.

Keep the mixture cool. For earaches, put a few drops, warmed, in the ear on some cotton wool. For aches, sprains, and minor skin disorders, rub on; heating may help to ease pain.

You

eucalyptus, cypress, or

Mix

can also add essential

myrrh

to the

together 10 tablespoons castor

of minced

garlic.

Cover and

oils

such

as

oil.

oil

and ten cloves

leave for thirty-six hours

112 Garlic

then strain and bottle. This mixture a hair conditioner.

Massage

wrap the head

warm

in a

it

towel. After an hour,

the hair normally. This application

moving head

lice

and

recommended

is

as

into the hair and scalp and

is

shampoo

also useful for re-

nits.

A Suppository Scrape a clove to produce juice, insert

and leave overnight. Repeat (Also for hemorrhoids

hot brick in a

raw

on

garlic

pail it

to

is

with

bum

as

this

a

into the rectum,

needed. For hemorrhoids.

Russian remedy: put

hole in the

and

it

sit

lid.

a

very

Put pieces of

over the fumes!)

Additional Remedies History provides us with a wealth of garlic concoctions.

Here to

are a

our

few which took our fancy and

common

also

sense.

Four Thieves^ Vinegar This is supposedly what the thieves drank

them

getting the Plague (see chapter

antiseptic

appealed

4). It is

to prevent

described as

and very aromatic.

Take 7 g (V4

oz) each

of calamus root, cinnamon, ground

nutmeg, lavender, mint, rosemary, me, sage and wormwood, and two minced heads of garlic. Add 1 1 (2 pt) of

Cover and keep warm for five days. Strain and add 7 g (V4 oz) of powdered camphor before bottling. cider vinegar.

An Anglo-Saxon

Bronchial

Remedy

"Flag and feverfew, garlic and radish, the inside of

helenium bark, and

cress, nettle,

peppermint that grows

Garlic Preparations

113

by the stream. Take malt-ale and pour it over the plants for nine nights. Give to drink fasting.” This recipe is found in Cockayne’s Leechdoms, Wortcunning and Starcraft

The same

of Early England.

text

of the chest “a great deal of

recommends

for tightness

garlic.”

A Roman Aphrodisiac “Garhc

is

believed to act

as

an aphrodisiac,

when pounded

with fresh coriander and taken in neat wine.” So said Gains Pliny. Garlic Brandy

Steep three or four crushed cloves in a small bottle of

brandy in

dark cupboard for fourteen days. Such a

a

was recommended

tincture

by

in the eighteenth century

“A

Dr. James Lind for seamen on cold winter journeys.

man

will find a

Spirit

warm

his

and Kidneys

A

much

four'

250 g

(8 oz)

liquid

is

quantity of it

will

than of the Pure

it

keep the Breast, Skin

from Obstructions.”

free

Siberian Energy

Mince

less

stomach; and

Food

heads of garlic and four fresh onions. Boil

of barley in 0.9

(2 pt)

1

of water

gone; do the same with 250 g

then mince both grains. Mince 60 g Combine all these with

valerian root.

honey in)

until

it is

like a thick

thick and let

in) squares.

it

Take

(2 1

cream. Spread

set for a day.

Cut

it

until

all

the

(8 oz) of oats,

oz)

of dried

kg

(2

lb)

it

2.5

cm cm

into 2.5

of (1

(1

three to six a day.

Instant Recovery Soup If

you have been

ill,

there

is

nothing

like this easy-to-

114 Garlic

prepare soup to get you back on your

teaspoons miso, 1-2 cloves crushed

onion, and a squeeze of lemon in a

mug

boiling water or vegetable stock, and

dash of soy sauce to

Garlic to Heal the

Do

not forget that

well

as

feet.

full

grated

Add Add a

or bowl.

mix

well.

taste.

Garden your

garlic will help protect

yourself (and your pets). Here again

Greenstock’s

Put 2

garlic, a little

is

plants as

Monsignor

home insecticide, and something human beings as well.

to

keep

the insects off us

An

Insecticide

Soak

thirty

mineral

minced cloves of garlic

oil (e.g. paraffin) for

in 2 teaspoons (10 ml)

twenty-four hours. Dissolve

7 g (V4 oz) of an oil-based soap in 600 ml (1 pt) of water and add it to the garlic, stirring thoroughly. Strain and store the liquid in a glass or ceramic container. a spray

20 and

An

on your 1

plants at a dilution

part in 100

of between

Use 1

it

as

part in

of water.

Insect Repellent

Take

1

cup of sunflower or sesame seed

oil,

V

2

cup of

fresh feverfew {Tanacetum parthenium) or tansy (Tanacetum

tablespoon of the dried flowers, and

vulgare) flowers,

or

eight cloves of

minced

soms

1

garlic.

for 15 minutes, cool

mixture and keep times a day, then for bites.

it

Simmer

and add the

the oil and blosgarlic.

for five days, shaking

strain. It

Bottle the

two or three as a remedy

can also be used

Garlic

Garlic Preparations

115

own and we

have

Cookery

Cooking with

garlic

is

a subject

not attempted to go into

it

of

its

in this book.

It is

certainly

coming into its own in the United States, and there are even one or two cookbooks devoted entirely to garlic recipes. We recommend taking garlic in your diet, so here are some basic recipes to start with. If you can get organically grown food as well as garlic, you will find a well

taste as

as

health advantage.

Garlic Butter

Crush two or three cloves of garlic and mix into 120 g (4 oz) of melted butter. Stir over a low heat for a few minutes and add a small bunch of parsley, finely chopped. Continue to

stir

until the parsley has wilted.

butter into a container to

set.

the cholesterol in the butter, will

reduce

Put the

If you are worried about remember that the garlic

it.

Garlic Bread

Crush two or three cloves of garlic, add a into 120 g (4 oz) of melted butter. Slice lengthwise and spread both sides with the stir

the

two

halves together again and

10 minutes

at

200

C

(400

wrap

in

little salt

a

and

French loaf

butter. Place foil.

Bake

for

F).

Garlic Spaghetti

Put spaghetti in boiling

salted water.

When

spaghetti

is

half cooked, add three or four cloves of sliced, fried garlic,

and 4 tablespoons olive

oil,

with pepper and

salt.

116 Garlic

Finish cooking spaghetti. Drain and cover with grated

cheese.

Garlic Broth

Take

just over 1

Add

six

1

(

2 V2

pt)

of vegetable broth or stock.

chopped cloves of garlic, IV2 tablespoons of olive oil, and half a bay leaf Add rice or noodles if required. Simmer for 20 minutes. Just before it is done, add V4 teaspoon thyme and a pinch of sage. So, having prepared your garlic, be prepared for anything.

It

will give

and you do not

you

health, energy,

know down what

and

paths

it

a zest for Hfe,

may

lead you.

12

Garlic Prospect

Today

more doubts about the wisdom and of modern scientific medicine than at any

there are

effectiveness

time since

its

origins.

same argument

whom

as

that

person, to his peril, and ease.

Only now

realized.

Two

attack

it

use

ignores the patient

it is

much

the

as a

whole

only concerned with his dis-

consequences of

are the full

out of five people

the hospital suffer take a drug of

who

did the Galenicists and herbal doctors

—

replaced

it

Those

from drug

who day.

being

receive a drug in

side effects.

some kind every

this

Half of all adults

Major

overall

im-

provements could be made through prevention, through encouraging better diet and healthier life-styles, but very little

effort

is

made

industrial countries,

ture goes

in these

directions.

In the major

around 0.5% of health care expendi-

toward prevention and,

instead, resources are

put into expensive, last-minute measures such

and kidney

transplants, hip replacements,

as

and other

heart radi-

cal surgery.

Large numbers of people are turning back to 117

modem

118 Garlic

medicine’s historical ral

remedies.

lation

is

More

rivals

such

as

acupuncture and natu-

than half of the United States popu-

eating healthier food and taking food supplements.

T\venty million people in the United States pay an annual

chiropractor.

visit to a

Herbs and herbalism have been at the center of this Their pervasive, preventive, and generally harm-

revival. less

action

is

in sharp contrast to the powerful, specific,

and often toxic medicine chest

camomile

effects

of conventional drugs. The

may soon be

home

contain mint or

as likely to

to relax an upset stomach, valerian for sleepless

nights, passiflora for stress

and anxiety,

salix

(willow) against

pain and headaches, and comfrey or aloe for cuts and scratches, as paracetamol, antacids, tranquilizers, or anti-

septic

ointments. However, there

still

is

considerable

confusion about the real value of herbs compared with

conventional treatments or no treatment

powerful are herbs and

how

shall address these questions

Garlic,

we

at

all.

How

useful? In this chapter,

we

with reference to garUc.

should remember, built

its

reputation

when

herbs were the only medicines and their effectiveness

was

a

matter of

life

and death. Because of the generally

unsanitary living conditions, a cut could lead to gan-

grene

—every doctor —and

pinprick

and

lethal.

had seen

a

colleague die of a

were widespread hygiene, and sani-

diseases like tuberculosis

Improvements

in nutrition,

tation during the latter part of the nineteenth century

much the same were synthesizing new, chemically-pure drugs which, in certain cases, had dramatically successful

led to great reductions in disease. At

time, chemists

effects; a little aspirin

brought

down

a fever in

minutes and the drug salvarsan, produced

at

twenty

the turn of

119

Garlic Prospect

the century, cured the hitherto incurable syphilis. These

two kinds of advance,

in hygiene

linked together in people’s minds

and in drugs, were

as

products of reason

and science.

As

a result, herbs

were thought of as

part

and went out of fashion

unscientific past

of the ignorant,

—

there are fash-

ions in medicine as in almost every other aspect of Kfe.

new

medicines could be dispensed in exact dosages and

directed against specific diseases; herbs

vague in their

effects

and

to dose. Gradually they

copeia, the official

were

ineffective

there

was

^but

The

In the 1930s there

their strengths varied

they simply did not

were the sulpha

penicillin

could certainly reliably

dmgs

than

and other

treat acute

many

are strong

herbs.

and

new

the

fit

chemically pure drugs forged ahead. drugs,

from the 1940s

and dangerous

But

many way. They

antibiotics and, in

these could save fives in a spectacular

cases,

from dose

were removed from the pharmawas never any proper assessment of

there

their effectiveness

were annoyingly

of drugs. This was not because they

lists

— —

medical outlook.

on

The

diseases

now we know

relatively toxic

that

more

modem

and should only be

used where absolutely necessary. Health-conscious people

have been forced to think again about these dmgs and not take

them

unless there

term comfort and cost

fast

is

no

choice. All too often short-

recovery have been bought

of long-term health.

Some

antibiotic

and

at

the

antiffingal

agents, for example, can reduce vitality, disturb the digestion,

produce

allergies,

or cause Candida infections. At the

same time they may make the body more vulnerable to the disease

and increase the chances of infection returning

at a

know. For

this

later date, as urethritis

or

cystitis sufferers

reason antibiotics shouldn’t be taken for every sore throat

120 Garlic

or minor infection, but taken, of course, for pneumonia. is

much

way

better to control blood pressure

with

levels

diet.

But

up, or drops

if your

It

and cholesterol

blood pressure suddenly jumps

way down

—

don’t hesitate to go to a

doctor.

The

variety of effects of an herb

may be

a great asset,

not a disadvantage, because the herbal remedy health in several different ways. For example, if

nagging bronchitis,

garlic for a It

also “heats”

you throw

it

creased urination

would

you

take

this helps

(In traditional practice,

also

ill

holds back the bacteria.

your body; you may sweat, and

off the disease.

treats

be regarded

in-

as beneficial.)

improved and poisons are removed. All this happens without cost to your vitahty. And also, of course,

Metabolism

is

without cost to your pocket. In most will

be

cases, this

treatment

combined with other measures, such as from milk products and refined foods; other coltsfoot and sage, which help the cough and

effective if

a diet free

herbs, like

dry up secretions, can also be used.

By

comparison,

modem

treatments for chronic bronchitis are minimal. There are

expectorants which are supposed to help

you cough up

which are known to be relatively useless. cough suppressants, like codeine, which may

the phlegm, but

There

are

drive the infection deeper. Antibiotics are given only if

becomes acute. Clearly you have nothing much to lose by trying garlic for bronchitis. Likereducing wise, garlic’s multiple effects on the circulation cholesterol and fat production and blood clotting, and moderating high blood pressure could only be matched by a combination of conventional dmgs, which would the infection suddenly

—

—

have

a series

of interacting

side effects.

Herbs have another advantage: they can both prevent

Garlic Prospect

and cure, using the same

121

principles. Garlic reduces the

meat meal long before any When you travel normal doses helps you cope with

cholesterol content of a fatty

abnormalities appear in the circulation.

abroad, taking garlic in

unfamiliar bacteria and prevents an upset stomach; this

what Pliny and many other

is

meant by it being “of great benefit against changes of water and residence.” In larger doses, it will treat stomach infections. Modern antibiotics, on the other hand, cannot be used preventively; you cannot take penicillin aU the time. When surely

this

tried, as in the

is

herbalists

constant dosing of intensively farmed

hens or calves, the animals become breeding grounds for stronger and

more

between

and

this

resistant organisms;

of salmonella and food poisoning This question of resistance as

the connection

a considerable recent increase in cases

is

is

now

being admitted.

an important one. So

far

anyone knows, no organisms have ever become resisThere is not enough experience to show

tant to garlic. that cells

it

could never happen. However,

are probably so

wide ranging,

altered sufficiently to avoid

existence.

Herbs

on which

garlic’s effects

that a cell

them would

alter itself

out of

.

and garlic in particular, do have certhough these can be surmounted. One is that not aU preparations are of the same strength the chemists had a valid point. The way a bulb is grown, extracted, concentrated, stored, and prepared for consumption wiU alter its potency. The problem existed in in general,

tain disadvantages,

—

earlier^days,

but

and doses in the remained there there are

no

at least

official

there

were guides

to preparation

pharmacopeia. Entries on herbs

until well into

official standards

this

century, but

and no control

in the

now

market

122 Garlic

We

problem by consumer power. Consumers should, if possible, only buy herb products which have the amount of active ingredients written on place.

can solve

this

the packet. This

would encourage manufacturers

out lab

minimum

well

tests for

levels

purity and quality.

as

In the case of garHc,

products that have a statement about as actual garlic

The second is

its

allicin levels as

as

buy well

content on the packet.

disadvantage

is

that garlic, like other herbs,

not an exactly-targeted weapon.

work, or

to carry

of active ingredients,

effect

may

It

may sometimes be

not always

The

too weak.

who uses herbs is trained to expect know how to adopt a strategic approach

professional therapist this

and he

will

involving a combination of herbs and methods. fessional therapist

ment

or cardiovascular disease. its

He

stomach problems,

should tackle your condi-

source and should also decide

if

not the right remedy in your particular

home is

use

is

pro-

should be consulted for proper treat-

for persistent infections, serious

tion at

A

garHc

As

case.

concerned, the best insurance against

knowledge and experience; you should

learn

or

is

is

far as

failure

how you

respond in different circumstances, what are the best preparations for

you and the

right times to use them.

Consider, for example, which kinds of health problems

you

are likely to get,

and research the herbs which can

prevent and treat these problems.

more

likely to pick

up

Which

times are

infections: at the onset

you

of winter,

perhaps? At the same time garlic should not be looked

upon as you are

infallible

seriously

or asked to do things ill,

you must seek

it

cannot do. If

professional help

immediately. It

is

our view that modern drugs are an advance in

Garlic Prospect

123

many lives and abandon them com-

medical knowledge, that they have saved that

it

would be pure

pletely in favor

foolishness to

of herbs. However,

we

also feel

they are

come natural preventive measures, herbs among them; modern drugs should be a standby when all else has failed. Then one would get used too much.

First

should

aim

the best of both worlds or, as the Chinese their national medicine,

for in

“the best of the old and the

new.”

Of course, new

garlic itself

might well become the

basis for

chemically pure drugs. At present, one cannot patent

the products of nature, so a

and develops

company which

a plant acquires

no exclusive

researches

rights.

Phar-

maceutical companies therefore have strong motives for

converting natural substances into patentable chemicals.

We

guess that a

drug

is

new

garlic-based anti-clotting chemical

being quietly tested somewhere.

does appear,

it

may

such

If

a

thing

not have any particular advantages

over a proper use of the natural bulb and

be more expensive. Garlic, Kke

all

it

will certainly

other plants, has an

enormous number of constituents; some of them are known, and some of their effects are understood, but there is always more to know and understand. AUicin, diallyl disulphide, MATS and DITS, and ajoene are medically effective, but who knows what other constituents have unexpected powers or help to make the whole mixture healthy and harmless to man? Garlic has so ancient a reputation and

national regulatory bodies the rations

of

it.

so safe that

world over accept prepa-

In the United States, they are classed as

foods and were on the Generally Recognized list.

is

In Britain, the sale of garlic products

as Safe is

(GPJVS)

not restricted

124 Garlic

any way. The law in Britain

in

is

more

relaxed,

and

manufacturers of garlic products there are allowed to claim:

A

remedy traditionally used for the treatment of symptoms of the common cold and cough. A herbal remedy traditionally used for the temporary rehef of sympherbal

the

toms of

In

E”

rhinitis

Germany

and

catarrh.

the government-appointed

“Commission

has defined garlic’s effectiveness, and allowed claims

that

it

can be used together with diet to bring

blood cholesterol, and that

it

down

can help prevent athero-

sclerosis.

There remains the problem of garlic’s smell, which still discourages many people. Things are changing, but its complete

social acceptance

of the reaction against

it is

is still

far in the future.

Much

just cultural conditioning, the

kind of prejudice which led people to eat white bread

was more sophisticated and to form of sterilized white pills. Today, however, organic is sophisticated, and the more we realize the benefits of eating fresh garlic, the more we will come to like and accept it. Natural remedies have natural smells. Let us give the last word on the matter to and white sugar because

it

prefer medicines in the

Sir

John Harington, writing Sith Garlicke then hath

Bear with

And It

it

though

it

power

men

save from death,

make unsavory breath,

scorne not Garlicke, like

only makes

to

in 1607:

some

that thinke

winke, and drinke, and stinke.

Recommended Reading

A Note on Sources The

material of the

from in

a great

full.

The

first

four chapters has been gathered

number of sources,

far

too numerous to

list

authors and their books are often mentioned

directly in the text

and interested readers may consult

them, in translation where necessary, looking in indexes

and

tables

of contents under

garlic, garleke,

allium and so

on. Pliny’s account of the medicinal properties, for ex-

ample,

is

to

be found in

Book

20, Chapter 23, of his

Natural History. The quotations from Hippocrates come from the complete French translations of his canon. An account of the varieties of Allium and of the botanical origins of garlic are to be found in the 1944 issue of the periodical Herbertia. The Bower manuscript was edited and translated by Rudolf Hoernle and published in 1893; we have had its list retranslated. The only full English translation of Dioscorides’ Materia Medica was made in

1655. L.J. Harris, in his Book on Garlic, gives a more modern translation of the passage on garlic and refers to the German version of J. Berendes. Harris has far and away the most amusing collection of material on garlic

125

]

.

126 Garlic

and

also a useful bibliography.

he says

is

check

to

taken from secondary sources.

described in his History,

is

Chapter 75, and

says

when they did not Nor does Aristophanes

and Olympic

The

the

Book Two,

get their usual rations of say anything about garlic

athletes.

scientific papers

to be listed in

visit to

nothing about the workers going

strike

garlic.

always wise

It is

example, Herodotus’

originals; for

Great Pyramid

on

However, much of what

We

full.

consulted are also too numerous

have made

a selection

of the most

important ones, arranged in alphabetical order by subject.

We

two comprehensive scientific within the last few years. on garlic published monographs There is the review by Fenwick and Hanley, and the book by Koch and Hahn, published in German. The latter quotes approximately 1000 references on garlic. are fortunate in having

References Books and Articles on Garlic Fenwick, G.G. and Hanley, A.B. (1984). The Genus Allium. CRC Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 22: 199— 377 23: 1-73. Fulder,

S.

(1989).

Garlic:

Lifeblood of

Good

Thorsons:

Health.

Wellingborough, U.K. Greenstock, D. (1976). Las propriades terapeuticas del

ajo.

Ceres

Oct/Nov/Dec. Harris, L. (1979).

The Book of

Garlic.

Panjandrum/Aris, Los An-

geles.

Koch, H.P. and Hahn, G. (1988). Knoblauch

Urban

Schwarzenberg: Munich, Baltimore. Leclerc,

H. (1918). Histoire de

Fail.

Janus 23: 167-91

&

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Recommended Reading Watanabe, T. (1974).

Garlic Therapy

127

Publications: San Fran-

cisco.

Garlic Cookery Gilroy Garlic Festival Association (1980). The Garlic Lover's Cookbook. Celestial Arts: Berkeley, California.

Shulman, M.R. (1984).

Garlic Cookery. Thorsons:

Wellingborough,

U.K.

General Background Fulder, S. (1988). The Handbook of Complementary Medicine.

ford University Press: Oxford;

M.

Grieve,

Lewis,

Tierra,

Allen:

St.

New

W.H. and

New

Ox-

York.

Modern Herbal. Penguin Books: Middlesex,

York.

Kourenoff, P. and

W.H.

A

(1976).

New

U.K.;

New

George, G. (1970). Russian Folk Medicine. York.

Lewis, M.P.F.(1977). Medical Botany. Wiley:

York.

M.

Way

(1980). The

Books, Simon

&

of Herbs.

Schuster:

New

Washington Square Pocket

York.

Chemistry Block, E.

252

(1'985).

(3):

The Chemistry of

Garlic and Onions.

Sci.

Am.

94-7

Brodnitz, M.H., et

(1971).

al.

Flavour Components of Garlic

Extract J. Agric. Food Chem. 19: 273-5 Cavallito, L.C., et

al.

of Allium sativum.

(1944). Allicin, the Antibacterial Principle 1.

bacterial Action. J.

Isolation, Physical Properties

Am. Chem.

and Anti-

Soc. 66: 1950, 1952-4.

al. (1990). Quantitative Determination of Allicin and AUiin from Garlic by HPLC. Planta Medica 56: 320-326.

Iberl, B., et

Jansen, H., Mueller, B., and Knobloch, K. Characterisation and

53: 559-562.

Its

Determination by

(1987).

HPLC.

Allicin

Planta Medica

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128 Garlic

Lawson, L.D. and Hughes, B.G. (1989) Analysis of Aqueous Garlic Extract & Garlic Products by HPLC. Planta Medica 55: 639. Stoll,

A. and Seebeck, E. (1951). Chemical Investigations on

the Specific Principle of Garlic. Adv. Enzymol.

Alliin,

11: 377-400.

Infections

Adetumbi, M.A. and Lau, B.H.S. (1983). Allium sativum a Natural Antibiotic. Med. Hypotheses 12: 221-51

—

(Garlic)

Caporaso, N., Smith, S.M., and Eng. R.H.F (1983). Antifungal Activity in Human Urine and Serum after Ingestion of Garlic (Allium sativum). Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 23: 700—702.

and Ferguson, E.A. (1949). The Therapeutic Value of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. Rev. Gastroenterol. 16: 411-19.

Damrau,

F.

Garlic

in

Ghannoum, M.A. (1988). Studies on the Anticandidal mode of action of Album sativum (garhc). J. Gen Microb. 134: 2917-2924. Hitokoto, M.,

et

al.

(1978). Inhibitory effects of condiments and

herbal drugs on the growth and toxin production of toxigenic fungi. Mycopathologia 66: 161-7.

Johnson, M.J. and Vaughan, R.H. (1969). Death of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli in the presence of freshly reconstituted dehydrated garlic and onion. Appl. Microbiol. 17: 903-905.

Kumar, A. and Sharma, V.D. (1982). Inhibitory effect of garlic on enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. Ind.J. Med. Res. 16: 66—70. Mirelman, D., et al. (1987). Inhibition of growth of entamoeba histolytica by allicin, the active principle of garlic extract (Allium sativum). J. Infections Dis. 156: 243-244.

Moore, G.S. and Atkins activity

of an aqueous

(1977).

yeast-like fungi. Mycologia, 69:

Sandhu, D.K., vaginitis to

Sharma, V.D., in vivo

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al. (1980). Sensitivity of yeasts isolated from cases of aqueous extracts of garhc. Mykosen 23: 691-98.

et

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Planta

viruses.

460—1.

Medica 51:

Blood Circulation, Cholesterol, Fats, and Coagulation R.C. and Arora, S. (1981). Comparative effects of clofibrate, and onion on alimentary hyperlipaemia. Atherosclerosis 39: 447-52

Arora,

garlic

Barrie, S., Wright, J., and Pizzorno, J. (1987). Effect of garlic oil on platelet aggregation, serum lipids and blood pressure in

humans.

Orthomolecular Medicine 2: 15—21.

J.

Bordia, A. (1978). Effect of garlic in vitro. Atherosclerosis 30:

Bordia, A. (1981). Effect of garlic

coronary heart disease.

on human

platelet aggregation

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on blood

2100-03.

Boullin, D.J. (1981). Garlic as platelet inhibitor. Lancet Ernst, E., lipids.

Weihmayr,

Grunwald, J.

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T.,

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(1990). Garlic and Cardiovascular Risk Factors. Brit.

J.

Clinical Pharmacol. 29: 582.

Harenberg,

Giese, C., and

J.,

gation

Zimmerman, R.

on blood co-agulation,

dried garlic

(1988). Effect of

fibrinolysis, platelet aggre-

and serum cholesterol levels

in

patients

with

hyperlipoproteinemia. Atherosclerosis 14: 247—249. Kendler, B.S. (1987). Garlic (Allium sativum) and onion (Allium cepa)

—

a

review of their relationship to cardiovascular Med. 16: 670-685.

dis-

ease. Preventive

Keys, A. (1980). Wine, garlic and coronary heart disease in seven countries. Lancet

Kiesewetter, H., et

145—6.

I:

al.

(1990). Effects of garhc

fibrinolytic activity: a

bhn(^ study. Kleijnen,

J., et

Brit. J. al.

randomised placebo

Clinical Practice,

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—

fluidity

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130 Garlic

Mader, F.H. (1990). Treatment of hyperlipidaemia with powder tablets. Drug Research 40: 3—8.

garlic

Makheja, A.N., et al. (1979). Inhibition of platelet aggregation and thromboxane synthesis by onion and garlic. Lancet I: 781. Sainani, G.S., et

serum

(1979). Effect of dietary garlic and onion

al.

community.

lipid profile in Jain

Ind. J.

on

Med. Res. 69:

776-80. Sainani,

Lancet

G.S., I:

et

Saxena, K.K., et

damage.

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Onion,

(1976).

garlic

and

atherosclerosis.

575—6. al.

(1979). Garlic in stress-induced myocardial

Ind. Heart J. 31:

187-8.

Blood Sugar and Diabetes Chang, M.L.W. and Johnson, M.A. (1980). Effect of garlic on carbohydrate metabolism and lipid synthesis in rats. J. Nutr. 110: 931-36.

Matthew, P.T. and Augusti, K.T. (1973). Studies on the allicin on alloxan diabetes. Ind. J. Biochem. Biophys.

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209-15.

Side Effects

Nakagawa, S. (1980). Effect of raw and extracted-aged garlic juice on growth of young rats and their organs after peroral administration. Toxicol.

Ruffin,

of

J.

Sci.

5:

and Hunter, S.A. (1983).

garlic as

91—112.

An

evaluation of the side effects

an antihypertensive agent. Cytobios 37: 85-9.

Cancer and Detoxification Belman,

S. (1983).

Onion and

garlic oils

and tumour promotion.

Carcinogensis 4: 1063-5.

M. and Natata, T. (1967). Induction of tumour immuwith tumour cells treated with extract of garlic. Nature 216: 83-4.

Fujiwara, nity

Lau, B.H. (1989). Detoxifying, radioprotective and phagocyteenhancing effects of garlic. Int. Clin. Nutrit. Rev. 9: 27—31.

Recommended Reading Nishino,

et al.

extract.

(1989).

Antitumour-promoting

activity

of

131

garlic

Oncology 46: 277-280.

Wargovich, M.J. (1987). Diallyl sulphide,

a flavour

component of

(Allium sativum) inhibits dimethylhydrazine induced colon

garlic

cancer. Carcinogenesis 8: 487-489.

Weisberger, A.S. and Pensky, fects

J.

(1957).

Tumour

inhibiting ef-

derived from an active principle of garlic (Allium sativum).

Science

126: 1112.

Pesticide

Amonkar, S.V. and Reeves, E.L.

(1970).

Mosquito control

vv^ith

active principle of garlic. J. Econ. Entomol. 63: 1172—5.

Amonkar, S.V. and Vijayalakshmi, cnose disease of grape vines by 73: 350-1.

L. (1979). garlic oil.

Control of anthra-

Trans. Br. Mycol. Soc.

Ark, P.A. and Thompson, J.P. (1959). Control of certain diseases of plants with antibiotics from garlic. Plant Dis. Rep. 43: 276-82.

Index

Buddha, 24

Aflatoxin, 83

Alexander the Great, 3 Cancer, 84-86

AUicin, 40-45, 60-61, 76,

Candida

87-88, 106-107, 108 AUiin, 41-45, 60-61 Aft£lo

Central Asia, 3-4

Saxon Leech Book, 84

Animal

health,

infections, 57-59,

102 Charaka Samhita, 64

37

Arabs, 30

Childbirth, 22, 25, 27

Aristophanes, 18, 126

China, 35-36

Aristotle, 17

Cholesterol, dietary, 63-64,

65-70, 102, 120-121

Atherosclerosis, 75, 102

Ayurvedic medicine, 35

Circulatory disease, 30,

Beeton, Mrs., 21

Clotting. See

63-75, 76-79, 102, 109

Bites, 80-81,

Blood Blood

clotting,

High

Culpeper, Nicholas, 20-21,

blood pressure.

Blood

sugar, 75-76, 102

British

Herbal Pharmacopoeia,

31-32 DiaUyl disulphide, 40, 43, 44-

104

Bower

clotting.

Coughs, 36, 54-55, 61, 102, 109

70-73

pressure. See

Blood

Cookery, 114-116

102

45, 60-61, 106-107

manuscript, 4-6, 24,

Digestive conditions, 27, 30,

30, 35, 125

36, 52-54, 102, 109

Bronchitis, 55, 102, 109,

Diodes, 27

112-113, 120

132

Index

Dioscorides, 28, 64, 125 Dracula,

22

133

medicinal uses, 3-6, 18, 20, 24, 26-38, 102,

117-124. See Earache, 102, 111

also specific

uses.

46-48

Eastern Europe, 22-23, 55

nutritional properties,

Egypt, 15-17

odor, 18, 19, 20-21, 40,

England, 19-21, 31-34

124

89-92

Europe, 35, 37

as pesticide,

Evelyn, John, 21

preparation types

aged extracts, 98-99 Fedtschenko, Alexis and Olga, 3

fresh,

93-94, 105-107

oil capsules,

Food poisoning, 83, 102 Food preservation, 84

poultices,

Four Thieves’ Vinegar, 33, 112

tablets,

Fulder, Stephen, 51, 80, 93

syrups, 109

tea,

96-98, 108-109

110

remedy

recipes,

side effects,

Galen, 29, 117

Garden

uses,

Garlic

50-52, 60-62. See

also

17,

113

27, 29, 30, 52-54, 102

Greece, 16, 17-18, 26-27, 30

Greenstock, Monsignor David,

113

chemical constituents,

39-48

45, 83, 87-90, 106, 108,

114

7-10

Gynecological conditions,

dosages, 101-105 folklore, 19-20, as

10-14

Gastrointestinal conditions,

Gilroy, California, 14

Infections.

cultivation,

18-19, 35, 113-114 varieties,

antibacterial properties,

in brandy,

107-116

86-88

strengthening properties,

89-92, 114

as aphrodisiac,

94-96, 108

110-111

27, 102

22-25

food, 16-17, 19, 22,

99-100, 114-116 in history, 3-6, 15-25,

26-34 irritating effects,

Hangovers, 83, 102 Harington, Sir John, 124

Heart

disease, 63-73,

102

86-88

Hemorrhoids, 112

78-79,

134

Garlic

Herbal medicine, 35-37,

Lice, 81, 102

118-122

Lipoprotein, 66, 68

Herodotus, 16, 126

High Tartary (Lattimore), 3

High blood

pressure, 73-75,

102, 103-104, 109, 120-

121

Martindale^s Extra

Pharmacopoeia, 95

Medicine. See Garlic, medicinal uses;

Hildegarde of Bremen,

St.,

see also

specific uses.

Mercury poisoning, 82

30-31

Mesopotamia, 17

Hippocrates, 26-27, 125

Metal poisoning, 82, 102 Iron

Middle Eastern countries, 34

35

India, 5, 24,

and Oxen (Thornton), 23 Nasal congestion, 110

Infections, 27, 30, 32-33,

36, 49-52, 60-62, 102 chest, 54-56,

102

Parasites,

fungal, 57-59, 102 gastrointestinal, 52-54,

102

tuberculosis, 55, 103 virus,

81-82, 102

Pasteur, Louis, 50

59-60

Insecticide uses, 89-92, 114

Insect repellent uses, 114

Pesticide uses, 89-92, 114

Petkov, Wesselin, 65, 74 Plague, 32-33, 112 Pliny the Elder, 16, 28-29, 84, 121, 125

Rome,

Japan, 24-25

16, 18-19,

27-30

Jews, 17

John Bastyr Naturopathic CoUege, 69, 71

Schweitzer, Albert, 33 Shakespeare, WiUiam, 20 Shelley, Percy Bysshe, 21

Juvenal, 16

Siberian energy food, 113

Korea, 24-25

Skin conditions, 36, 57-59,

Lead poisoning, 82 LeClerc, Henri, 12-14

Stings, 80-81,

Leechdoms, Wortcunning and

Stokes, Jonathan, 34

102, 110-111

Starcraft

19

of Early England,

Stoker,

102

Bram, 22

Sulphur compounds in garhc, 39_43, 45-46, 67, 73, 77

Index

Sydenham,

Sir

Thomas, 33

Urinary conditions, 27, 30,

36

USSR,

Talmud, 17

35, 55, 57, 113

Tibet, 24 Ticks, 81, 102

Vampire

Tierra, Michael, 104, 109

Vampires, 22-23, 81

Tuberculosis, 36, 55, 103

Virgil,

Turner, William, 31, 64

Viruses, 59-60

Tutankhamen

bats,

81

19

(Pharaoh), 15

Waller, John, 33 Ulcers, 57

United

States,

21-22, 34

Worms, 81-82, 102 Wounds, infected, 57

135

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

15

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Garlic has been renowned for centuries as a healing food. Now current scientific and clinical research is

showing

garlic to be an effective preventive against cardiovascular disease, bacterial and fungal infections,

and cancer. Stephen Fulder and |ohn Blackwood investigate the latest research on garlic in this updated edition of their bestseller, explaining how it works and how to get the most benefits from it. They discuss garlic preparations and dosages, and evaluate the products currently on the market. With a rich section detailing the history and lore of garlic from its earliest known use in ancient Egypt to its modern revival. Garlic is the complete guide to this remarkable natural medicine. Stephen Fulder, Ph.D., studied biochemistry and chemical pharmacology at Oxford University. His numerous books include Tfie Handbook of Complementary Medicine, How to Survive Medical Treatment, An End to Ageing?, and Tke Book of Ginseng. He is currently working to establish a medicinal plants industry in Israel