Garlic, The Aroma of Strength & Endurance

by Samaria Brown

Garlic is noted as having started its journey in West and Central Asia. Around 3000 BC, trading parties from India reached the Middle East, where they introduced garlic to the mighty Babylonian and Assyrian empires, who embraced this plant and spread it across neighboring civilizations. The earliest references from those ancient times come from North Africa, Egypt. 

Garlic formed part of the daily diet of many Egyptians, specifically the county's laborers. The Hebrew slaves in Egypt were fed garlic and other allium vegetables, presumably to maintain and increase their strength, thereby enabling them to work harder and be more productive. 

Numbers 11:5 “We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.”

The exact word for garlic used in Hebrew is shuwm meaning to exhale; breathe out. The movement of air from the lungs out of the airways.

The meaning of garlic or shuwm is perfectly fitting. It shows how my ancestors knew the respiratory benefits and healing properties of garlic. Many ancient cultures, some that never came into contact with one another all developed the same conclusions on how garlic is used in the treatment of disease.

Garlic has an extensive history of use as a food medicine, to give strength and protect from illness. In ancient Egyptian, Hebraic, Grecian, Asian and Roman culture, garlic seems to have been consumed primarily by the lower classes at first.  

  • Ancient Rome used garlic for respiratory infirmities and for parasites. 

  • Ancient China and Japan prescribed as an aid to digestion and respiration, to provide energy and lift depression

  • Native Americans used garlic in a tea to treat flu-like symptoms

Throughout history in North Africa, the Middle East, East Asia, and Nepal, garlic has been used to treat bronchitis, hypertension (high blood pressure), TB (tuberculosis), liver disorders, dysentery, flatulence, colic, intestinal worms, rheumatism, diabetes, and fevers.

Richard S. Rivlin wrote in the Journal of Nutrition that the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates (circa. 460-370 BC) Hippocrates promoted the use of garlic for treating respiratory problems, parasites, poor digestion, and fatigue.

Today, 

garlic is widely used for several conditions linked to the blood system and heart, including atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), high cholesterol, heart attack, coronary heart disease, and hypertension (high blood pressure). 

Garlic is also used today by some people for the prevention of lung cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, stomach cancer, rectal cancer, and colon cancer. 

Garlic has been used as an antiseptic, antibacterial, and antifungal agent. It may help the body resist or destroy viruses and other microorganisms. 

It does this by boosting the immune system and helps you recover faster, especially when fighting colds, the flu, and other respiratory infections like COVID by warming the lungs, to clear phlegm.

Phlegm is made by your throat and lungs. The body makes even more mucus and phlegm when reacting to an allergy or have a cold or infection. 

Dr. Boucher says “When you cough up mucus when you are sick, you are essentially clearing the viruses or bacteria from your body"

Weight Management

Garlic is acknowledged as an appetite suppressant. It helps keep you fuller for an extended period of time, stopping you from overeating. It also heightens your metabolism, moreover helping you lose weight more productively. 

It could even have anti-obesity effects, like decreasing fat mass and weight gain. Garlic is rich in allicin and other sulfur-containing compounds that could have benefits for weight loss when people use them in alliance with other wholesome practices. 

Garlic for Beauty 

Garlic improves blood flow and boosts antioxidant levels in the skin which gives your skin a natural radiance. It can keep your complexion clear with its anti-aging and skin softening benefits. It also boosts collagen production that helps stimulate hair growth. The presence of selenium content in garlic helps boost blood circulation for maximum nourishment.

Raw garlic is high in vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins B-6 and C, manganese, and selenium — all of which promote healthy hair. The high levels of allicin, a sulfur compound found in garlic were found to treat hair loss. 

DIY: Infuse oil (I prefer grapeseed, olive, or jojoba oil) with garlic, rosemary, your favorite essential oil (tea tree/lavender ), and massage it into your scalp. This can help hair loss, is an effective dandruff remedy, and can double as a nighttime face oil - if you can take the smell.

How to use garlic to treat acne

Garlic in dermatology used garlic prepared in four ways to determine its effectiveness for skin conditions... READ MORE

 

 

Articles All About Garlic

Leave a comment

Back to Wellness