Cultivated garlic is a well known perennial herb that is found in commonly in herb gardens, allotments and vegetable plots all over the world. Garlic has flat, spear shaped, grass-like leaves that smell of onions, a single round purpely pink flower-head appears on a long stalk in early summer.
The bulbs of the garlic plant are split into cloves which are contained inside a white papery skin, the cloves are the parts we use in natural medicine.
How To Gather And Store Garlic
Cultivated garlic can be easily grown in the garden, in a pot on a balcony or a windowsill. Collect the bulbs in autumn after the plant has flowered and the foliage has yellowed, store in a cool, dark, dry place. Alternately you can buy garlic at all supermarkets.
Organic Garlic Powder
Garlic Benefits
Garlic benefits: Famous for its use as a repellent to vampires, garlic has been used worldwide as a medicine and herb for such a long time by and so many cultures, that its place and origin are unknown. Here in the British Isles it has been cultivated since medieval times for use in the kitchen and also as a natural medicine.
Garlic can help improve the digestive system, it is useful in the treatment of bloating and wind and helps to combat intestinal infections. Garlic is effective at remedying colds, nasal congestion and symptoms of flu. Garlic can also lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
Garlic Remedies
Soothing Toothache Rub: Take a thin slice from a clove of garlic and rub onto the affected tooth and surrounding area, to help sooth a toothache.
Crunchy Cold Remedy: Take a garlic clove and cut into small pieces, chew and swallow to help ward off a cold and sooth a sore throat.
Effective Anti Itch Insect Bite Rub: Take a thin slice of garlic and lay over the insect bite, let the juices make contact with the bite to sooth the itch.
"This (garlic) was anciently accounted as the poor man's treacle, it being a remedy for all deseases and hurts" - Nicholas Culpepper
Garlic Warnings!
Do not use if taking blood thinning medication.
Do not use if scheduled for surgery.
In rare cases garlic can cause migraine and trigger allergies.
Some interesting facts about garlic
During the first world war, sterilized strips of sphagnum moss were soaked in garlic juice and used on wounds as an antiseptic.
In roman times, garlic was thought to be an antidote against poisons.
The Dark Side Of Garlic - circa 1653
Nicholas Culpepper has some warning advice on the uses of garlic in his famous book 'Culpeppers Complete Herbal' Published in 1653
"Authors quote many other deseases this is good for; but conceal it's vices. It's heat is very vehement; and all vehement hot things send up but ill-savoured vapours to the brain. In choleric men it will add fuel to the fire; in men opressed by melancholy, it will attenuate the homour, and send up strong fancies, and as many strange visions to the head; therefore let it be taken inwardly with great moderation; outwardly you may make bold with it."
I love this book, it is packed full of herbs and remedies, and picture of the plants that are included, it is written in olde worlde language, and some of the descriptions actually make you laugh out-loud, superstiions abound, but aside from that it still has a lot of useful advice that is applicable today
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