Marvels of 'the stinking rose'

How that garlic in your pantry is keeping you healthy By Jonathan Evans Herbalist & co-owner, the Herbarium Special to PRIME Garlic (Allium Sativum) has been been used throughout recorded history for the treatment of a wide variety of conditions. Sanskrit records document the use of garlic remedies nearly five thousand years ago, while the Chinese have used it for at least three thousand, and the Codex Ebers, an Egyptian medical papyrus, mentions garlic around 1550 B.C. So, what's it good for? When I do talks and lectures around the area, the question "what is garlic good for?" is bound to come up. My answer: "the list of what it does not do is shorter than what it is good for." As an example, the list of garlic uses include acne, alopecia, angina, antibiotic, asthma, blood pressure, bronchial catarrh, bronchitis, cancer, candida, cholesterol, intermittent claudication, circulation, colic, colds, coughs, dysentery, earache, fungus, hepatitis, infection, liver problems, parasites, rheumatism, sore throat, toxic metal poisoning, ulcers, vaginitis, whooping cough, worms, wounds, and yeast infections, to name a few. A garlic primer Garlic is rich in aliin, allicin and sulfur, all of which exhibit strong anti-oxidant and anti-microbial effects along with dozens of minerals, and several vitamins (A,B,C). Garlic as an anti-microbial, anti-viral, antiseptic, antibiotic, anti-bacterial, are well documented. Some of the latest research is being conducted on the anti-oxidant effects and anti-cancer activity. Garlic's cardiovascular benefits are being confirmed by yet more studies. The analysis of sixteen trials, representing 952 subjects, covered in twenty-eight clinical studies found LDL cholesterol levels reduced, HDL levels increases, and triglycerides reduced. Garlic and the common cold One east way to experience garlic's effects for colds and coughs is to do a garlic steam. Simply take 6-8 cloves of chopped garlic, put in a bowl, pour boiling water over the garlic and put a plate or lid on the bowl to build up a head of steam. Then take a towel, cover your head and shoulders and the towel to make a tent. Remove the lid from the bowl and breathe in the steam. It will help to clear the lungs, and the sinuses very quickly. Warning! Warning! I know the readers are smart enough to know that steam is hot, and you should not put your face down in the bowl or directly into the steam, but just to cover my butt, I will tell you ... do not put your face in the hot bowl or steam. Of course, after the garlic steam, you can put the garlic in your chicken soup and get more benefit from the garlic. As I said before, the list of garlic uses could go on for many pages. I hope you will look into its many uses and enjoy the benefits of this simple plant. Besides, doesn't everybody love Italian food? Please send your questions on botanical remedies to Natures Rx : Jonathan Evans via e-mail at info@theherbarium.com, or by regular mail at The Herbarium, 264 Exchange Street, Chicopee, MA 01013. And remember to tune in to "Herbs for Health and Healing" Saturdays, 10 a.m. on WHYN 560AM