The cold weather of the winter months can bring some awful winter bugs such as the common cold and flu, the weather itself is not a cause of these common illnesses, it does, however, cause other factors to change,such as people staying indoors, increasing close contact with others, we naturally become more lazy in winter (due to our instincts preparing us to hibernate) and a lack of regular exercise weakens the immune system substantially,these factors mean that viruses are easily spread from person to person, as a result of which big pharma have introduced many different types of injections and medications to “prevent” these illnesses being spread, or to deal with the symptoms when they arise. Companies such as nurofens’ net revenue increased by 7 percent to £2.5 billion in the first 3 months of 2013 due to the prolonged winter.
However, Garlic has been used for over 3’000 years as a medicinal vegetable to treat respiratory problems, parasites, poor digestion and fatigue, even Hippocrates (known as the “father” of western medicine) promoted the therapeutic benefits of garlic.
It was used by the original Olympic athletes in Ancient Greece as a performance enhancing agent for their competitions; this is possibly the earliest example of anything being used to boost physical performance.
Garlic has been proven to treat fevers, coughs, headaches, stomach aches,congestion, gout, rheumatism, hemorrhoids, asthma, bronchitis, shortness of breath, high blood pressure, blood sugar problems and is also used for fighting stress and fatigue. There are even people that apply garlic topically to their skin to treat fungal infections, warts and corns, and whilst there is some evidence garlic can be used for fungal infections such as ringworm, jock itch and athletes’ foot, the effectiveness of garlic against warts and corns has not yet been confirmed.
In a 2001 study scientists and medical professionals compared the effects of a garlic supplement which contained Allicin (an organosulfur compound obtained from garlic, which has been studied and proven to have antibacterial and antiviral activities, and has even shown promise in the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)) and a placebo on the common cold, study participants in the supplement group were less likely to develop the symptoms of the common cold, and those that did were quicker to recover.
Garlic is also a fantastic source of vitamin B6, which is required for a healthy immune system and is used to make the growth of new cells more efficient, a Vit b6 deficiency can lead to several conditions including; Skin discomfort, breathing problems, fatigue, fluctuations in appetite to name a few. It also aids the nerve cells within the brain, allowing for memories to be formed more easily, helping combat the effects of insomnia,numbness and forgetfulness.
However, large doses of garlic can be detrimental to your health, as a result it is recommended that adults consume no more than one clove two or three times a day and children no more than a quarter to a half clove, once or twice a day. As medicinal levels of garlic, fresh garlic in particular, has blood thinning effects, which may exacerbate bleeding disorders and too high levels of garlic can actually irritate the gastrointestinal tract.
All in all Garlic has the potential to be a wonderful medicine provided it is used with a certain level of common sense and intelligence, and can be easily incorporated into your diet on a day to day basis to reap its benefits more easily than sitting down and eating a whole clove of raw garlic. Why not give it a go for the coming winter months and see how you feel, what have you got to lose?
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allicin
www.livestrong.com/article/531976-does-garlic-help-boost-your-immune-system/
http://www.naturalblaze.com/2013/04/10-amazing-health-benefits-of-garlic.html
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265853.php
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-300-GARLIC.aspx?activeIngredientId=300&activeIngredientName=GARLIC
http://www.beta-glucan-info.com/immune_system_support_winter_season.htm
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-2312916/Prolonged-winter-helps-Strepsil-Nurofen-maker-2-5bn-revenue-growh.html
http://vitaminb6benefits.com/benefits-of-vitamin-b6
http://www.naturalnews.com/036286_blood_thinners_natural_remedies_alternatives.html
