The Importance of Garlic

Most people have read about the beneficial effects of garlic. It is a natural antibiotic, lowers blood pressure, may help fight cancer, and has many other beneficial effects.

Stephen Foster said, “If you understand the uses of garlic, you understand 50% of all herbal medicine.”

Garlic is good for you! Louis Pasteur was an early scientist to use garlic in scientific experiments. He found that putting a bit of garlic in a petri dish full of bacteria would quickly kill the bacteria.

Research has shown that certain compounds in garlic (allyl-cysteine, and ajoene) can be beneficial to our health. Garlic is an effective antibiotic, an anti-viral and anti-fungal agent, and probably an immune system enhancer. Some studies have found lower rates of certain types of cancer in people who consume large amounts of garlic. Other studies show garlic can reduce LDL or “bad” cholesterol. Lots of garlic information is available on the Internet at www.garlic.com or www.garlicpage.com.

The saying goes, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Well, garlic every day keeps everybody away! Some people are allergic to garlic. To learn more about garlic and health, check out the book, The Healing Power of Garlic, by Paul Bergner. He discusses when NOT to use garlic, and when to use raw vs. cooked garlic. Order from the Giving & Sharing website, www.giveshare.org/amazon/health, or send $20 to me for your copy.

If I am sick with a flu, I try to “stoke up” with raw garlic placed between bread and butter. This is strong medicine! Germs do not like garlic!

When we moved into our current home in Wyoming, I was working up the garden spot in the back yard, when I noticed a strange smell coming from what looked like grass. It turned out to be a mild wild garlic. I have cultivated and grown it ever since. I like it much better than Egyptian “multiplier” garlic which is too strong for me. My garlic survives even Wyoming’s frigid winters. I enjoy the garlic pearl beads, the seeds which are produced on the tops of the plant, to garnish salads and to add to stir fry vegetables. Garlic, with olive oil, is a key element to savory cooking, plus it is healthy for you.

If you would like a small sample of some of these garlic beads, which can be the basis for a perennial garlic garden where you live, please write me, Richard Nickels, 3316 Alberta Drive, Gillette, WY 82718.