Garlic: Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

Garlic

Garlic has long been considered a herbal "wonder drug", with a reputation in folklore for preventing everything from the common cold and flu to the Plague! Research confirms that extracts from garlic can fight a variety of bacteria, including staphylococcus and streptococcus which are two of the more common disease-causing organisms in humans.

Some of the benefits are garlic include:

Lower total cholesterol while raising the good-type HDL cholesterol
Produce more "natural killer" cells in the blood that will tackle infections and tumours
Lower blood pressure
Reduce the risk of blood clots
Destroy infection causing viruses and bacteria
Regulation of stomach function
Improvement of blood circulation
Fight colds, flu, sore throat, and other types of infections.
Control athlete's foot, swimmer's ear (otomycosis), and other fungal skin infections.

Recommendation:
It's a good idea to take garlic with food to buffer its strong odor and aftertaste.

Y's Guy · **Site Rank:** Moderator

You forgot about it's ability to ward off vampires...

Yeah Garlic!!!

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

Sorry about that. I forgot about garlic's special vampire powers.

joebert · **Site Rank:** Moderator

Garlic also wards off mosquitoes.
They're not technicaly vampires, but they're close enough.

HealthyPals · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

joebert wrote:

Garlic also wards off mosquitoes.

Really? Is there some sort of garlic spray or do mosquitoes stay away from you if you take the supplement?

Ziggy · **Site Rank:** Healthy BBF

HealthyPals wrote:

joebert wrote:

Garlic also wards off mosquitoes.

Really? Is there some sort of garlic spray or do mosquitoes stay away from you if you take the supplement?

I looked up your question about garlic warding off mosquitoes and I found this info on it...

Eating garlic may repel other humans, but apparently not mosquitoes.

Just about the only food or beverage that has been shown to have an effect on mosquitoes when ingested by humans is alcohol - it attracts them.

Typically, mosquitoes locate their victims by seeking out body heat, lactic acid and carbon dioxide. People who are attacked less, studies show, appear to have genes that make them better able to disguise themselves. So far, the substance known to block mosquitoes' powers of detection the best is DEET, which acts by blinding their senses.

I think there is a garlic mosquito repellent, but why bother, especially if it cost more than DEET.

Ziggy · **Site Rank:** Healthy BBF

Side Effects and Cautions of Garlic

Garlic appears to be safe for most adults.

Side effects include breath and body odor, heartburn, upset stomach, and allergic reactions. These side effects are more common with raw garlic.

Garlic can thin the blood (reduce the ability of blood to clot) in a manner similar to aspirin. This effect may be a problem during or after surgery. Use garlic with caution if you are planning to have surgery or dental work, or if you have a bleeding disorder. A cautious approach is to avoid garlic in your diet or as a supplement for at least 1 week before surgery.

Garlic has been found to interfere with the effectiveness of saquinavir, a drug used to treat HIV infection. Its effect on other drugs has not been well studied.

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

Quote:

Eating garlic may repel other humans, but apparently not mosquitoes.

Just about the only food or beverage that has been shown to have an effect on mosquitoes when ingested by humans is alcohol - it attracts them.

Maybe that is why mosquitoes never bother me... I rarely drink alcohol!

Ziggy · **Site Rank:** Healthy BBF

tammy wrote:

Quote:

Eating garlic may repel other humans, but apparently not mosquitoes.
Just about the only food or beverage that has been shown to have an effect on mosquitoes when ingested by humans is alcohol - it attracts them.

Maybe that is why mosquitoes never bother me... I rarely drink alcohol!

Yeah, but that doesn't make sense though, because I rarely drink alcohol either, and mosquitoes will find me and bite the heck out of me, and they won't touch my husband, and he drinks all the time.

joebert · **Site Rank:** Moderator

I never get bitten by mosquitoes when I drink alcohol either, though, I probably wouldn't realize it if I did. lol

And I stand by garlic warding off mosquitoes.

Y's Guy · **Site Rank:** Moderator

So if you're the type to stay cool under pressure then you don't get bitten... Maybe the beer is cooling down your husbands body temp and you are not getting as cooled down as him and since mosquitoes are attracted to body heat, they see you and not the guy chilling with the cool refreshing beverage in his hand.

When I drink my ears get so red and hot... it is like a magnet for mosquitoes regardless of if I put on bug spray or not! I have to wear a hat and tuck in my ears when I drink outside during the summers for that reason.

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