A Few Facts About Garlic - Good for More Than Just Smelly Breath

For more than 5000 years garlic has been valued for its healing properties and its ability to increase the body's strength and energy. It is said that the builders of the Giza pyramids in Egypt ate garlic to rejuvenate their bodies after the back-breaking work of daily building.

Garlic is a species of the onion family Alliaceae and it is a close relative of the onion, shallot, and leak. Garlic has a pungent "hot" flavor that mellows and sweetens during the cooking process. The most common part of the garlic that is used is the head of the garlic with the cloves that make it one complete unit. Garlic is believed to have originated in Central Asia. It is now grown all over the world, but it is most popular in China, the Mediterranean, and Latin America.

Garlic's essential oil has antiviral, antifungal, and antibiotic properties giving it many benefits. It is known to lower blood sugar levels, thin blood naturally, relieve coughs, and fight the common cold. In our household we make a healing immune boosting tea with garlic, pink grapefruit, lemons, onions, and honey. Not your typical tea, but it sure knocks the viruses and bacteria out the box.

Garlic is also a heart tonic, a natural mosquito repellent, a blood purifier, a bacteria killer, and so much more.

There are a few cautionary facts about garlic that everyone should be aware of. There is nothing to get in a panic about, but, take precaution all the same. As a good rule of thumb, it is good to remember that anything in excess is not good!

Eating a lot of garlic can give you bad breath and body odor. To lessen the effect, chew parsley, thyme, peppermint, or fennel seeds immediately after eating garlic. Brushing your teeth and rinsing with a mouthwash works as well.

It is also good to know that garlic can cause allergic reaction in some people. The statistics are low, but it can happen.

Eating too much raw at one time can cause nausea indigestion, heartburn, vomiting, or upset stomach. Garlic has also been known to interfere with some medications so make sure you stay knowledgeable about the medicines you are on.

All in all garlic is a great food with awesome benefits. It is useful for cooking, eating in the raw, and medicinal purposes. Garlic is a food that packs a wallop of a punch, not just in taste, but in overall use.