The information given is informative. In case of doubt, consult the doctor. "Botanical" is not responsible for damages caused by self-medication |
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A detail of the bulb |
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| Common noun:Garlic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scientific noun: Allium sativum L. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Family: Lily family- liliaceae | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Habitat: It is known from remote times, being you used by most of the cultures, from the old Egyptian, Roman, Greek until in the same India or Middle East. It seems that its origin is located in central Asia, from where it extended widely. It doesn't appear naturalized | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Characteristics : . Perennial plant of the Lily family Liliaceae - up to 1,5 m. Flat leaves till 8 mm wide. Greenish or whitish flowers , sometimes rosy, not very abundant (sometimes lacking ) that stand out with their long peduncle on a head of little bulbs, surrounded by a very long spathe. Bulb of garlic formed by a white cover inside which there are several little bulbs ( cloves ). |
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Components active principales: - Amino acids : Glutaminic acid, arginine, aspartic acid, leucine, lysine, valine...etc - Minerals: Mainly: manganese, potassium, calcium , phosphorus and ., in minor quantities: : magnesium, selenium. sodium, iron, zinc and copper. - Vitamins:Mainly : vitamin B6, also vitamin C and , in minor quantities, folic acid, panthotenic acid and niacin. - Essential oil with many sulphur-containg components: allyl disulfide, allyl trisulfide, etc -Alliin which, by means of enzyme alliinase, is converted into allicin. .- Ajoene, produced by allicin condensation.- Quercetin. -Sugars: fructose and glucose.
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Medicinal properties : Internal use: Blood circulation: The presence of sulphurous
components, together with alliin and ajoene, make it very important
by giving it anti-trombotic properties ( No formation of blood clots
) being very interesting to make blood more fluid and help to fight
against circulatory diseases: arteriosclerosis, cholesterol, hypertension,
angina pectoris and some other ones related with bad circulation,
such as haemorrhoids( Half a gram of tincture everyday.) (Eat
garlic raw in salads) (Maceration of 100 gr. of garlic with wine alcohol.
Take half a teaspoon before going to bed)
Diuretic:It helps
to get rid of body liquids, a very useful resource in case of rheumatism,
hidropesía, oedemas, y bladder. ( 6 drops a day of
liquid extract)
Bactericide: Having such a richness in sulphur-containing components, this plant, together with onion, becomes of the best natural remedies to cure infectious processes of respiratory tract.( Influenza, bronchitis, faringitis, etc..) digestive tract ( intestine putrefactions and diarrhea ) ( 7 drops of essential oil a day) It is very famous the story of the "Four thieves vinegar" telling us that in 1721 four men who were sentenced to death were give the opportunity to become free on condition that they buried people dead by pest in Marseilles . It seems that they never got infected because they drank wine, with garlic macerated in it. Digestive: It eases digestion by stimulating the liver, the gall bladder and the pancreas although its use should be avoided when existing hyperchloridia ( stomach acidity ) and also when having frail stomachs ( Eat it raw or crushed and mixed with butter.) Last trends: Anticancerous
: More recent studies seem to relate the consumption of garlic
with cancer inhibition. Sulphurous components are believed to
be responsible to avoid the developing of cancerous cells in stomach,
liver, etc. . Flavonoid quercetin, being a good antioxidant, is also
believed to play the same role.
External use Insect bites, fungi or skin diseases.:Its
bactericide properties make it a good disinfectant againstanimal
bites or stings especially from insects. Also very useful for skin
diseases, mainly infectious ones, such as fungi, ulcers or wounds..(
Moisten the affected zone with a compress, soaked in garlic tincture
or simply rub with the juice of a tender clove of garlic. I can also
be use to fight scabies (Rubbed the affected zone with an smashed
onion in olive oil. Do not apply on the rest of the skin, since it can
produce a sore on the skin ) or corns (Cataplasm of a clove of
garlic mixed with parsley only on the corn, not on the sorrounding skin)
( In external use, garlic can produce dermatitis
to some people) The bactericide properties of garlic were
conclusively proved in the last Second World Wars, when the juice of
this plant was used to disinfect the soldiers' wounds.
Other uses Food: It should never be absent from meals. It should be eaten raw, because cooking destroys its essential components. It is advised to eat it raw in salads.
Chemical composition of garlic for every 100 gr. is formed by the following elements:
Toxicity: Considering the blood fluidification power of garlic, some precautions should be considered:
In any case it is convenient to consult the doctor, chemist or dieticiam to avoid possible contraindications . By no means , one should take different preparations of the same product ( capsules, tinctures, extracts...etc) In order to attain a safer use it is better to take this product without any preparation.
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Cultivation tips:
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