You’re probably familiar with garlic for it’s pungent flavor and lovely flavor notes when used as a common food seasoning, but did you know that it can also be taken internally, in raw form, as a broad spectrum natural antibiotic?
When garlic is used internally or even topically it has been proven to kill many types of bacteria. Garlic gets it’s powerful antibiotic effect from a compound called alliin which is a volatile oil which gives garlic its pungent taste. When garlic is either chopped or crushed, alliin turns into another substance, called allicin, which contains the powerful antibacterial properties you’re looking for when using it as an antibiotic.
There are dozens of ways to use garlic as antibiotic, here are just a few of the most powerful ones:
Raw Garlic
Chew on a raw, peeled cloves of garlic. The allisin will be absorbed directly into your bloodstream by your tongue and cheeks. If the taste is too strong you can chop a clove into smaller pieces and swallow these as you would tablets. Take 3 to 5 cloves a day.
Garlic & Honey
Combine garlic with honey to make a natural cough syrup. Peel and crush 4 cloves. Add a tablespoon of honey to the crushed garlic and blend thoroughly. Take one teaspoonful 3 times a day. Garlic honey also works well for a sore throat.
Homemade Ear Drops
Use garlic oil to make homemade ear drops. Note: this remedy needs to be made ahead of time. First, peel and crush 5 garlic cloves. Place the crushed garlic in a jar and add 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Let the mixture steep for three to five days at room temperature. Strain and store in the refrigerator for up to six months. Place 2 to 3 drops into the infected ear and loosely plug it with a cotton ball. Use this three times a day for up to 4 days.
Garlic Tea
Peel and chop 6 cloves of garlic. Place 2 cups of water and chopped garlic in a saucepan and bring to a boil. After boiling, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in honey and lemon juice to taste. Strain into a warmed teapot. Sip half a cup three times a day. You may drink it hot or cold. Refrigerate the remaining tea for later use.
Tip
Crushing, bruising, chopping, and chewing garlic releases and activates allicin, its antibiotic component. Eat garlic raw for maximum effectiveness. Garlic is at its medicinal best when eaten raw; cooking it tends to destroy allicin. Obtain your olive oil from an unopened bottle unless you have a open bottle has been refrigerated.
Warning
Take great care when applying garlic directly to the skin, as it may cause burns. Don’t use garlic as a remedy if you are on blood thinning medication Don’t use garlic oil for an external ear infection or if you have a punctured eardrum.
There are many benefits of using garlic as an antibiotic, including:
⦁ Bronchitis or persistent cough
⦁ Bladder infections
⦁ Sinus infection
⦁ Particularly long, low grade chronic infection
Other benefits of garlic include:
⦁ Heart benefits
⦁ Prevents blood clots
⦁ Lowers blood pressure
⦁ Fights yeast infection
⦁ Kills parasites
⦁ Lowers cholesterol
⦁ Lowers blood sugar
⦁ Prevents food poisoning
⦁ Anti-cancer properties
Common mistakes to avoid include:
Cooking Garlic Before Using It
Cooked garlic can be lovely as flavouring for your food, but when you cook garlic you lose some of the active ingredient a.k.a. allicin, a sulfer-containing compound found in raw garlic. Allicin is activated when raw garlic is chopped, crushed or chewed – but is deactivated by heat. The best way to consume garlic in order to get the maximum healing factor from it is to eat it raw 10 minutes after crushing or chopping it.
Taking Garlic In Pill Form
Many people are put off by the smell and taste of raw garlic, and so opt to take it in the form of a pill. This is an easy fix, but as is often the case, the easy fix is less effective. Dried garlic is often heat- treated, which destroys the active ingredient allicin – just as with cooked garlic. For best results, fresh, uncooked garlic is the way to go.
Using Garlic That Is No Longer Fresh
Fresh garlic is a much healthier option that garlic that has been sitting out for a long time. You can tell if garlic is fresh by slicing it open down the middle – if there is a green strip running through the centre of the clove, the garlic is fresh.
Not Taking Enough Garlic
A therapeutic dose of garlic is generally larger than most people think it is – one clove of garlic a day won’t make much difference when you’re trying to fight off an infection. You’ll want to take two to three average to large-sized cloves each day.
Not Replenishing Stomach Flora
As a natural antibiotic, garlic can affect your stomach flora, depleting friendly bacteria and upsetting the delicate balance of your intestines. The best way to deal with this is by eating plenty of fermented foods – these contain vital probiotics to help replenish your natural bacteria stores. Kombucha, yogurt, kefir, fermented vegetables like sauerkraut and kimchi, and miso are among the foods you’ll want to try to take care of your intestines while taking garlic as an antibiotic.
Not Eating Healthy Enough
Garlic is a powerful natural antibiotic, but it can’t do all the work of fighting off illness on its own. It’s important to pair garlic with a healthy diet for the best possible effect. Try eliminating processed foods and refined sugars from your diet, and instead include plenty of fruits, vegetables, and healthy oils. Getting plenty of water is vital as well.
Warning
If you suffer from reflux or indigestion, or if you’re taking blood-thinning medications, talk to your doctor about how garlic might affect you.
Ingredients:
⦁ 1-2 cloves of garlic
Instructions:
- Chop a teaspoon amount, let sit for 5-10 min for allicin to activate with oxygen
⦁ Take 3x a day for low grade chronic infections
⦁ For acute Infection increase to 3 T a day
⦁ Take with food to prevent nausea