Garlic may also bolster the immune system as a whole, which could mean garlic could help the body fight off illnesses that modern antibiotics aren’t appropriate for. You can find many supplements on the market which contain garlic. Quite often it’s mixed with Echinacea, which also acts to boost the immune system.

You don’t have to wait until you’re in the throes of a cold or the flu to start taking garlic. In fact, if you start taking garlic pills or eating garlic regularly, before you catch a cold or flu, it may be even more effective by preventing the infection in the first place.

Some research recommends taking large amounts of garlic to reduce recovery time if you get sick, but you may want to discuss doing so with a doctor, since garlic tablets can interfere with some prescriptions, particularly with regard to how they interact in the stomach and are digested.

Eating raw garlic is probably the best way to get the most benefit from it; however, making a tincture of 1/4 pound of peeled and separated garlic in 1/2 quart of brandy might be less offensive to others.

Place the ingredients in a clean glass jar with a lid. Seal the jar tightly and shake the mixture every day for two weeks. After the time is up, strain the jar and put the tincture in a bottle with a dropper. Take 25-30 drops a day to build up immunity.

You can also make a cough syrup out of garlic. Slice a pound of garlic and place it into a glass bowl. Pour one quart of boiling water over it and allow it to sit for 12 hours. Drain the water and add sugar to it until a syrup consistency is obtained. You can also add honey to make it taste better. Use this in place of over-the-counter cough syrups.

While you can get odorless garlic tablets so your breath isn’t offensive, some of the essential ingredients which make garlic beneficial are removed in these. Taking enteric-coated garlic tablets will enable the garlic to remain intact until it reaches the location in the digestive tract where flu bugs, or viruses, reside.

If you’ve wondered how garlic can fight off flu bugs, it does so by having antibacterial, antiviral, and antibiotic properties. Start taking garlic before the cold weather sets in, to build up your immune system. If you do get a cold or the flu, keep taking it. The illness may not stick around as long as if you fight it with garlic.

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The cold and flu season is upon us and many people prefer to use natural methods to fend off germs and stay well. You may have heard about effective natural remedies. One of the suggested remedies is garlic. Can garlic fight off cold and flu bugs to keep you feeling great during the colder months of the year?

Flu, no matter which strain, can be dangerous if your body is already weakened due to other medical conditions or a weakened immune system. However, most people who come down with the flu usually recover within a week or so.

Of course, you know to cover your mouth if you sneeze or cough, wash your hands often, get plenty of fluids, eat a healthy diet, and get plenty of rest when you feel a cold or flu coming on. You can also add garlic to your repertoire of cold and flu season remedies.

Garlic has been used for hundreds of years in herbal medicine because it is a broad spectrum antibiotic. While doctors won’t generally prescribe antibiotics for viruses, garlic is much more than an antibiotic. The compound allicin has powerful antibacterial and antiviral properties which may provide more benefits than fighting off a flu bug.

People have discovered what their ancestors knew a long time ago:  the earth can be used to heal the people who live on it.   Some remedies for cuts, scrapes, cold, fever and internal ailments are as close as the kitchen in your home.  Two of those cures are found in honey and garlic.

Bees have known since the beginning of time that they were special.  They spend their entire lives gathering pollen to create nectar and turn it into honey.  You enjoy the sweet-tasting fruit of their labors in your tea and desserts, but what about when you are sick?  Honey has a wide range of applications for curing what ails you.

Honey has properties to fight infections in the body.  When you cut yourself, apply a little honey to the wound to kill any bacteria in the vicinity.  It is sticky and dries quickly to form a seal over whatever it is resting on.  If it happens to be your scrape or cut, honey can be just as good if not better than a bandage for keeping dirt and bugs out of a healing wound.

Honey has been added to tea to soothe tired vocal cords and reduce the irritation of a sore throat.  Forget the tea and eat a spoonful of honey every day to induce a restful night of sleep and keep your immune system operating at optimal levels.  That same spoonful of honey can turn that irritating cough into a productive one by loosening mucous secretions.  Mix it with vinegar and apple juice for a stomach soother.

What about garlic?  It is not a desirable smell on your breath, but it does wonders for your body.  Garlic and onions are from the same family of plants that contain a substance called allicin.  This substance has been found to lower blood cholesterol, blood pressure and cut the symptoms of a cold.  Those who ingest garlic regularly are doing a good thing for their heart and vascular systems.

The best way to get garlic is to include it in your diet.  Pills are a second choice, but the garlic tastes so much better sprinkled on a baked potato or baked into a steak.  Garlic is activated when it is cut; that is when the smell of the allicin is given off.

Garlic is known to be an anti-microbial agent, fighting bacteria, fungus and viral infections.  It strengthens the immune system to fight colds and their symptoms.  Eating hot soup infused with garlic keeps the body strong against colds, flu and sinus issues.   You can use garlic in a paste or poultice directly on the body to aid in healing of cuts.

Garlic has a strong odor but it also does a mighty job.  Add a little garlic to your daily menu to keep the body healthy proactively.  As for honey, just ask a bee how helpful it is.

Ingredients for about 1 cup of pesto:
2 cups cilantro leaves
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil (preferably extra virgin)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced

How To:
Place the cilantro leaves and the minced garlic in the bowl of a food processor and with the motor running carefully and slowly add the lemon juice and olive oil until you get a smooth paste.

Put the pesto into a serving bowl and add the salt and pepper. Cover and chill until needed.

The pesto will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.

The cilantro pesto is delicious when added to whole wheat spaghetti and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. It can also be used as a dip and served with Black Bean nachos.

The Benefits of Allium Vegetables 2

Including Allium Vegetables in Your Diet

With all of these health benefits, it’s easy to see why doctors recommend making allium vegetables a regular part of one’s diet.

Garlic offers the most health benefits when eaten raw, and may be added to salads. When cooked, it is often used in Italian and Mediterranean dishes. The only downside is the smell.

Onions are often consumed raw in salads and on sandwiches, but they may also be sauteed or added to recipes such as in a quiche or a stew. Again, the only downside is the smell. Otherwise, they are also rich in Vitamin C.

Some people, however, simply do not like the taste of garlic or onions. Fortunately, there are other plants in the allium family to choose from, and some are relatively mild.

Chives are colorful, green, and have no real smell, just a nicely pungent taste. Chives are popular additions to dips and baked potatoes.

Scallions are a popular alternative to regular onions. They are actually immature bulbing onion plants that are harvested before the bulb has had a chance to fully form. Allium fistulosum, or bunching onions, produce scallions with a pleasantly mild flavor.

Leeks also have a milder taste, and are not as bitter as scallions. Leeks are often used in making soup, and you can make a delicious soup and inexpensive soup without any other vegetables or meats. Or leeks may be used in potato soup or vichyssoise. Leeks are excellent in quiches and pies as well.

There are many ways you can include allium vegetables in your diet. By doing so, you can decrease your risk for several serious health problems.

Even if onions bring tears to your eyes and the thought of eating garlic makes you cringe, there are other allium vegetable options that may be more to your liking, for great health benefits.

The Benefits of Allium Vegetables 1

We’ve all heard about the importance of eating our vegetables. They are good sources of many of the vitamins and minerals we need. But there’s a certain group of vegetables that provide special health benefits called allium vegetables. Studies have shown that allium vegetables have some pretty remarkable effects upon health and well-being.

Allium vegetables are members of the of the plant genus Allium. They include strongly scented and distinctively flavored veggies such as:

* garlic
* onions
* leeks
* shallots
* chives

These are popular ingredients in traditional and vegetarian meals, and in stews and pastas, as well as stirfry.  They are common enough, and very inexpensive, but few people realize just how much these vegetables have to offer.
Allium vegetables are amongst the oldest cultivated plants in the world. They have been used medicinally and in cooking for centuries. They are high in sulfur compounds, which have been used to prevent and help treat a variety of ailments. These include:

* Cancer (particularly stomach and colon cancer)

* Coronary heart disease

* Obesity

* Type 2 diabetes

* Hypertension

* Cataracts

* Gastrointestinal disturbances

Herbalists often use garlic against infection. It is a powerful antibacterial and antifungal agent, and is believed to even be effective against viruses. It has been used against parasites in the intestinal tract, and as an anticoagulant to prevent blood clots.

Garlic is truly a multi-purpose herb.  While a link with heart health has yet to be proven, you will find many garlic supplements on the market which make these claims.

Garlic pills have an advantage in that you will tend not to have bad breath after having consumed them, but there is nothing better than getting the whole vegetable into your diet