In 1861, John Gunn assembled a medical book for use in the home, The New Domestic Physician, “with directions for using medicinal plants and the simplest and best new remedies.” The history of herbalism is closely tied with the history of medicine from prehistoric times up until the development of the germ theory of disease in the 19th century. “Arthritis and Garlic”. But who knows what old and new virtues Garlic researchers may discover in the future. Here's how this alternative medicine works: Healing Properties. The most famous figures in the history of health and healing strongly advocated garlic for many ills. Garlic’s health benefits have been recognized and recorded for more than three thousand years. Papyri from Ancient Egypt in1555 BC classified coriander, fennel, juniper, cumin, garlic and thyme as health promoting spices (3). Web. April 2017, Forman, Adrienne. Garlic and History Garlic has been revered as an offering fit for the gods and despised as a substance suitable only to be fed to hogs. Most of the health benefits of garlic come from the sulphur containing compounds. Recent scientific research has shown that garlic has many health benefits such as boosting your immune system, improving cardiovascular health, helping to fight colds and flu, and reducing inflammation. Let’s hope this natural medicine research trend continues long into the future. April 2017, Yeh YY and Liu L. “Cholesterol-lowering effects of garlic extracts and organosulfur compounds: human and animal studies”. Other prominent Greeks used garlic to treat heart problems, as well. In New England, during colonial times, garlic cloves were used against smallpox, rheumatism, intestinal worms and whooping cough sufferers. Garlic has long been used as a safe medicinal plant in holistic medicine for people and pets and its therapeutic effects are recorded in many well researched publications and pharmacopœias. HISTORY OF GARLIC Nutritionally speaking, we are living in the most exciting era, in the history of the world because we live in a era nutritional awareness. Feb 9, 2016 - The Amazing Health Benefits of Garlic. display: none !important; A study conducted in the San Francisco Bay area found that pancreatic cancer risk was 54 percent lower in people who ate larger amounts of garlic compared with those who ate lower amounts.”2.  =  There are two popular varieties Garlic (Alium Sativum) And Wild Garlic (Alium Ursinum). Garlic kills a wide range of microbes, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites, and can be effective against conditions such as athletes foot and thrush (a fungal infection of the mouth), viral diarrhea, and the ulcer-causing bacteria Helicobacter pylori. One of the oldest uses for garlic, which has been proven, is as an antibiotic. Most modern research has been done on Garlic’s potential to reduce heart disease. Fresh garlic is always better to use as it had higher potency. Because garlic has so many name variations in such diverse cultures, it is certain that the plant has been under cultivation for a long time. Garlic Contains Compounds With Potent Medicinal Properties. Garlic was used as a medicine against plagues that struck London in the 17th century and France in the 18th century. Garlic: The Plant and History 6. Learn how your comment data is processed. It was used to treat wounds, fight infection, cure leprosy, and ease digestive disorders. When platelets are too sticky, they stick to the artery walls and contribute to clogged arteries. Dioscorides (1st century A.D.), the founder of the modern pharmacy, dispensed garlic to treat rabid dog bites, snake bites, infections, bronchitis and coughs, leprosy, and clogged arteries, as well as other conditions. Besides cooking Garlic (Allium sativum), has also been used as a medicine throughout ancient and modern history; it has benefits due to the presence of the sulfur-containing … Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should seek a diagnosis from a reputable healthcare practitioner or physician. Garlic was in use at the beginning of recorded history and was found in Egyptian pyramids and ancient Greek temples. Garlic History In Ancient Greece Garlic was used for various reasons throughout the ancient Greece. The use of Garlic by the pyramid builders, who believed garlic gave them greater strength, is inscribed on the Great Pyramid of Cheops. People used to use it as a food as well as medicine for treating health conditions. Garlic taken orally (by mouth) has been used in alternative medicine as a possibly effective aid in treating high blood pressure, coronary artery disease (hardened arteries), stomach cancer, colon cancer or rectal cancer, and in preventing tick bites. Your email address will not be published. There is also some evidence that Garlic supplements can lower blood pressure, by dilating or expanding blood vessels. The uses of garlic has a very long and exciting history. During World War II, Garlic was known as “Russian penicillin” because it was so effective in treating wound infections when adequate antibiotics were not available. Garlic has been intensively studied, and numerous large studies have shown that taking supplements that mimic fresh garlic can significantly lower LDL cholesterol levels without hurting beneficial HDL cholesterol levels. It is released only upon digestion, so your body makes and uses the allicin more efficiently. You must be careful, however, not to take excess amounts of Garlic or Garlic supplements. Interest in the potential benefits of garlic has origins in antiquity and is one of the earliest documented examples of plants employed for treatment of disease and maintenance of health. You can tweet me on Twitter, message me on Google+ or my Contact page. Garlic was used during World War I to treat battle wounds and to cure dysentery. It’s quite possible that the history of garlic will include the solution to the impending superbug crisis. )But in the meantime, this post is all about garlic’s … In his ‘Natural History,’ Pliny the Elder (23-79) offered a very long list of scenarios in which garlic would be beneficial. “Several population studies show an association between increased intake of garlic and reduced risk of certain cancers, including cancers of the stomach, colon, esophagus, pancreas, and breast. Those closest to you, proximately and intimately, will appreciate it. Garlic is one of the oldest known food flavoring and seasoning plants that managed to infuse itself into the culinary traditions of many civilizations across the world. How Stuff Works: Health, n.d. The best estimate is that by or before 2000 BC, garlic was in wide use in China and formed part of the daily diet, particularly when consumed together with raw meat (Kahn 1996, Moyers 1996). Louis Pasteur first discovered that garlic was a powerful antimicrobial in 1858. But only fresh Garlic or supplements that mimic fresh have these effects. The use of garlic as a food and as a medicinal agent has ancient origins in Asia. Garlic has a strong anti-bacterial properties. Around the same time, a leading English physician named Sydenham also used Garlic to cure smallpox. People who suffer from arthritis might be able to lead a more pain-free life by adding garlic to their diets.”1. Journal of Nutrition, March 2001. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Throughout ancient and modern times, garlic was prescribed and utilized to prevent and … Garlic remained in the realm of medicine for most of the 19th century. Garlick, from The Herbal by John Gerard, 1597. For centuries, orthodox medicine, has kept us in the dark by the outdated Pasteurian concept, that germs are vicious invaders. Web. Potentially a powerful antibiotic. Do not exceed the recommended dose and do not take with prescription blood thinners, without consulting a healthcare professional. Overview Information Garlic is an herb that is grown around the world. From about 1000 B.C, Homer wrote in Odyssey that garlic was used as a part of entertainment by Nestor. Another paper published by the same researchers demonstrated garlic’s effectiveness against E. coli, another dangerous germ linked to bacterial food poisoning.”3. I’ve got a guest post up on Books, Health and History, the New York Academy of Medicine’s blog, based on Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine.I’ll be speaking there on Monday, June 5, about the whole history of garlic (to read more about this lecture and to register, go HERE. According to some records and documents of 5000 years ago, garlic was used by people to treat many illnesses and diseases. The list of what Pliny didn’t think Garlic could cure would be shorter. “A study performed at the University of Washington found that garlic was an effective treatment against certain types of bacteria, like c. jejeuni, commonly linked to food poisoning. Nonetheless, whether or not garlic can cure rabies or leprosy remains to be seen. Also, since Garlic will make breath and sweat smell unpleasant, you should take a chlorophyll supplement or eat fresh leafy green vegetables or parsley with the Garlic. Records from that time also note that laborers who constructed the Great Pyramid of Cheops consumed onion and garlic as a means to promote health. April 2017, Your email address will not be published.  −  … Evidence also suggests that increased garlic consumption may reduce pancreatic cancer risk. April 2017, Ehrlich, Steven D, NMD. Garlic has a long history of use as a food and medicine. In the Egyptian “Ebers Codex,” written in 1550 B.C., there were 22 different medicinal formulations that included Garlic. And Garlic helps prevent blood clots, reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke, by decreasing the stickiness of platelets – tiny, disk-shaped bodies in the blood that are necessary for blood clotting. I'm the writer, editor and content manager for Holistic Health & Living blog, and the sole writer, narrator and animator for the Holistic Health & Living YouTube channel. A member of the Allium family, it’s a close relative of onions, shallots, leeks, and chives.The benefits of garlic don’t end with adding flavor to food, it’s a legitimate superfood that has been used for an … The Garlic Crescent, a region that spans across Asia and west to the Mediterranean, is where the origins of garlic began, courtesy ... Modern day medicine reveres garlic for its health benefits but this notion isn’t new by any means. Garlic, an Edible Biography: How the World's Most Pungent Food Changed the Course of History, Medicine, and Cuisine But this is not a modern development or discovery. 12th Century writer Alexander Neckam recommended it as a palliative for the heat of the sun in field labor. Allicin Facts, n.d. It is related to onion, leeks, and chives. April 2017, 2 ”Garlic and Cancer Prevention”. 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