Garlic, Heart Disease, Cancer and the Common Cold

"Garlic"
Complementary Medicine, Medical Reference, University of Minnesota Medical Center

"...Garlic has been used as both food and medicine in many cultures for thousands of years, dating back to when the Egyptian pyramids were built. In early 18th -century France, gravediggers drank a concoction of crushed garlic in wine they believed would protect them from the plague that killed many people in Europe. More recently, during both World Wars I and II, soldiers were given garlic to prevent gangrene...."

Today, garlic is used to help prevent heart disease, and may fight cancer.

The stuff's rich in antioxidants, and smells to high heaven. I like it, but my wife doesn't like the smell, so it's not on the family's menu. We'll probably survive, anyway.

Garlic even works against the common cold. No kidding: there was a study on it. It's not 100% effective - but but it does work.

The U. of M. Medical Center's a traditional Western organization, so there's the customary "precautions" statement:

"...The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the body and treating disease. Herbs, however, contain components that can trigger side effects and that can interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, herbs should be taken with care, under the supervision of a health care provider qualified in the field of botanical medicine...."

What impresses me is that medical doctors are actually acknowledging that herbs may be beneficial. I remember when paying doctors to prescribe pills was "scientific" - and healing arts we'd been using for millannia were dismissed as "old wives' tales."

I think it may have helped that some "old wives" were (finally) allowed to get medical degrees. Which is another topic.