The Miracle of Garlic

Garlic has been used for many years to prevent health problems including colds, flu, menstrual pain, high blood pressure, coughs, gastrointestinal problems, atherosclerosis, and bronchitis. Garlic has been proven to kill various fungal infections, viruses, bacteria, and intestinal parasites. Also labeled as an antioxidant, garlic may help prevent certain cancers such as colon cancer and can improve the effectiveness of the immune system.

Garlic is most popular for its effectiveness of cardiovascular wellness. Garlic is effective treating atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, respiratory infections, and triglyceride levels.

Alliin is the primary ingredient found in garlic. This chemical is similar chemically to cysteine, an amino acid containing sulfur, and possesses no odor. After garlic is crushed, alliin is to converted into allicin, the compound that gives garlic its strong smell and numerous health benefits.

Side Effects and Possible Interactions

Garlic supplements are said to have to side effects other than the strong odor.

The combination of using garlic and warfarin may result in a greater risk of bleeding. Large doses of garlic should not be ingested when using warfarin, indomethacin, dipyridamole, aspirin, or other medications that thin the blood.

Dosage and Administration

Garlic is most commonly taken daily in capsule form containing between 1000 and 3000 mg. 0.03 to 0.12 mL of garlic oil can be taken three times a day.

Other benefits include soothing colds, helping wounds or abscesses heal, reducing gum inflammation, treating skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema, and treating ulcerative colitis. Chamomile can also be taken as teas, soaks, or ointments to treat children’s maladies like chicken pox, diaper rash, and colic. Generally, chamomile is taken as soon as symptoms manifest themselves. If it is taken for ulcers, heartburn, or other serious problems and symptoms persist, see a professional as soon as possible.

German chamomile consists of 1-2% volatile oils like alpha-bisabolol, alpha-bisabolol oxides A & B, and matricin (usually converted to chamazulene), and other active ingredients like apigenin, luteolin, and quercetin, which are flavonoids. All of these make chamomile effective in treating inflammation, muscle pain, spasms, and as a relaxant.

Dosage and Administration

1-2 milliliters of the glycerate type of German chamomile can be used 1-2 times per day as an antispasmodic or anti-inflammatory. When it’s taken for ulcers, stomach disorders, heartburn, or gas, 2-3 grams of German chamomile can be brewed into a tea by steeping in boiling water for 10 minutes. The tea can be taken regularly, up to four times per day.

To soothe lungs in extremely cold temperatures, add a few drops of essential oil to boiling water and breathe deeply.

To treat hemorrhoids, wounds, skin disorders, or insect bites, pour a quarter-pound of dried blossoms into a bath and soak. Or, use alcohol extracts of chamomile in the bath.

Side Effects and Precautions

Chamomile can be used internally or externally, but keep it away from the eyes.

Chamomile has a long history of use in Europe for digestive ailments. The active constiuents of chamomile have anti-inflammatory properties, and ease spasm and discomfort in the digestive tract.

• Indigestion
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Canker sores
• Colic
• Conjunctivitis, eye irritations
• Crohn’s disease
• Diarrhea
• Eczema
• Gingivitis
• Hemorrhoids
• Menstrual disorders
• Migraine
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Peptic ulcer
• Skin irritations
• Ulcerative colitis
• Minor wounds

The compound found in goldenseal is called Berberine, which is the same compound responsible for the goldenseal’s medicinal characteristics. This compound is responsible for killing a variety of germs and can also be characterized as an antibacterial, which kills things like parasites, giardia, and tapeworms and can fight yeast infections. Researchers suspect Berberine, the active ingredient in this herb, to have the ability to activate white blood cells, which help them fight infections more effectively. Berberine is considered to be an internal and external disinfectant.

Dosage:

This herb can be extracted and put into several different application forms, the most common one being in capsule form. The recommended daily dosage is 4-6 grams daily. In a less common form of ingestion, the liquid form, doctors recommend 2-4 ml of goldenseal three times per day.

The use of this extract should not occur for more than three consecutive weeks and usage should not occur for a minimum of two weeks before ingesting goldenseal again.