Garlic: Uses, medicine, Synonyms, Effects, and Side Effects

Originally from Central Asia and the Middle East, garlic has been cultivated and used in warm and temperate zones worldwide as a spice, food and medicinal plant since ancient times. In this country, garlic is imported, particularly from the Mediterranean countries (Spain, Israel) and China. From the plant, the fresh bulbs or cloves (Allii native bulbs), garlic powder (Allii native pelvis), and garlic oil obtained from them are used.

Garlic: characteristics of the plant

Garlic is a perennial, 25-70 cm tall herbaceous plant. The leaves are oblong, grey-green and entire, and the stems are leafed about halfway down.

Different inflorescences can be seen in the sparsely flowering plant. The individual flowers are on long stalks and often remain in the bud stage; the flowering period is May to July.

The numerous bulbs are arranged in groups and are spherical to oval in shape. Wild garlic leaves (Allium ursinum) are often used as a garlic substitute.

 

Unique properties of the tuber

The bulbs are about 3-5 cm wide and are surrounded by several white, papery membranes. Numerous thin roots can be seen below, and the remains of other dry skins are above.

The onions consist of a flat onion cake, a main onion in the middle and the side onions (“garlic cloves”) grouped around it.

smell and taste of garlic

The dry powder is light brownish-yellow in colour and practically odourless when dry. Garlic is only slightly aromatic when it is not chopped up; only when the cloves are cut do they develop their characteristic leek, oil-like smell.

The taste of garlic is very spicy and burning.

Garlic – application

Garlic is a true miracle cure when it comes to vascular health. Due to its unique active ingredients, garlic is primarily used to prevent age-related vascular changes, especially hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis).

Application for the vessels

Arteriosclerotic changes are caused by blood fats, clumped blood platelets (thrombi), connective tissue and calcium deposits in the vascular walls and thus lead to a narrowing (stenosis) in the vascular system. Suppose this continues over a more extended period. In that case, the tissue is no longer sufficiently supplied with oxygen, and it can lead to chest tightness (angina pectoris) or a heart attack, among other things.

Garlic can contribute to a reduction in blood lipid levels that are too high, such as cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia), and, in addition to the treatment and prevention of vascular calcification, it is also generally used to support dietary measures.

 

Garlic in folk medicine

In earlier times, garlic was mainly used for indigestion. Today, the plant is also used in folk medicine for hardening of the arteries as well as coughs, colds and bronchitis.

Another field of folk medicine is the supportive treatment of diabetes and menopausal symptoms.

Garlic as a Homeopathic

In homoeopathy, garlic is used for inflammation of the lower respiratory tract, muscular rheumatism in the loin area and digestive disorders.

 

ingredients of garlic

When it comes to the ingredients, a distinction must be made between the different states of the drug. Fresh garlic contains 0.35-1.3% odourless and stable alliins (sulphurous amino acids ).

It also contains the enzyme alliinase, which converts alliin in an aqueous medium into allicin, among other things. This active ingredient is unstable after rearrangement to sulfur compounds and is responsible for the pungent odour of crushed garlic.

In the garlic powder, an attempt is made to preserve the alliin-alliinase system, but removing water prevents the further reaction of allicin. It contains 0.5-2.5% allicin and other active ingredients such as lectins, flavonoids, polysaccharides and selenium compounds.

Pursuing the goal of producing odourless preparations, dry garlic extracts have also been available for several years. Much of the allicin is converted into other stable sulfur compounds during manufacture.

garlic oil

Oil macerates are obtained by mixing freshly crushed garlic with fatty oil for 48 hours. In this form, various sulfur-containing compounds are contained in very different amounts.

Garlic essential oil is made by macerating crushed garlic with water for several hours, followed by steam distillation. It contains 50-60% diallyl oligosulfides and many other organic sulfur compounds.

Garlic – helpful for which indication?

Applications of garlic are:

• arteriosclerosis
• vascular calcification
• hardening of the arteries
• vascular change
• Hyperlipidämie
• Hypercholesterinämie

Garlic dosage

Garlic is offered in various ways in film tablets, coated tablets or capsules. Garlic powder and garlic essential oil are found in tinctures and syrups. However, garlic is best eaten fresh.

The correct dose of garlic

Unless otherwise prescribed, around 4 g of fresh garlic bulbs should be taken in the appropriate form daily.

 

Garlic: 4 unique clues

• There is no need to prepare it as a tea, as garlic is not usually taken as a tea.
• There are currently no known contraindications.
• With practically all garlic preparations, there are characteristic changes in the smell of the skin (“perspiration”) and in the air we breathe.
• Garlic should be kept dry and protected from light.

Garlic synonyms

German plant name: garlic

German synonyms of the plant: Common Garlic, Knobloch, Knofel, Garden Garlic, Old Root, Stinkerziwebel

Latin plant name: Allium sativum L.

Latin synonyms of the plant: Allium sativa, Allium sativum var. sativum L., Allium sativum sativum

German drug name: garlic powder

Latin drug name: Garlic bulb powder

English name: Garlic powder, Garlic, Serpent garlic, Poor Man’s Treacle, Stinking Rose, Rocambole, Russian Penicillin

Plant family Latin: Alliaceae (formerly Liliaceae sl)

Plant family German: Allium plants/onion plants

 

Garlic – Effect

Garlic has a comprehensive profile of effects. In addition to its antibacterial, antiviral and antimycotic (against fungal infections) effect, inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis was demonstrated in rat liver cells. Garlic, therefore, lowers the total cholesterol and the concentration of triglycerides (neutral fats).

In addition, garlic reduces the viscosity of the blood. It inhibits the oxidation of lipoproteins and the formation of thrombi (the active ingredients allicin and ajoene are considered platelet aggregation inhibitors). This leads to an increase in bleeding and clotting time and an improvement in the flow rate of red blood cells.

These individual effects result in an anti-arteriosclerotic overall effect, i.e. a reduction in vascular calcification. 

Interactions with garlic

Taking garlic preparations can lead to an increase in antihypertensive and anticoagulant medications. In addition, a reduction in the effectiveness of anti-HIV substances and protease inhibitors such as indinavir has been observed in individual cases. Garlic supplements can also reduce the effects of saquinavir.

Garlic: side effects

Gastrointestinal complaints, allergic reactions and blood clotting disorders can occur in rare cases, especially with high dosages.