Natural Penicillin

Garlic, A Great Antibiotic!

Did you know that four cloves of garlic is equal to an adult dose of penicillin?  Garlic stimulates your body's own immune system, where an antibiotic, such as penicillin, overrides your body's immune system and thereby weakens it, along with possible side effects.  After over ten years as a Registered Nurse I have seen the overuse of antibiotics, which is why we are now dealing with resistant super bugs.  This is one of the reasons I have chosen to educate myself in natural healing.

Here are some interesting facts about garlic.  From ancient times through World War I, garlic was used to treat the wounded.  During the 1920s, researchers in Switzerland isolated garlic's antibiotic compound, alliin, which has no medicinal value until the herb is chewed, chopped or crushed.  Then an enzyme transforms alliin into a powerful antibiotic called allicin.  Raw garlic has the most antibiotic potency, but garlic still has benefits when cooked.

Garlic reduces the risk of several cancers.  In a long-term Iowa Women's Health Study, researchers followed over 40,000 middle-aged women.  The women who ate the most garlic had the lowest risk of colon cancer.  A few cloves a week cut their risk by 32 percent, and the greater intake of garlic decreased the risk even more. While eating a healthy diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables in general helps prevent cancer, garlic yielded the greatest preventive benefit of all the plant foods analyzed in this study. Other studies have shown that garlic also helps lower the risk for prostate and bladder cancers.

Are you concerned about ulcers?  Use more garlic in your diet.  Researchers at the University of Washington have shown that garlic kills H. pylori, the bacteria that cause ulcers.  Garlic is an antimicrobial and an antibiotic.  It can be used in all cases of infection, including yeast.  It is known as "Russian penicillin".  When used on a daily basis it prevents colds and flu.  It is a source of organic sulfur.  Garlic aids in the removal of heavy metals, such as lead, cadmium, and mercury, from the body.  Garlic also helps to lower high blood pressure.  Researchers found that one-half to one clove of garlic per day reduces cholesterol by 9 percent.   The reduction of cholesterol and triglycerides is enhanced when taken with fish oil.

Strep Throat
Do you or someone you love suffer from strep throat?  The normal recovery time for strep throat is 7-10 days.  This little recipe is said to get rid of strep throat in 24-48 hours.  I obtained this recipe from Dr. Christopher's School of Natural Healing.  So the next time you have to deal with strep throat, try this lil recipe.

1 Tablespoon of raw honey
1/8-1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
3-5 cloves of garlic

The honey helps to coat the throat.  The cayenne brings blood to the throat to aid in healing.  The amount of cayenne used would determine on the person and their desire of heat, and also the cayenne you have.  Different cayenne peppers have different heat levels.  The garlic, of course, is the antibiotic.  You can take this as often as every hour as needed.

Earaches

Garlic
Olive Oil

Chop garlic and place in a container and add olive oil to one inch over the top of the garlic.  Let sit for three days.  Strain it and use oil as needed for earaches.  Another one of Dr. Christopher's recipes.

Colds and Flu

Another garlic recipe that we use around our household is Dr. Schulze's Super Tonic which you can find at http://healingtools.tripod.com/supertonic.html .  It is called an anti-plague tonic, but we use it as a preventive around here.  A little testimony, my husband came home after his first week of school this semester with a cold.  He said that he had never sneezed so much in his whole life.  His colds usually last 6-7 days, but he started taking the tonic, doubling the dose to two tablespoon three times a day, and in 24 hours he was fine.  We normally just take one tablespoon a day as a preventive.

Stay in good health!ci