Garlic
Garlic is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world and has been grown for over 5000 years. Although native to central Asia, ancient Egyptians seem to have been the first to cultivate this plant, which played an important role in their culture. Garlic was bestowed with sacred qualities and placed in the tombs of Pharaohs. A god of garlic was invoked at oath sayings.
The Greek Historian, Herodotus, tells us that the workers constructing the Great Pyramid at Giza lived mainly on garlic and onions. It is said that pyramid builders went on strike when deprived of their ration of garlic. This strength-enhancing quality was also honored by the ancient Greeks and Romans, civilizations in which athletes ate garlic before sporting events, and soldiers consumed it before going off to war.
Garlic also rates a mention in several literary classics. Going back to Herodotus Histories, the Egyptians went to great expense in supplying their slaves good food for strength: “There are writings on the pyramid in Egyptian characters indicating how much was spent on radishes and onions and garlic for the workmen; and I am sure that, when he read me the writing, the interpreter said that sixteen hundred talents of silver had been paid.”
The Shi-ching (the Book of Songs), a Chinese classic compiled by Confucius that features garlic eaten by animals and people, and offered to the gods for good luck. The Bible mentions garlic as a food the Hebrews enjoyed during their sojourn in Egypt (Num 11:5). The tale of Dan-Gun First King of Korea tells the story of a bear who wanted to be human. The bear prayed and was given a bundle of mugwort and 20 bulbs of garlic, and instructed to eat only these while meditating in a cave for 20 days. On the 21st day, the bear walked out of the cave as a beautiful woman, who later became queen.
Throughout the millennia, garlic has been a beloved plant in many cultures for both its culinary and medicinal properties.
Over the last few years, it has gained unprecedented popularity since researchers have been scientifically validating its numerous health benefits. Garlic is anti-cancer, lowers cholesterol, blood pressure, stimulates and builds immune system, and contains potent antioxidents- especially for the blood, liver, kidney and spleen.
Results of two recently published studies suggest that garlic is a potent antibiotic, even against strains that have become resistant to many drugs. One study conducted at the University of California Irvine Medical Center and published in the December 2003 issue of Nutrition showed that garlic juice, even when diluted up to 1:128 of the original juice, demonstrates significant antibacterial activity against a spectrum of pathogens including antibiotic-resistant strains such as methicillin- and ciprofloxacin-resistant staphylococci, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and ciprofloxacin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
A second study found that garlic was able to inhibit methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSRA) from human patients that was injected into mice.(MSRA is one of the antibiotic resistant bacteria whose incidence has risen dramatically in recent years in hospitals.)
It is no surprise that garlic has earned the reputation for warding off evil. Infact, not only will garlic scare away blood-sucking vampires, but it will also keep at bay their insect cousins, the mosquito!
And yet for all it’s good, garlic is not apparently perfect for everything: Sadly, garlic was named the worst flavor for ice cream...
significant nutritional content:
vitamin B6, C, tryptophan, manganese, selenium, calcium, phosphorus, B1, copper, protein, antibiotics, sulfur compounds, antioxidant enzymes, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and it also fights cancer, heart disease, toxicity |
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 MEDICINAL
MUSHROOMS
Reishi
Maitake
Shiitake
Coriolus
Agaricus
MEDICINAL
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Chanca Piedra
Chaparral
Maca
Pau d’Arco
Sacha Jergón
MEDICINAL
SUPERFOODS
Aloe
Bee Foods
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Garlic
Ginger
Goji Berry
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Phytoplankton
Spirulina
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