my sister swears by garlic.does it really keep you from getting sick.?

Question

my son didnt see her for a couple weeks and she said you didnt eat garlic thats why your sick and really he wasnt sick for a long time when he did eat it .but of course this was in the cold and flu months.

Answer 1

Of all garlic's reputed medicinal benefits, perhaps the most well known is its use as an antibiotic. There are even stories of garlic being used to ward off the plague. It's not known how effective this was, however there is some evidence that anthrax is sensitive to garlic.
Garlic's antibiotic properties have been more extensively studied than some of its other reputed health benefits. Louis Pasteur examined garlic's use as an antibacterial back in the nineteenth century and showed how it killed bacteria under laboratory conditions. Numerous modern studies confirm that garlic has definite antibiotic properties and is effective against many bacteria, fungi and viruses. According to Wright State University (1), garlic is approximately one per cent as potent an antibiotic as penicillin.

Some people have reported that even blood from a garlic eater can itself kill bacteria!

Some researchers have compared the effectiveness of garlic with that of commercial prescription antibiotics. The result is often that garlic is more effective as a broad spectrum antibiotic. However if a particular bacterium or virus is being treated a more specifically targeted antibiotic could be more effective than garlic.

One significant advantage of garlic is that the body does not seem to build up a resistance to it as it does to many modern antibiotics. This also makes it potentially effective against hospital superbugs (2).
http://www.garlic-central.com/antibiotic.html

Answer 2

I swear by it too! I don't take the pills. I use alot of fresh garlic. I work in a drug store where alot of people come in sick to pick up their meds at the pharmacy. And this past cold and flu season I didn't catch anything. I even had people sneeze and then hand me their money.(Gross) And still didnt catch it.

Answer 3

Garlic has been used throughout all of recorded history for both culinary and medicinal purposes.

Some scientific research indicates that garlic can have some health benefits, such as diminishment of platelet aggregation[8]; a meta-analysis showing significant (12%) lipid lowering of cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol[9]; treatment of hyperlipidaemia[10]; the significant inhibition of atherosclerosis via the use of aged garlic extract Kyolic[11]; and the protective nature of chronic garlic intake on elastic properties of aorta in the elderly[12]. Regular and prolonged use of therapeutic amounts of aged garlic extracts lower blood homocysteine levels, and prevent some complications of diabetes mellitus. It may have some cancer-fighting properties because it is high in diallyl sulphide (DADs), believed to be an anticarcinogen.[13]

In modern naturopathy, garlic is used as a treatment for intestinal worms.

Garlic cloves continue to be used by aficionados as a remedy for infections (especially chest problems), digestive disorders, and fungal infections such as thrush. They are claimed to be an effective long-term remedy for cardiovascular problems reducing excessive blood cholesterol levels, atherosclerosis, the risk of thrombosis, and hypertension but these claims are disputed, as there has been no clinical trial that has demonstrated any such benefits. Whole cloves used as suppositories are sometimes used as a home remedy for Candidiasis (yeast infections). Garlic is also alleged to help regulate blood sugar levels, and so can be helpful in late-onset diabetes, though people taking insulin should not consume medicinal amounts of garlic without consulting a physician. In such applications, garlic must be fresh and uncooked, or the allicin will be lost.

Dietary supplements in pill form, such as Garlique, claim to possess the medical benefits of garlic, without (in the words of the Garlique manufacturer) "the unsocial qualities associated with fresh garlic cloves".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic

Properties restorative nutritive tonic; antioxidant; increases internal body heat; supports digestive function, cardiovascular system, and immune system *
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthinfo/garlic.html

Answer 4

I am not totally convenced myself but there has been research that says that garlic can be pretty darn good for you. From what I have heard the cloves are the best as opposed to the dried varieties. You can find all kinds of information about garlic on the internet.

Answer 5

i like garlic and eat it often and use garlic powder on most my foods, my cholesterol level is good ,my heart is good, i very seldom get a cold and i never had the flu and i am 53. another thing to try also i give some to my dog a few times a week and he don,t get fleas.

Answer 6

It seems to work for me to, don't have a clue why.

Answer 7

it makes other people keep their distance. hence fewer germs get to your sister.

Answer 8

IT boosts your immune system