Garlic is native to central Asia but is widely used throughout the world including Mexico. It is also called the “stinking rose”. The practice of placing a bulb over the front door of one’s house to ward off evil spirits began in Europe and may have derived from garlic’s capacity to reduce infection and stop hallucinations due to fever.
Garlic is used to treat athlete’s foot; place a clove of garlic between affected toes to treat fungal infections.
To eliminate dandruff, place six cloves of garlic in a glass of vinegar for one week to produce a good rinse to eliminate dandruff. Leave it on the scalp for one hour and then bathe normally. One summer I cut my toe while walking along the path in Yelapa and soon I had a terrible staph infection. I decided to test the ability of garlic to treat the infection. I washed and dried the wound daily and then applied crushed fresh garlic oil to the infection daily. I kept it elevated and clean. It took 10 days for the infection to be resolved.
Garlic has been the focus of extensive medical research. It is one of the best natural remedies, appropriate for both internal and topical use. It contains a potent chemical called allicin. It also has the compounds sulfur, selenium, and germanium that improve immune system function. Garlic may be eaten raw or cooked.
This plant is antiseptic (it helps to clean wounds), antibiotic (it fights off infection), and it also helps to kill viruses. Garlic is good to eat to avoid colds, flu and bronchitis. It also works as a blood thinner and reduces levels of lipids (fats) in the blood.
Garlic increases the body’s capacity to use Vitamin B (important when treating depression). The oil may be applied directly to skin fungal and staph infections.
Doña Catalina: Tomas, come here. Now that my daughter is sick, you will have to do the cooking.
Tomás: And, what is it that you want me to cook?
Doña Catalina: Garlic, lots of garlic. Garlic is good for curing bronchitis and getting rid of parasites, which is what your wife has.
Tomás: OK, so what do I put it in?
Doña Catalina: In anything. In soups, in beans, in rice and vegetables, in whatever you can make. But remember to add the garlic at the end so that it doesn’t cook for very long.
Garlic is a miracle; it also purifies the blood, and it’s good for arthritis, and well… lots of things, like skin infections, for example. You do like the flavor, don’t you?
Tomás: Yes, and Gloria does as well. I will make whatever I can to help her. Thank you, mother-in-law.
After you eat garlic, eat some parsley to reduce the strong odor of garlic on your breath. People who have sensitive stomachs should only use garlic juice, never its pulp.
Shang, A., Cao, S.-Y., Xu, X.-Y., Gan, R.-Y., Tang, G.-Y., Corke, H., Mavumengwana, V., et al. (2019). Bioactive Compounds and Biological Functions of Garlic (Allium sativum L.). Foods, 8(7), 246. MDPI AG. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods8070246