The Super Anti-Oxidants by James F. Balch

Author:James F. Balch
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: M. Evans & Company
Published: 1998-04-11T04:00:00+00:00

Garlic

Dr. Benjamin Lau, M.D., Ph.D.’s “GARLIC” acronym to summarize its major health benefits:

G =

good for many things

A =

antioxidant effects

R =

restoration of memory

L =

life extension

I =

immune modulation

C =

cancer prevention.22

Garlic and Its Importance

On occasion, patients will ask me: “If I could only take one supplement, what should it be?” The question may come because they are concerned about the cost of a multitude of vitamins and minerals. Or it may simply be intended to clarify priorities in what needs to be taken. Inevitably, no matter what their condition is, my answer is garlic!

Garlic’s Healing Qualities Known Throughout History

Garlic is one of the oldest medical remedies known to man and used in almost all cultures throughout history. The earliest reference to garlic as a medication is in the Ebers Papyrus from sixteenth century B.C.E. Egypt, which lists twenty-two remedies using garlic. The builders of the Pyramids were paid in the valuable commodities of onions and garlic, and preserved garlic was found in King Tut’s tomb. In the Greek world, Homer, Aristotle, and Hippocrates all cited garlic’s healing qualities, and it is said that ancient Olympic athletes would chew a clove of garlic before competing. The East Indians used it for treating wounds. The Chinese have used onion tea for centuries to relieve cholera and dysentery. The voyages of the Vikings and Phoenicians were always well stocked with garlic. After the Crusaders brought garlic to France, it became so popular as a curative agent that King Henry IV ate a clove of raw garlic every morning. Garlic was also a key ingredient in the famous Four Thieves’ vinegar, used to fight the plague in Marseilles in the 1770s. More recently, Louis Pasteur recognized garlic’s antibacterial properties, and Albert Schweitzer gave out garlic to treat dysentery when his medical supplies ran out. Physicians have long reported the healing powers of garlic. Improvements in asthma, tuberculosis, bronchitis, stomach ulcers, athletes’ foot, leg ulcers, the respiratory tract, lungs, and other body systems were documented.

What Are Garlic’s Positive Health Effects?

Garlic has the following positive health effects:

1. acts as a super antioxidant,

2. lowers blood pressure,

3. boosts the immune system,

4. balances blood sugar,

5. prevents heart disease,

6. assists in fat metabolism,

7. relieves intermittent claudication, and,

8. aids in cancer prevention.

Why Is Garlic Considered a Powerful Antioxidant?

The reason garlic is such a powerful antioxidant is because it is loaded with most of the phytonutrients we consider to be the super antioxidants. It contains manganese, selenium, germanium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and zinc.

Garlic and Lowering Your Blood Pressure

Garlic is known to be one of the most effective agents for lowering blood pressure. It has been found to lower both diastolic and systolic blood pressure.

Garlic and Boosting Your Immune System

Garlic has long been known to be an important stimulator of the body’s defense system. Garlic’s sulfur compounds enhance the function of the white blood cells. These white blood cells function most efficiently when the body is supplied with appropriate antioxidant nutrients, especially the sulfur compounds. Selenium and germanium are potent sulfur-containing antioxidants found in garlic. The immune system’s T-helper cells are also stimulated.

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