How to Take Garlic for Health
Garlic (Allium sativum) is a member of the lily family. Although of Asiatic origin, its cultivation has spread throughout the world over the past 200 years and is popular as both a food and medicine. The following steps will help you decide whether or not to take this herbal supplement.
1
Read about the historical uses of garlic. The medical use of garlic is at least 3,000 years old, and Hippocrates recommended it for battle wounds. More recently, it was taken in France to protect gravediggers from plague in the 18th century and to prevent gangrene in World Wars I and II.
2
Look at the results from modern scientific testing of garlic. Many clinical studies have been conducted on garlic and some have shown that it helps prevent arteriosclerosis, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and improves the immune system. The results are not conclusive on this point and independent trials on garlic as a dietary supplement have not shown beneficial effects.
3
Realize that the Food and Drug Administration regards garlic taken as a dietary supplement to be generally safe with very low toxicity but has not approved it as effective in the treatment or prevention of any disease.
4
Study the side effects of garlic. These most commonly include bad breath, bloating, body odor and a stinging sensation on the skin if handled too much. More rarely, it can cause dizziness, headaches and fatigue.
5
Take no more than the recommended dosage of garlic. Typically, two tablets containing 200 mg of freeze-dried garlic each can be taken three times per day.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2068075_take-garlic-health.html
Garlic (Allium sativum) is a member of the lily family. Although of Asiatic origin, its cultivation has spread throughout the world over the past 200 years and is popular as both a food and medicine. The following steps will help you decide whether or not to take this herbal supplement.
1
Read about the historical uses of garlic. The medical use of garlic is at least 3,000 years old, and Hippocrates recommended it for battle wounds. More recently, it was taken in France to protect gravediggers from plague in the 18th century and to prevent gangrene in World Wars I and II.
2
Look at the results from modern scientific testing of garlic. Many clinical studies have been conducted on garlic and some have shown that it helps prevent arteriosclerosis, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and improves the immune system. The results are not conclusive on this point and independent trials on garlic as a dietary supplement have not shown beneficial effects.
3
Realize that the Food and Drug Administration regards garlic taken as a dietary supplement to be generally safe with very low toxicity but has not approved it as effective in the treatment or prevention of any disease.
4
Study the side effects of garlic. These most commonly include bad breath, bloating, body odor and a stinging sensation on the skin if handled too much. More rarely, it can cause dizziness, headaches and fatigue.
5
Take no more than the recommended dosage of garlic. Typically, two tablets containing 200 mg of freeze-dried garlic each can be taken three times per day.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2068075_take-garlic-health.html
