PHARMACY FRIDAY - Garlic as an Antibiotic

As I stated in my last post, I am devoting April to remedies associated with sinus ails. I, myself, am still battling my extreme sinus infection, but I seem to be making considerable headway. The prescription antibiotics did not work. But the natural remedies seem to be helping considerably. To be fair, I have to admit that I am also taking an allergy medication, but I was taking that before, too, when nothing seemed to be working.

Since the prescription antibiotics didn't seem to do anything for my sinus infection (but did do damage to my body), I decided to go natural there, as well. And the best natural antibiotic that I know of is GARLIC (if you know of others, I would like to hear about them.)

I am talking about FRESH garlic, not the powdered nor that minced stuff you see canned in a jar that has been setting on the store shelf for no telling how long. To get your fresh garlic to reach its strongest antibiotic effect, thinly slice, chop or crush it, let it stand a few minutes .... then consume (raw - the more you cook it, the lower its antibiotic properties). The active antibiotic ingredient in garlic is Allicin. Allicin is released when you cut into a fresh clove of garlic. Once you cut/chop up that clove of garlic and let it stand a few minutes, the allicin level rises.

Although prescription antibiotics kill only a small range of bacteria and germs, garlic has been shown to be a broad spectrum antibiotic that kills a broad range of bacteria, possibly the broadest range of any antimicrobial known. And even better, bacteria doesn't ever become resistant to it. As an added bonus, garlic also kills off many kinds of molds, parasites, viruses and fungi .... all things that can contribute to sinus infections and irritations.

HERE is some more wonderful, detailed information about Garlic,  its antibiotic uses, and how to use it.

Is all fresh garlic the same?  NO 

There are two main types of garlic... hardneck and softneck. Visit HERE for a great explanation of the differences in their appearances.

Softneck garlic is the most common seen in the grocery stores. It is much easier to grow, is more productive and has a longer shelf life. It is recognizable by the soft, easily bendable stem in the middle, along with the papery outer covering and its many cloves (often in several layers). It is also easier to braid.

Hardneck garlic  has a hard stem in the middle, has fewer, larger cloves, a thinner outer covering (sometimes none at all), and grows scapes (stalks), topped with bubils, up through its middle.

I have always read that the Hardneck Garlic had the absolute strongest antibiotic properties. Personally, I have had better luck with it. But today, I  have spent hours on end trying to 'officially' find documentation of this to link to, and have yet to find it. So I am now going to step away from my computer for a spell, rest my eyes and try again later. I look forward to hearing any additional info you might have on this subject.

MORE great info about how wonderful garlic is as a natural antibiotic.