Garlic

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a flowering plant best known for its use as a flavouring, but which also has many medical uses.

The odorous oil contains sulphur compounds, antibiotics and vitamins A, C and some B-complex vitamins. It also contains essential elements such as iron, selenium, phosphorus and calcium.

The antibiotic qualities of garlic are used in herbalism to treat bronchial infections, intestinal fungi and blood disorders. It can also be used to expel worms, but other plants are better at this. Garlic can reduce hypertension, but this is a slow-acting remedy - it may take up to a month to work.

Dose: bulbs as and when needed.

[edit] Culinary use

Garlic is a good substitute for salt. Eating parsley after or during a meal with garlic can reduce the notorious body odour that the bulb causes.

[edit] Sources

Herbal Healing by Michael Hallowell (Avery)