Today, we’re making a garlic tincture, and in a minute I’ll show you how.
One of God’s greatest medicinal gifts that can be found on this earth is garlic or Allium sativum. It has been used as a natural remedy for thousands of years and is one of the easiest herbs to grow.
Garlic has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. It is also an excellent antioxidant, an immune-stimulant, and an anti-inflammatory agent across all body systems.
Garlic is clearly able to lower our blood triglycerides and total cholesterol, even though this reduction can be moderate (5-15%).
Losing Intrinsic Knowledge
Up until the early 50s, the home medicine chest was comprised of locally grown herbs and plants. Almost every village or small town had a midwife or herbal healer who had a vast working knowledge of these plants and their use in healing. Common medicinal herbs were certainly a part of a home garden or landscape.
What Do You Take Garlic Tincture For?
This tincture has a vast number of reported health benefits.
Externally, it can be used for the treatment of viral skin infections, wounds or ulcers.
Internally, in the old days, it was a common remedy for flu and colds, viruses, strep, worms, high blood pressure, kidney and bladder problems and respiratory ailments.
Garlic was successfully used to fend off the plague and anthrax, and when bird-flu was going around in Asia, they found that the country with high diet of garlic, had no incidents whatsoever.
This is directly attributed to the sulfur-containing allicins, which are so abundant in this potent herb. It can be used as a natural mosquito repellent and works so well in my Vinegar of the Four Thieves.
There are too many other wonderful garlic health benefits to mention here.
Garlic Tincture Recipe:
- Chop one cup of garlic and add to a clean glass Ball jar.
- Add 2 cups vodka (or organic apple cider vinegar) and screw the lid on.
- Write the contents and date on the jar.
- Shake the jar every day or so for 3 weeks.
- Once 3 weeks are over, strain out the chopped garlic and
- Store the tincture in dark, labeled dropper bottles in a cool, dark area.
Garlic Tincture Dosage:
The recommended dosage of antibiotic garlic tincture for adults is four to five drops of tincture once a day. I have taken 5 drops (yes, that is all you need!) a day in a 4 oz. glass of water 2 times a day when I wasn’t going anywhere, but no more than that.
Contraindications and side effects:
- This tincture is not recommended for people on blood thinning medications
- Garlic tincture is not recommended for those suffering from anti-coagulation disorders
- You may experience dizziness, nausea, and sweating after excessive intake of garlic tincture (ie. more that the recommended above)
- Garlic tincture may cause menstrual changes
You can avoid garlic breath by eating a few leaves of any chlorophyll-rich herb afterwards like:
- fresh mint
- cilantro
- parsley,
- or basil
I use 4 oz. amber bottles to store my tinctures. A vodka-based tincture will store for many, many years. I get my bottles on Amazon.
Warning: A Note On Making Garlic Oil for Cooking
Sherilyn, an astute reader, just brought to my attention (in the comments) something we all need to be aware of! I quickly found a good article on this for us all to read if we want to make our own garlic-infused olive oil: Be Aware of the Risks of Botulism With Homemade Garlic-Infused Oil. Mine has been sitting unrefrigerated for 3 days, so for the sake of wisdom, I am throwing mine out!! So now you we know!
The FDA recommends that if you want to make your own infused garlic oil, you should prepare it fresh and use it right away.
If you are saving any leftover garlic, you must refrigerate it right away and use it within a week.
There are a number of prepared garlic tinctures available in the local health food stores. The ones I found on Amazon start at $15 (plus shipping) on up.
I would like to encourage you to grow your own garlic and make your own tincture.
We are slowly disabled when we become dependent on others. We lose touch with the Creator’s workmanship ~ the blessings of soil, growing things, working with our hands, fresh air, and good exercise.
A working knowledge of medicinal herbs will be essential for anyone trying to stay healthy in these uncertain times.
Garlic is a mighty weapon in your medicine chest and right at the top of my list.
“He causes the grass to grow for food, and herbs for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine that makes glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengthens a man’s heart.” ~Psalm 104: 14-15
Contraindications, Cautions, and Side Effects of Garlic:
- Take raw garlic with a few bites of cheese or a glass of water if you eat it raw on an empty stomach. Excessive amounts of garlic or garlic tincture can result in gastric distress such as heartburn or intestinal gas.
- It is best to avoid garlic before surgery because of anti-blood clotting effects.
- Garlic tincture is not recommended for those on blood thinning medications such as Warfarin or Heparin.
- Garlic is not recommended for those who have blood clotting disorders.
- It’s always best to check with your personal health care provider before taking any herbal medications, including garlic tincture.
Amazing Uses for Garlic in Your Home & Garden
Garlic Does Lower Cholesterol, Evidence Suggests
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