Garlic is one of my all-time favorite spices. I add it to almost everything from pizza to roasted vegetables and broccoli. Not only does garlic add exceptional flavor to food, it also has several other super powers. Here are a few of the many uses for garlic.
Home remedy for acne
Garlic is know for its antiseptic, antiviral, antifungal and antioxidant properties. Slice open a clove of garlic and rub onto the effected area. You can also crush the garlic and apply the garlic juice. You might want to shower after this one!
Garlic as glue for glass or paper
Yes, you read that correctly. Garlic can be used as glue since it’s a natural adhesive. Take a few garlic cloves and crush them. Rub the garlic juice on the paper, porcelain or glass and voila! In China, where over three quarters of the world’s garlic crop is grown, the sticky liquid that comes out of the cloves is used as glue for glass and porcelain.
Cold sore treatment
When cold sores decides to make an appearance we will do almost anything to make them go away. Next time a cold sore shows up give raw garlic a try. Cut a clove of garlic and place it directly onto the cold sore for 10 minutes at a time. Do this three to four times a day.
Sore throat
Sore throats can be incredibly painful. Here’s a home remedy that will hopefully help. Take two cloves of garlic and crush them. Place the raw garlic in your mouth and chew and swallow.
Another option is making a garlic tea to sooth a sore throat. Take several cloves of garlic, whole (2-4 depending on the amount of water) and add
- several pieces of fresh ginger
- as much cayenne pepper as you can take
- a flavored tea bag (for taste)
- honey (to taste)
My kids get a lot of splinters and they are no fun. When the tweezers come out they run the other direction. Garlic can help with the splinter removal process. Place a thin piece of garlic over the splinter and place a band-aid on to hold it in place. Leave it on for a few hours. The garlic naturally draws the splinter out and because of its antibacterial properties will help prevent infection.
These are just a few of the many ways to use garlic. What are some of the other uses for garlic?
Use organic garlic whenever you can. Please be sure to check with your physician before trying any of these home remedies.
Photo credit: Dade Freeman via photo pin cc
Linked up with Seasonal Celebration Sunday.
mince garlic with olive oil and use to relieve the pain and pressure of ear infections. It works!
Apparently, garlic can really help in curing acne. Nice posts and I love everything about this blog. Thanks for sharing.
What do you do with the garlic once it’s minced Michelle? I’ve used garlic drops for ear infections before.
Thanks for stopping by. Yes, garlic can be used to help acne.
I’ve never heard of garlic as glue before, but given the residual stickiness on my fingers after chopping up a head, I can imagine it. I use garlic as food — I love roasted garlic, which gives it a mellow, smooth taste and takes most of the sharpness off. Wiki mentions that raw garlic applied topically can cause burns, so while I’ve never noticed that when cutting it up, I would hesitate to apply it to a wound.
Helps with infected earring holes and other piercings: unwrap a clean “sheet” off the stem of the garlic, roll up tightly, insert in piercing hole, clip ends so you don’t get scratched. Rotate gently so it doesn’t get stuck. Change daily until infection is healed.
Pretty cool! I’m going to try gluing something together with it.
I am definitely trying some of these ideas… I had no clue garlic was so useful! Also, before the sore throat even hits: eating as much raw garlic as possible is great to keep the immune system strong. A great way to ward off illness before it gets a chance to take hold!
Hi Andrea, I just tried to get my 10 year old to eat raw garlic to help his sore throat. He wasn’t interested! I’m definitely going to use it next time I feel a sore throat coming on.
for on-coming colds, i feed my kids garlic peanut butter sandwiches. mince garlic and mix with peanut butter, spread on whole wheat toast.
My dad has been having two cloves of garlic every morning with a glass of lukewarm water for as long as I can remember. According to Ayurvedic tradition, doing so helps keep blood pressure within manageable limits. It also helps lower blood cholesterol.
I love garlic! It makes any dish tastier. Now that I’m writing about it makes me hungry. But I have to admit I haven’t been using garlic for other purposes as you have suggested!!!!
Rachel recently posted..Staying Healthy at Work
Hi Rachel, Garlic is one of my favorites too. It’s amazing how many uses it has.
my doctors has me on them too as blood cholesterol treatment… can take any pills because of a fatty liver.