If you search the web for information on garlic you’re going to find a wide range of conflicting information. Some of the information will tell you this herb is effective for a variety of health challenges. Other articles will tell you that the benefits of garlic are as mythical as its ability to protect you from vampires.

This article will give you a fair and balance perspective so that you can make an intelligent choice on whether to include this herb as part of your health plan.

History of Garlic

Garlic belongs to the Allium family of vegetables which also includes onions, chives, shallots and leeks. It’s a perennial herb with a bulb that can contain 5 – 15 cloves.

While it has been used for centuries as a culinary and medicinal herb, it wasn’t until 1844 that a German chemist named Theodor Wertheim was able to distill the pungent substance in this herb. He called it allyl.

In 1848 Louis Pasteur demonstrated that allyl could inhibit the growth of bacteria. For whatever reasons, Louis Pasteur and others abandoned further research on this herb and its ability to inhibit bacterial growth. Read More →