GARLIC,ITS VARITIES AND MEDICINAL VALUE

• Garlic is an herb that has been used both as a food and medicine for many centuries.

• Garlic has a distinct smell and taste, and it is used in various Indian cuisines.

• It contains multiple antioxidants, anti-cancer compounds, and powerful components that are able to block cancer-causing agents.

Some other uses of garlic include treatment of headache, sinus congestion, fever, rheumatism, asthma, shortness of breath, cough, gout, bronchitis, blood sugar, snake bites, shortness of breath, stress, and fatigue. It also helps in the maintenance of proper liver function.

• Garlic plants, cloves, or oil are also called by various names such as ail, clove garlic, camphor of the poor, lasuna, da suan, rust treacle, lasun, poor man’s treacle, nectar of the gods, stinking rose, and rason.

Varieties:

There are two sub-species under the species Allium sativum. They are ophioscorodon, hard-necked garlic, and sativum, soft-necked garlic. Ophioscorodon are the original type, whereas the soft-necked variety was cultivated and developed by growers.

Some other varieties are silver skin garlic, artichoke garlic, rocambole, porcelain, and purple stripe.

Garlic has been popular for many centuries in Tamil Nadu for its medicinal value. Some of the home remedies are as follows:

Syrup of garlic is very popular for treating asthma. The garlic bulbs are boiled until they become soft and are stored in a jar. Equal quantities of vinegar and boiled water are combined, sugar is added, and the liquid is boiled down to syrup. The syrup is poured over the boiled garlic bulbs and one or two bulbs can be consumed every morning along with the syrup.

Garlic is useful to treat ear infections. A small piece of garlic is wrapped in tissue and inserted into the ear. It can be left in overnight to relieve the pain.

For scratchy throats, garlic juice works effectively and removes pain from the throat. It also works well to heal the pain caused by insect bites from centipedes, scorpions, and other insects.

Chop four raw garlic cloves and consume them to treat a cold at the first sign of symptoms. Raw garlic can also be consumed for treating toothache