There's a potent health elixir on your health food store shelves that just may surprise you - garlic tincture. Garlic is known to provide health benefits, no matter how it is consumed.
Garlic tincture is a potent infusion of garlic in grain alcohol or distilled water. The bulb of the plant is used to make the tincture. Garlic is macerated in one of these liquids, then pressed through a tincture press to release all of the potent chemicals that make garlic such a boon to good health.
Health Benefits of Garlic Tincture
Garlic is believed to have a number of health benefits and potential therapeutic effects. When you use garlic tincture you may reap these benefits.
- Garlic can be used to fight fungal infections such as athlete's foot.
- Garlic, especially garlic oil, can be used as a natural mosquito repellent.
- Garlic has antibacterial/antibiotic properties. The use of garlic for its antibiotic properties goes back centuries to when it was used to ward off the plague. This is directly attributed to the sulfur-containing acillins, which are abundant in this potent herb.
- Garlic is believed to have both antiviral and antifungal properties.
- Garlic may be helpful in lowering cholesterol levels.
- Garlic tincture may be beneficial for reducing symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
- It is a powerful antioxidant that helps fight aging and oxidation in the body.
- It may also be helpful for cardiovascular conditions like atherosclerosis and high blood pressure.
- Some believe that garlic tincture can be used to fight acne when used topically.
- Some studies indicate that garlic may be useful for treating warts.
Contraindications and Possible Side Effects
Before deciding to ingest garlic tincture, it is important to consider potential side effects and contradictions. Common concerns include:
- Garlic has anti-platelet effects on the blood which can lead to poor coagulation. For this reason, it is best to avoid garlic before surgery.
- Garlic tincture is not recommended for those on anticoagulants or blood thinning medications such as warfarin and heparin.
- Ingesting garlic tincture can result in gastric distress in the form of heartburn. In extreme cases, damage to the digestive tract can occur.
It's always best to check with your personal health care provider before taking any herbal remedies, including garlic tincture.
Common Questions About Garlic Tincture
Does garlic tincture smell like garlic?
Garlic tincture does, indeed, smell like garlic. Acillin, a primary active ingredient that gives garlic its health properties, also gives garlic its characteristic potent smell. Since this compound is the most active ingredient in garlic, health-wise, it is necessary that it is left in the tincture for the tincture to confer health benefits. Acillin contains sulfur, which gives garlic its characteristic sharp smell. There's no getting around it. A healthy garlic tincture is a smelly garlic tincture.
Can I make my own garlic tincture?
Yes, you can make your own tincture at home. You can use a specific garlic tincture recipe or simply use a basic guide for making herbal tinctures and use garlic. You can also make tinctures with other ingredients such as peppermint or ginger.
Where can I obtain garlic tincture?
Garlic tinctures are often available at health food stores and from herbalists.
What is the recommended dose for garlic tincture?
Garlic tinctures are not produced following a standard manufacturing process, so even commercially available tinctures are not identical. As a result, there isn't a specific recommended dosage for garlic tincture.
Is a tincture the best way to ingest garlic?
There are a number of reasons why you may wish to choose garlic tincture over other garlic delivery forms including fresh garlic, capsules, or tablets. While fresh garlic can spoil quite quickly, tinctures keep well when stored in glass jars kept in dark locations that stay cool. Tinctures are also believed to be more readily accessible and more efficiently used in the body than the dried forms of the herb found in pills and capsules. They may also be applied topically as well as ingested.
Can I use garlic tincture for better health?
You should read the label of any garlic tincture product you are considering taking to make sure you know how to best use it. Consult a qualified medical professional to be sure that it will not interact with any medications you may be taking or if you are using it to manage or treat a medical condition.
