Ten extraordinary uses for garlic

Did you know, garlic can be used as an aphrodisiac, skin cleanser, fish bait, pesticide, cough syrup, gas preventer and so much more? Nope, us neither!

Chew up a raw clove of garlic and you might exhale noxious, eye-watering clouds of stink all day, but you’ll also repel mosquitos (and vampires!) increase your immunity, heal cold sores, expel parasites and maybe even get in the mood. Garlic is a broad -spectrum antibiotic, killing bacteria, fungus, viruses and mould, so its an important ally for natural health. Check out these 10 unusual and sometimes strange alternative uses for garlic.

Acne – Slice open a raw clove of garlic and apply it to breakouts as a home remedy for acne. Your skin won’t  smell good, but the anti-bacterial properties of  garlic will help lessen the appearance of acne, even those deep acne cysts that can otherwise be difficult to treat.

Pesticide – Whiteflies, aphids, cabbage loopers and squash bugs. These creepy-crawlies can totally decimate your beautiful organic garden. Ward them off with an all-natural garlic pesticide spray. (Mince three garlic cloves and let them sit in two tablespoons of mineral oil for 24hrs, strain out the garlic and add a teaspoon of liquid dish soap to a pint of water in a spray bottle.) Spray on infested plants.

Glass repair – Did you know that garlic juice is a natural adhesive? While its not up to major jobs, it can be used to fill hairline cracks in glass and hold them together. Crush a clove of garlic and rub its sticky, viscous juice into the cracks and wipe away the excess.

Weight loss aid – Even though it’s potent flavour may make you want to eat a lot of it, garlic actually has weight loss properties according to some research. Compounds found in garlic send your brain signals of satiety, which will actually help you feel full faster. It also boosts metabolic function helping you to burn more calories too.

Splinter removal –  Splinters suck! They’re painful to remove and sometimes they slice too far into the skin to pull out. Instead of waiting for it to come out on its own, try this old trick …. Place a thin slice over the splinter and hold on with a bandage or plaster. The garlic will help work its way out of the skin within hours.

Fish bait – Garlic’s strong smell may repel insects, but it has the opposite effect on fish. Some fishermen use it as an unusual bait that can attract catfish, carp, trout, bass and other species. Marshmallows or dough balls made from a mixture of crackers and cat food are coated with crushed or powdered garlic and placed on hook to lure the fish with its scent.

Cough syrup – Ease inflammation in the throat and clear excess mucus by using garlic as a cough syrup. Try steeping raw, minced garlic in hot water, straining it after five minutes and drinking the liquid as tea. You can add ginger and honey to make it more palatable.

Hair loss help – Whether you’ve over-dyed your hair to the point of constant shedding or you’re just going bald, garlic may be worth a shot before you resort to more drastic measures (or buy a lot of hats!) Some people believe that massaging the scalp with garlic oil stimulates hair growth.

Road de-icer – Garlic is among the oddball solutions that many towns have used through winter to keep vehicles on the road. Garlic is mixed with salt and spread over the streets as a solution to vehicles sliding off an iced up road.

Aphrodisiac – Does garlic turn you on? You may not like the smell on someone else’s breath, but it may incite lust once it makes its way into your stomach. Garlic has been used as an aphrodisiac since ancient times, and modern medical knowledge may have an explanation: it aids circulation, pumping blood into your extremities.  This effect might even increase men’s endurance in the bedroom!

 

This information was sourced from www.ecosalon.com

 

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