My grandfather shared with me how he avoided getting Spanish Flu. I have a theory.

[Siwsan]

Let me say, at the outset, that I put this in the Lounge to avoid anyone thinking I'm giving non-traditional medical advice. I'm not. It's just an anecdotal story.

Grandpa had a life long habit of chewing up and swallowing at least two big cloves of raw garlic, every morning. Sometimes more, during the day. When I asked him why he did this, he shared his Spanish Flu story where he went around with his priest to help him give last rites to flu patients. He was constantly exposed to the virus but he never got sick and he attributed this to his daily intake of garlic.

Ok, some may cry 'WOO!!!' but maybe there was something effective about his routine. I mean, seriously, how close are you going to get to someone who has been chewing that much raw garlic??? Is 6 feet enough distance???

Side story: when Grandpa was in his 80's a doctor, after taking his blood pressure, said he was astonished because this frail looking, elderly man had the BP readings of a 20 year old athlete. He asked Mom about Grandpa's diet, which wasn't "good". He loved eggs, bacon, fats of all kinds, salty foods, beer, whisky and, for quite a few years, he smoked. And, as a young man, he was a coal miner. Then the doctor asked Mom about the "aroma" and she told him about her father's garlic intake.

The doctor's response was, 'Well, that explains it.'

Grandpa lived to 97 and was pretty vital, right up to the end. It was almost like he decided it was time to go and be with his wife, again.

And, yes, most days I consume a few smaller cloves of bruised garlic - no chewing, I just swallow it like a pill. The way I see it, it's kind of like eating chicken soup when you have a cold. It might help and, for most of us, it can't hurt.

[ret5hd]

1. Excellent social distancing technique!

Instead of avoiding others, make others avoid you!!!

I wonder if I should stop showering?

[True Blue American]

5. You can buy non

Smell garlic pills. A friend from Panama swore by them. Until she picked up the wrong bottle her friends informed her.maybe it was because everyone stayed 10 feet away from Grandpa!

Joking here, but the second hand smell of garlic drove me to dislike it.

[LisaL]

26. Yep, will work like a charm.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Leo Buscaglia, author and motivational speaker, often accredited garlic to

the reason why he was never sick as a child and for your reasons of garlic keeps others with germs away from you.

[True Blue American]

6. :)

[hlthe2b]

3. who knows.. A woman whose entire famly nursed the small town in which she lived in AL

(the video was posted here) and survived with none of her family members effected, swore the water and baking soda her mother gave everyone each morning protected them. While I could imagine the alkalinity might protect against virus attaching to oral mucosa, I don't see how it would protect from eyes or nose as a route of infection.

Garlic protects against vampires, they say, so who knows? (wink) That said, it is good for you. For me, I'm just focusing on eating right, getting enough sleep and exercise, taking all the precautions, and zinc daily. Don't go over 40 mg daily, please. I eat a lot of garlic when I make soups or bean dishes, so....

In all seriousness, there is published literature showing both some anti-cancer effects and VIRUCIDAL effects of garlic.
See here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1470664

[Siwsan]

9. I brush my teeth with baking soda

And added hydrogen peroxide to my mouth wash.

[KT2000]

51. Saw that interview

so I asked my doctor about that. He doubted that was the reason for their immunity. He said if there is any protection it would have to be taken long after eating a meal as any food would alter the ph again. I concluded the woman and her family have some good genes. She looked very good and sharp for her age.

It was a fascinating interview wasn't it.

[hlthe2b]

53. I doubt it too. Chances are at least one family member might have had a earlier, mild infection

that spread through the family months before and prior to the virus became so virulent. Thus they'd had a chance to develop some immunity.

[woodsprite]

4. Add it to my great grandfather's prevention: a shot of apricot brandy!

He made all his kids take it - a shot for the older ones, a teaspoon for the younger. He was livid when he found out that my grandmother was stopping by a neighbor's house before/after school to check on them and drop off groceries, etc. She *hated* apricot brandy until the day she died.

[True Blue American]

8. People swore by vinegar

In the old days.

[randr]

7. Garlic is known throughout the world for its medicinal qualities

It is sad that we classify centuries tested knowledge as "non-traditional or anecdotal" when medical "science" itself is constantly changing and evolving.
My doctor at my last visit admitted to me that almost everything he was taught at one time has been disputed or is under question.
This is not to dismiss the fact that many discovery's such as antibiotics and the many vaccines to combat dreaded diseases are not to be neglected in time of need.

[Siwsan]

12. I agree

I get kind of skittish about posting this kind of thing without an explanation because some people do react rather, ummm, harshly to anything connected to old school cures, preventatives, supplements and treatments.

[jberryhill]

13. Why are China and Italy hardest hit so far?

China and Italy lead the world in per capita garlic consumption.

There is a lot to be said for evidence-based thinking, particularly when something so obvious is staring one in the face.


https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/15/unlocking-the-benefits-of-garlic/

In such countries as Italy, Korea and China, where a garlic-rich diet seems to be protective against disease, per capita consumption is as high as eight to 12 cloves per day.

[randr]

16. Garlic has anti-bacterial not anti-viral properties

I was tempted to inject a bit of humor by suggesting it may be the pasta.

[LiberalArkie]

52. Garlic also lowers BP and high BP is a contributing factor for Covid

[elias7]

22. Everything should constantly be under question

Whether that be what your doctor was taught or what has been passed down as “folk medicine” such as garlic. I don’t know where the “centuries tested knowledge” about garlic or other herbs have been published or subject to as much scrutiny as medical practitioners subject their own remedies to scrutiny. Naturopath make a lot of claims about the effects of this or that, but I don’t see well designed studies to test these hypothesis. At least medical science is willing to say they’re wrong or they don’t know

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

42. Yes of course, but google ancillin research (active ingredient) there is some scientific although

incomplete evidence - that combined with the folk knowledge that crosses many cultures, PLUS my own experience leads me to conclude it is indeed beneficial to health.

Also I nursed a sick fish back to health with garlic and peas -garlic is well known amongst koi and goldfish keepers like myself to be anti flammatory and antiobiotic.

[jberryhill]

10. China and Italy lead the world in per capita garlic consumption

The two hardest hit countries are ones with high garlic consumption.

Next.

https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/15/unlocking-the-benefits-of-garlic/

Now, the downside. The concentration of garlic extract used in the latest study was equivalent to an adult eating about two medium-sized cloves per day. In such countries as Italy, Korea and China, where a garlic-rich diet seems to be protective against disease, per capita consumption is as high as eight to 12 cloves per day.

[Siwsan]

17. Perhaps you missed the anecdotal in the lounge disclaimer?

But I know, by now, you probably just can't help yourself!

[jberryhill]

43. I'm just saying that it is just as obvious that populations which eat more garlic get hit harder

Since that, at least is consistent with very obvious facts.

The two hardest-hit populations are among the top garlic consumers by far.

Just as valid.

Nobody comes close to China when it comes to herbal folk medicine techniques. It is the same body of belief in medical and nutritional folklore which is connected to the cause of this outbreak in the first place.

But, yes, fine, whatever makes you happy. Garlic is great stuff. I eat a lot of it.

But for real medicine, I'm sticking with rhino horn and tiger bone.

[Siwsan]

44. Ok. Have a restful day

[hopeforchange2008]

11. WHO advises garlic has no effect

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters

[Siwsan]

45. See, this was a lounge post intended to be treated as a lounge post.

Apparently my 'disclaimer' was a big waste of typing, for some.

[hopeforchange2008]

46. I didn't realize lounge posts had the green light for misnformation

Sorry

[TexasProgresive]

14. Years ago I read a 1st hand account of a man doing the same thing.

I wonder if it was your grandfather? Of course there could be others who took the garlic cure and never got infected.

[4139]

15. Don't 'turn your nose up' to garlic... google: garlic cancer NIH

Onion and Garlic Intake and Breast Cancer, a Case-Control Study in Puerto Rico.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/31402709/

Raw garlic consumption as a protective factor for lung cancer, a population-based case-control study in a Chinese population
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23658367/


Garlic intake and the risk of colorectal cancer: A meta-analysis
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/31895803/


Pickle your garlic and add to sales... course chopping the cloves makes it pickle quicker

[Siwsan]

19. Trust me, I don't!!

I grow my own, so I eat garlic pretty much every single day. I have a big jar of honey garlic fermenting, right now.

[4139]

21. Honey garlic? Tell me more😀

I pickle mine in straight lemon juice and salt

HMart sells container of peeled garlic, so real easy to do

[Siwsan]

24. Put raw honey in a jar, with peeled cloves of garlic

Don't fasten the jar lid because it will ferment and bubble up. Just put the jar on a plate, in case it does bubble over, loosely set the lid on top and let it sit in a cool, dark area, check on it, occasionally and in a few weeks it's ready.

[handmade34]

23. I blend mine

and keep it in the fridge... I find it easier to either take a spoonful or use in recipes if I blend it first... keep up the good work

[Siwsan]

25. I do that, too. I love garlic paste. So much nicer than the 'chopped'.

I have an immersion blender that comes with its own blending bowl. Really, really handy.

[empedocles]

18. My Sicilian grandmother put a piece of garlic in a necklace, and often wore it around her house.

Long-lived for the time, 78 and 6 children, and never had any medical care. Quietly passed away at home also.

[Siwsan]

20. And, no problem with vampires, either, right???

I had a great crop of garlic, last year. Hopefully this year will be as abundant.

[Cirque du So-What]

27. Elders from my youth told tales of asafoetida bags

https://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/3613

I'm leery of anything that has 'ass' and 'fetid' in the name.

[3catwoman3]

55. Oh, that's very funny, and a...

...good thing to be leery of, IMO!

[applegrove]

28. One of the debunked theories on the news last night. Garlic has anti bacterial

properties, coronavirus is a virus.

[Siwsan]

32. Yea - I thought about that, too, but it is a good immune system booster

The whole key is keeping your immune system strong. I've never had flu, and breezed through a bout with Shingles. I take garlic and turmeric, every day and I'm convinced that routine helps me mitigate certain illnesses.

That being said, I'm taking NO chances with this. Not necessarily because I worry about me getting laid flat, but that I might get 'contaminated' by someone else, or be an asymptomatic carrier, and give it to someone else.

Does that make sense?

[applegrove]

35. You go Siwsan!

[NJCher]

29. just get organic garlic or at least

garlic not from China. Chinese garlic is loaded with preservatives, dangerous ones.

You can tell where it's from because the Chinese garlic has the root all peeled off (if there's no label).

Google "Chinese garlic preservatives" for more info.

I grow my own garlic or purchase organic.

[Siwsan]

36. I grow my own garlic

It's tedious to harvest and cure, but worth the work.

[C_U_L8R]

30. Garlic tea

I know, sounds gross but it's not.
I actually like the taste.

Crush a clove or two and put in cup,
pour in steaming hot water,
lets steep for 5 minutes or so,
add some lemon and honey.

[Siwsan]

33. I love garlic honey!

And, fortunately, I love the taste of just plain garlic, too.

[in2herbs]

31. I used to feed my horses garlic and every time I rode, the desert heat made them sweat and

other riders could smell them from afar. He's 33 yo now so the garlic must have had some beneficial effect.

[Siwsan]

34. I make a very strong garlic soup, when I'm coming down with a cold

The trick is using enough garlic to make you break out in a sweat.

[UTUSN]

37. It also wasn't "Spanish"

***********QUOTE********

https://www.history.com/news/why-was-it-called-the-spanish-flu

Why was it called the “Spanish Flu?”

.... ... Many assumed this was because the sickness had originated on the Iberian Peninsula, but the nickname was actually the result of a widespread misunderstanding. Spain was one of only a few major European countries to remain neutral during World War I. Unlike in the Allied and Central Powers nations, where wartime censors suppressed news of the flu to avoid affecting morale, the Spanish media was free to report on it in gory detail. News of the sickness first made headlines in Madrid in late-May 1918, and coverage only increased after the Spanish King Alfonso XIII came down with a nasty case a week later. Since nations undergoing a media blackout could only read in depth accounts from Spanish news sources, they naturally assumed that the country was the pandemic’s ground zero. The Spanish, meanwhile, believed the virus had spread to them from France, so they took to calling it the “French Flu.” ....

... the United States, where the first known case was reported at a military base in Kansas on March 11, 1918. (pandemic peaked six months later elsewhere) ....

**********UNQUOTE*******

[Siwsan]

38. Yes, I know, but it's how people refer to it

After 100 years, that's not likely going to change.

[UTUSN]

39. While that's a way of thinking, the younger "people" don't even know recent history, so...

[Siwsan]

40. True - it's always a good thing to learn!

I read a long article on it, the other day. Interesting how poor Spain got painted with that viral brush.

[UTUSN]

41. :hi:

[Wounded Bear]

47. Probably more effective against blood borne illnesses...

[Siwsan]

48. Well, most of my gardens sprout with garlic, and my land is void of vampires, so......

No need to worry about any Vampire Virus, anyway.......

[Wounded Bear]

49. It pays to be prepared...

[lastlib]

50. Have a similar story regarding diet--

Early 80s, I was taking my then 78-year-old grandmother to California by car. We stopped in western Kansas for breakfast. At the table next to us were two ladies who looked to be about the same age as my grandmother. The waitress came, and Grandma ordered a normal (for her) breakfast--scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, coffee. The woman next to Grandma looked over and said, "Young lady, if you eat like that every day, you won't live to be 65!" Grandma just looked at her and said, "I'm 78, and I've eaten like this for 65 years!"

(Insert sound of woman's jaw hitting floor here.) Grandma died at the age of 98. She fell and broke her hip tending her outside flowers, and suffered respiratory failure after surgery to replace the hip. Until she broke her hip, she ate like that every morning.

[jberryhill]

54. So, the takeaway is avoid gardening

[Joinfortmill]

56. Can't hurt.

I'm taking a small dose of baking soda in water. One woman's story is it kept her alive during the 1918 flu epidemic. Can't hurt.

[Siwsan]

57. Baking soda is good for many things.

I brush my teeth with it - cuts acidity. Also rinse with a hydrogen peroxide/mouth wash mix to cut bacteria.

I'm going to start the baking soda in a glass of water routine. I mean, why not?