Garlic for Fungus & Bacteria

Garlic or Allium sativum has been known to kill a wide spectrum of bacterial infections as well as fungi and other types of infections. Garlic contains high levels of antioxidants which can help people prevent certain bacterial or fungus infections as well.

History

• Garlic was known to be used for medicinal purposes when the Egyptians built the pyramids. Grave diggers in France drank it during the 18th century to protect them from the bubonic plague. Moreover, veterans during World War I and II took garlic to help get rid of gangrene, which is normally caused by a bacterial infection.

Significance

• In the late 1970s, European researchers tested garlic juice against 10 types of resistant bacteria and yeast, a type of fungus. Garlic was found to be effective against all of them.

Function

• Garlic is know to kill many forms of bacteria such as aspergillus flavus, aspergillus fumigatus, bacillus cereus and cryptococcus neoformans as well as fungi such as candida albicans, which causes external yeast infections, and candida lipolytica.

Effects

• Garlic contains allicin, which is believed to have antibacterial, antifungal and even antiviral properties, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. It has been used to treat ulcers, which are caused by a bacterial infection, as well as skin conditions such as Tinea cruris and Tinea corporis.

Considerations

• Garlic is made in different forms such as aged garlic, garlic oil and freeze-dried garlic. The way garlic is grown and prepared can determine how effective it is in treating bacterial and fungus infections.