Don’t let an itchy, sore throat caused by a a common cold or flu virus, strep or staph bacterial infection keep you miserable and trapped in bed for days.
If the throat irritation is not due to a more serious or chronic and recurring condition such as a tumor, allergy, or acid reflux and the like, try the most powerful anti-itch-sore throat natural remedy on the planet: that is, GARLIC!
Zap it Before it Gets Worse
As soon as you feel that itch in the back of the throat, zap it immediately before it gets worse: Crush or scrape a clove of raw garlic on a piece of bread, add a sprinkle of (preferably) olive oil or plain cooking oil, and a pinch of salt. Chew it down and swallow slowly. You may be surprised at how quickly that itch vanishes! Repeat the dosage as needed to kill the lurking germs in your throat.
Although a herbal lozenge or cough drop made of sage, eucalyptus, anise, fennel or peppermint may soothe an itchy, sore throat, garlic will actually kill the invisible culprits causing the irritation. Using small doses of raw garlic on bread with olive oil should not irritate the throat as opposed to eating the raw garlic straight. Although garlic best retains its curative, antibiotic properties when eaten raw, it still has some, though much diminished health benefits when used in cooked foods, such as in soups or an egg omelette. To maintain all of garlic’s medicinal power, try adding it at the very end of the cooking process, or in its raw state to your cooked foods. Juicing raw garlic with carrots and apples, for instance, is another way to get the healing benefits of garlic into your system.
Health Benefits of Garlic: Antibiotic Par Excellence
Not only does garlic stimulate the immune system to combat disease, but also kills on contact a whole host of viruses and bacteria, including the common cold and flu viruses. To date, the compounds known by researchers to give garlic its antibiotic properties are allicin, ajoene, diallyl trisulfide, and allyl methyl thiosulfinate, powerful components of at least 400 found in this “miraculous” of herbs.
According to Paul Bergner in The Healing Power of Garlic, some conventional antibiotics may not be as effective as garlic and may destroy the good intestinal flora. Over time and repeated use, laboratory-produced antibiotics may even become completely ineffective when a bacteria strain develops resistance to them. That is not the case with garlic, to which bacteria or viruses do not develop resistance. In addition, intestinal flora are not normally harmed when garlic is taken in prescribed amounts.
Continue using garlic in your foods (fresh salads, soups, stews and juices) or in supplement form, during and after a sore throat, a cold, or the flu! Try to avoid sugar, alcohol and caffeine while you’re sick (they reduce immunity). And, of course, get some rest!
Stay healthy! Eat garlic!!
Note:
Be sure to consult a doctor when a cough, sore throat, or pulmonary infection lasts beyond a 2-3 week period to rule out any serious illness. Get emergency treatment for shortness of breath, if symptoms get worse, or when phlemn is at all bloodied pink or red.
