Garlic properties

[Parijm]

I just read this description "Garlic really is good for you! It can reduce inflammation, boost the immune system and improve cardiovascular health." I am confused. Reducing inflammation GOOD. Boosting the immune system" we wouldn't want to do that, would we?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Not really no! Johns Hopkins (a famous medical clinic in the USA) don't think so either!

hopkinslupus.org/lupus-info...

It's written for lupus - but they do say in the text that it applies for other autoimmune disorders too.

I imagine though that what is usually used in cooking is fine, it's the health store capsules with high doses that should be avoided.

[Pollyanna16 in reply to PMRpro]

Oh! I have been taking garlic capsules for donkeys years! I hadn't made the connection thinking it was protecting the heart & against cancer , colds etc. 😬

[nickm001]

i do think that garlic helps if you are getting cold. This is one of "grandmas" cures for cold... If you are feeling some discomfort in the throat area, and feeling that you are coming down with cold, what helps is to chop down 1 clover of garlic and mix it with honey before spreading it on bread. Garlic will basically kill most of the virus, which is concentrated in the throat area ( tonsils) and honey is there to help garlic to coat the throat area. It may sound unusual, but it works because colds attack human body in 2 stages. First stage is moving in to tonsils area, where it multiplies before spreading further.

If you catch it in the first stage and treat it with garlic + honey, second stage never happens.

I have used this remedy for years, and use it even now with PMR.

[Parijm]

My rheumatologist commended me on following a 'Mediterranean ' diet. A vital ingredient surely is goodly amounts of garlic? Or is it consuming lots of red wine? What a grand idea. Seriously the amounts of garlic cloves consumed in our daily lunch & supper won't be significant enough to fight against Pred surely.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Mind you - you would imagine there would be no colds in Italy where we do use a significant amount of garlic (spag aglio et olio anyone?). Not so unfortunately...

[nickm001 in reply to PMRpro]

like they say in the sports, timing is everything.. It has to be right at the start of the cold. Sometimes if I miss it just by one day, it is too late and cold takes over.

[Parijm]

Esatto!

I was further disappointed that PMR suffers do no benefit from the Sun. I had thought I had greater sensitivity to strong sun making my skin reddened and taking much longer to fade.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Parijm]

Pred makes people more sensitive to the sun. Some doctors recommend we use high factor sunscreen as it also increases the risk of vvarious skin cancers though not so much melanoma, more BCC and the like.

[mega]

I'm confused with some of the replies - why wouldn't we wish to 'boost the immune system'? I should like my immune to be as strong as possible. Am I misunderstanding the word?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to mega]

PMR is just the name we give to a set of symptoms which are actually due to an underlying cause which can vary. The PMR we discuss here is caused by an autoimmune disorder. Something, no-one knows what and probably a whole range of things may be involved, causes your immune system to go haywire and become unable to recognise your body as "self". As a result it starts to attack your body tissues by mistake, as of they were viruses and bacteria, and damages the cells. This causes inflammation - which leads to swelling which causes pain and stiffness. Pred works as an antiinflammatory to reduce the swelling and so the pain and stiffness.

It is also an immunosuppressant - and damps down the activity of the immune system. The last thing you want to do is encourage the immune system to be more active - and there are several supplements and natural substances that are recommended to "boost" the immune system which are recommended should not be used/taken by people on pred. Garlic in quantity is one of them. So is echinacea.

[HeronNS in reply to PMRpro]

My immune system seems to be functioning quite well these days, pred or no pred. (Touch wood.) I've been exposed to family colds and never had a single symptom. Still debating the flu shot this year as I'm told the strain active this year is particularly bad. But I checked on the additives and the shot being offered here this year has both mercury and aluminum in it. Seem like bad things to put into old people's systems.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to HeronNS]

If you ask you SHOULD be able to get the version without. I've already had mine - had a slightly sore arm for a day. That was it.