Hi all,
I found this article on Garlic. Sorry but I do not recall who write it but it is a very well informed person. Of course, the article is quite advance and the use of all those technical terms are not easy but please have a look on the important item in it! It is a long article that give ALL information we might need.
''Since I am one who uses and recommends garlic often, for health and rehab for pigeons, I thought I would give everyone vital information as to why it is so great to use in times of sickness as well as health.
This is one natural food that not only has tremendous healing building potential, but amazing disease fighting ability as well.
First I'm going to talk about the key to garlic, stabilized allicin. Sniff a garlic bulb and you won't detect any odour. That is the odourless amino acid, allicin in the clove. Once the clove is crushed, you can smell it that is when allicin comes in contact with an enzyme allinase. The reaction of these two compounds produces allicin, which is the key to its characteristic odour, as well as its healing properties. Allicin is then transformed into several additional sulphur compounds which also have healing and medicinal properties.
Because the odour is a key to goodness be careful when purchasing one for your pigeons, as some brands that do remove the odour will also remove its healing power as well. The most effective form of garlic in supplement form should use a cool-dried process. Look for a stabilized allicin, usually in capsule, it has a proven track record to gently clear harmful pathogens, especially those contained in miniature, multi compartmented cities called biofilms-99% of all infections in the body live in bio films.
Stabilized allicin has demonstrated significant antibacterial, antifungal, larvicidal and antiviral properties, according to the following information extracted from Premier Product¢s literature:
Antibacterial Activity of Allicin
Various researchers have shown that garlic extracts exhibit a wide spectrum of antibacterial activity against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, including species of Escherichia, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Klebsiella, Proteus, Bacillus, and Clostridium.
Even acid-fast bacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis are sensitive to garlic. Research shows that garlic extracts are effective against Helicobacter pylori, the cause of gastric ulcers. Garlic extracts can also prevent the formation of Staphylococcus enterotoxns A, B and C1 and also thermo nuclease. Research shows the antibacterial action of garlic is mainly due to allicin. Interestingly allicin has also been proven to be effective against various bacterial strains resistant to antibiotics such as Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus as well as multi-drug-resistant enterotoxicogenic strains of Escheria coli, Enterococcus, Shigella dysenteriae, S. flexneni and S. sonnei cells.
Antifungal Activity of Allicin
Garlic extracts have also shown, in research, to have a strong antifungal effect and inhibit formation of mycotoxins like the aflatoxin of Aspergillus parasiticus. Another study showed the fungistatic and fungicidal activity of a highly concentrated garlic extract against Cryptococcus neoformans. Pure allicin was found to have a high anti-Candida activity and was effective against various species of Candida, Cryptococcous, Trichophyton, Epidermphyton and Microsporum. Allicin inhibited both germination of spores and growth of hyphae.
Antiparasitic Properties of Allicin
Freshly crushed garlic has been used to treat intestinal worms as it has an anti parasitic effect. Recent research shows that allicin is also effective against Entoameba histolyctica, a human intestinal protozoan parasite. Stabilized allicin has also very efficiently inhibited the growth of other protozoan parasites such as Giardia lamblia, Leishmania major, Leptomonas colosoma and Crithidia fasciculate.
Antiviral Activity of Allicin
Fresh garlic extracts in which allicin is the main component have shown in vitro and in vivo antiviral activity, including effectiveness against the human cytomegalovirus, influenza B, herpes simplex virus type 1, herpes simplex virus type 2, Para influenza virus type 3, vaccinia virus, vesicular stomatitis virus and human rhinovirus type 2.
The allicin condensation product, ajoene, appears to have more antiviral activity in general than allicin. Ajoene was found to block the integrin-dependent processes of human immunodeficiency virus-infected cell system.
Allicin and the Common Cold
Research shows that garlic extracts are effective against numerous viruses that cause colds and flu. Evidence points towards allicin and ajoene as the main components responsible for this antiviral activity. Studies showed that daily intake of stabilized allicin produced significant protection from the common cold virus as well as benefits of prevention, treatment and reduction of re-infection from colds.
OTHER BENEFITS OF GARLIC
* Strengthens blood vessels and lowers blood pressure
* Great natural antibiotic-protects against & fights infections
* digestive aid & disorders
* anti-inflammatory
* to combat respiratory problems
* to treat fungal/yeast infections
* to alleviate sinus problems
* immune system stimulant
* aids in circulatory problems
* purifies the blood
* Detoxifies the body
* Aids in arteriosclerosis, ulcers, liver disease, & heart disorders
I have used the soft gel garlic caps and have seen noticeable results in my pigeons. I have used it daily for birds in rehab and see better results the longer it is used. It can be used to treat birds in general, for injuries and disease, in any case, it strengthens the immune system and plays a vital roll in recovery. If it was economical and didn't take so much time, I probably would pop a soft gel garlic cap down each of my birds daily as it is so beneficial.
Here is the garlic soft gel i am currently using: *http://www.nowcatalog.com/1792.html
In the future, I hope to try the stabilized allicin, upon approval of the manufacturer.
As is the case, for prevention, I use the garlic clove in the bird¢s water a few times a week. The problem is the smell will cause the birds not to drink as readily as they should. If you do use it in their water start with a clove to a gallon, and if they refuse to drink the amount they normally do, use less. If you use a plastic drinker, the smell may permeate the plastic, (if it is a poor quality plastic) and that may further repel the birds to drink enough of it. It is best to use a ceramic drinker, or even a galvanized drinker, (available thru the pigeon supply houses). The point is, for the birds to get enough of the "goodness" of garlic, they need to drink their normal drinking quota.
When using garlic for medicinal reasons, it is better to double the amount used for preventive purposes. The garlic capsules enable the birds to get a more concentrated dose of garlic then the clove in the water.
The only time I don't use garlic, is when the bird has an upset stomach, or if it is a youngster under 6 weeks of age.
I'm also looking into using other garlic products in the future, that are actually stabilized allicin.
I hope this will help those of you who are not using garlic, or those of you only using it for prevention, to take a second look at both its prevention and healing qualities.''
Specially selected for our pigeon friends by:
Raymond Julien,
canada.