A HISTORY OF GARLIC, THE SOURCE OF ALLICIN
To appreciate the importance of allicin it is first useful to appreciate the historical significance of garlic. Of all the plants used in cooking and natural medicine, it must be the best known and most widely used. This is not surprising given that its reputation as an “all healing” herb has been solidly established over thousands of years.
“GARLIC HAS ESTABLISEHD A REPUTATION AS AN ALL-HEALING HERB”
The use of garlic, the plant that is the source of the versatile ingredient and valuable, restorative medicine, dates from Egyptian times. It was also popular with the Babylonians and the Hebrews. The great pyramid at Giza in Egypt bears an inscription indicating how much garlic and onion was consumed by the workers who built the pyramids. Indeed, it is reported that garlic was the cause of the first known industrial strike, caused when the ruling Egyptians stopped the daily ration of garlic given to the construction teams to ward off disease and build their strength. The men immediately downed tools and refused to continue their labors until rations were restored!