garlic has become so much a part of everyday life today that many people are unaware that it is a valuable and perennial herb.
Its use as a food and herb dates back to prehistoric times. Garlic has been prized in many cultures for thousands of years for its culinary properties and significant health benefits.
It was one of the basic elements of nutrition in ancient Egypt. Workers building the Giza pyramids were given garlic to increase their stamina and strength and to protect themselves from disease. In the tomb of King Tutankhamun (14th century BC), preserved garlic cloves were found!
Famous ancient Greek and Roman writers such as Hippocrates, Galen and Pliny the Elder praise garlic for its properties that help with respiratory, digestive and fatigue problems. In the ancient Olympic Games, it was a common custom to gnaw a clove of garlic as a natural means of improving the physical performance of the body.
By the end of the first millennium, garlic was cultivated virtually throughout the known world. To this day, it is considered a valuable plant from a dietary, medical and even spiritual point of view. During the Renaissance, interest in the plant increased, and its effects on humans were studied in botanical gardens established at leading universities in Europe.
