Garlic (Ajo)
Garlic has traditionally been used in Latino curandero practices to protect the soul from enemies, negative energy and lurking evil. It’s common to see cloves of garlic hung over doorways in Latino households, eaten raw for protection from internal and external ailments and even burned regularly in homes to keep negative spirits away.
Modern medicine seems to back up the idea that garlic can be a fierce protector of our health. Several large-scale studies have proven that the herb is an effective cure for several conditions linked to the blood system and heart, including atherosclerosis (the hardening of the arteries), high cholesterol, heart attack and hypertension.
In addition, one Chinese study found that people who eat raw garlic at least twice a week have a 44 percent lower risk of developing lung cancer. Another study from the Medical University of South Carolina discovered that the organosulfur compounds (i.e., organic products that contain sulfur) found in natural garlic successfully destroy certain brain tumor cells. And recently, diallyl sulfide, a compound in garlic, was found to be 100 times better than two popular antibiotics in fighting certain bacteria that commonly cause intestinal infections. Talk about protection from negativity!
