Amazing Health Benefits of Garlic

Amazing Health Benefits of Garlic

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”— Hippocrates

Scientific Name: Allium vineale ,Allium sativa
Family:Amaryllidaceae
Part of Plant Used: Entire vegetable.It's a bulb. 
Origin: Central Asia 
History: Garlic was once thought to bring good luck, protect against evil, and keep vampires away.In Ancient Egypt, garlic was placed in the tombs of pharaohs and used to enhance endurance and strength of the slaves that built the Pyramids.Greeks and Romans also recognized the strength enhancing qualities of garlic, giving it to their athletes and soldiers.

Known Active Ingredients: Allicin, Diallyl sulfides, ajeone

Health Benefits:
The bane of every vampire’s existence, garlic has quite a few health properties .Allicin, one of two main active compounds in garlic, is a sulfur-bearing compound that is released when the interior of a clove is exposed to air (i.e., if you crush or chop the garlic).Diallyl sulfides are reported to boost the immune system, while allicin is noted to be an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and antioxidant compound.  

For those that worry about such things, garlic has shown the ability to lower cholesterol by 4-6% in studies.Beyond that, ajeone has been found to slow blood clotting and some research has also found garlic to be beneficial for lowering cancer risk (although large-scale studies are lacking). Unlike allicin, diallyl sulfides survive cooking but are only activated when exposed to air.

1. Garlic lowers blood pressure.Enzymes in the herb work to dilate blood vessels, reducing blood pressure 
2. Garlic lowers LDL cholesterol.
3. Garlic lowers or helps regulate blood sugar.
4. Garlic helps prevent blood clots, thus reducing the possibility of strokes.
5. Garlic helps prevent cancer, especially of the digestive system, prevents certain tumors from growing larger, and reduces the size of certain tumors.
6. Garlic helps to remove heavy metals such as lead and mercury from the body.
7. Garlic is a potent natural antibiotic.
8. Garlic dramatically reduces yeast infections due to Candida species.
9. Garlic has anti-oxidant properties.Antioxidants in garlic reduce the amount of “bad cholesterol” in the blood (which can build up in arteries and cause heart attack or stroke).
10. Garlic is a source of selenium.
11. Decreased risk of heart disease -Consumption of garlic minimizes the stiffening of muscles in the heart.
12. Decreased risk of dementia - Risk factors for heart disease are also linked to dementia 
13. Regular consumption of garlic is linked with increased cognitive health in old age.
14. Garlic has a similar blood thinning effect as aspirin.
15. Garlic is a natural antibiotic.
16. Garlic can decrease your risk of many age-related diseases.
17. Garlic can help fight against decreased immunity with age.

There are two main forms of garlic available to consumers: clove form and supplement form .
If taking garlic in clove form, aim to consume 4 cloves per day. Since allicin is broken down during cooking, you receive more health benefits from raw garlic.Crushing or chopping the cloves prompts the odorless amino acid, allin, to be converted by an enzyme into allicin which is the compound that is responsible for the characteristic odor of fresh garlic. Allicin spontaneously decomposes to form numerous sulfur containing compounds.

If taking garlic in a supplement form, aim to consume doses of 1200 mg daily.If you are on blood thinning medications, raw garlic is good to consume, but avoid using garlic supplements.

Flavor: Garlic, like pepper, adds a nice element to nearly every dish.The flavor you want out of your meal will determine exactly when you should add your garlic.It has a spicy, pungent flavor when raw and a sweeter, mellower pungency when cooked.  

For the purposes of conversion, when you see a recipe calling for 1 tsp of chopped garlic, you can count on that being about a clove of fresh garlic or about 1/3 tsp of garlic powder. For storing your fresh garlic, just put it on the counter, not in the fridge. 

Precautions: Over consumption of garlic (especially raw) can cause irritation of, and possible damage to, the digestive tract. Over-consumption also tends to make your breath smell and can cause a garlicy smell to the body.