Garlic – History and Heart-Healthy Benefits
Capture the Flavor and Medicinal Value of the Prized Pungent Clove
Apr 5, 2009
The Greeks and Egyptians attributed aphrodisiac properties garlic. Perhaps because of the hot herb's reputation for inflaming the passions, some cultures forbade the eating of garlic or entering of sacred places after eating it. Tibetan monks, for instance, were forbidden from entering the monasteries if they had eaten garlic.
Health Benefits of Garlic
Sanskrit records show garlic’s medicinal use about 5,000 years ago, and the Chinese have used it as medicine for at least 3,000 years. The Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans all used garlic for healing purposes. Six dried garlic bulbs were in the tomb of Tutankhamen
Modern studies show garlic to have outstanding heart- healthy benefits. It's a tasty alternative to salt and so may benefit those coping with high blood pressure.
Garlic helps prevent heart attacks and strokes by keeping arteries soft, supple and young. The sulfur compounds in garlic relax and enlarge the blood vessels, while the high levels of Vitamin B6 found in garlic helps prevent damage to arterial walls.
Though research is inconclusive, garlic also displays anti-oxidant properties that may assist in controlling LDL “bad” cholesterol.
Like sweet potatoes, garlic is also loaded with anti-inflammatory compounds. Some even claim that garlic is effective in reducing snoring.
Garlic as Antibiotic
In 1858, Pasteur noted garlic's antibacterial activity. During World Wars One and Two, Russians relied on garlic as an antiseptic to disinfect open wounds (it became known as ‘Russian penicillin’) In the 1950s Dr Albert Schweitzer used garlic to treat cholera, typhus and amoebic dysentery.
Numerous modern studies confirm that garlic has definite broad-spectrum antibiotic properties and is effective against many bacteria, fungi and viruses. One significant advantage of garlic is that the body does not seem to build up a resistance to it as it does to many modern antibiotics.
Crushed or Minced Garlic is Best
Allicin is not present in natural garlic. It is released when garlic is crushed. Garlic’s sulfur-containing compounds, including allicin, appear to be the active substances in garlic. Allicin is formed when alliin, an amino acid, comes into contact with the enzyme alliinase when raw garlic is chopped, crushed, or chewed.
Garlic should be chopped as finely as possible to get the maximum amount of allicin. Garlic should be left for at least 5-10 minutes after mincing or crushing to allow the generation of allicin. Prepare garlic first and then let it stand while preparing other ingredients for a meal. Heat destroys allicin, so when cooking with garlic, the later in the recipe assembly that you introduce the garlic, the stronger the garlic’s presence will be in your finished dish.
Warnings
Never store raw garlic in oil at room temperature or even for too long in the refrigerator. Garlic is a low-acid vegetable which, in an anaerobic environment, makes it ideal for culturing Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria which causes botulism. As long as the bacterium is exposed to oxygen, it cannot develop the spores which secrete the toxin, so garlic itself is perfectly safe. (Commercial preparations of garlic in oil are safe because agents are added to increase the acidity, killing off any bacteria.)
Garlic Supplements
Some people prefer to buy odorless garlic supplements to avoid garlic breath. The efficacy of garlic supplements varies greatly: check the label of different brands for the amount of allicin released. Don’t be confused by a listing of the amount of alliin they contain. On its own an alliin figure is of little value.
As with all medicines, consult your doctor before taking garlic supplements. Garlic can interfere with certain prescription medicines, especially some anti-coagulants used in surgery. In addition, a 2001 National Institutes of Health (NIH) study found garlic supplements can cause a potentially harmful side effect when combined with saquinavir a type of medication used to treat HIV/AIDS.
Important
This is not a medical site. Information in this article is provided for interest only and does not constitute personal advice. It is essential that you discuss medical matters with a health professional.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
