Garlic may not be to every ones taste because of its pungent taste and smell, but it is worth experimenting with this herb if you have never tried it.
Garlic is an excellent health giving food, the properties it contains help to fight, and prevent many health concerns and diseases.
Garlic has a variety of powerful compounds containing sulphur, these compounds are responsible for garlic’s pungent odour, but they are also responsible for the large amount of health properties they contain.
In addition to the compounds garlic is an excellent source of manganese, vitamin B6 and Vitamin C and a good source of selenium.
The numerous studies on the regular consumption of garlic have shown the potential benefits on blood pressure, platelet aggregation, and cholesterol levels.
Regular garlic intake may also help to stimulate the production of nitric oxide in the lining of the blood vessel wall so helping to relax them. Due to this, garlic may help to prevent atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease, as well as reducing the risk of heart attack or stroke. Garlic’s benefits can definitely be considered a potential ally in heart health.
A reason for garlic’s beneficial effects may be its ability to lessen the amount of free radicals present in the bloodstream. A study published in Life Sciences stated a daily dose of 1 ml/kg body weight of garlic extract for six months resulted in a significant reduction in oxidant (free radical) stress in the blood of patients with atherosclerosis. A German study indicates that garlic also greatly reduces plaque deposition and size by preventing the formation of the initial complex that develops into an atherosclerotic plaque, it is formed when calcium binds to proteoheparan sulfate and then to LDL cholesterol. Garlic prevents the binding of calcium to proteoheparan sulphate, thus decisively inhibiting plaque generation.
Garlic is an excellent source of vitamin C the body’s primary antioxidant defender in all aqueous areas, such as the bloodstream, where it protects LDL cholesterol from oxidation. Since it is the oxidized form of LDL cholesterol that initiates damage to blood vessel walls, reducing levels of oxidizing free radicals in the bloodstream can have a profound effect on preventing cardiovascular disease.
The vitamin B6 in garlic helps to prevent heart disease by lowering levels of homocysteine which can directly damage blood vessel walls. The selenium in garlic also provides protection against cancer and heavy metal toxicity, selenium also works with vitamin E in a number of vital antioxidant systems. Vitamin E is one of the body’s top defenders in all fat-soluble areas, while vitamin C protects the water-soluble areas, garlic, which contains both nutrients, does a good job of covering all the bases.
Garlic contains compounds that inhibit the enzymes that generate inflammatory prostaglandins and thromboxanes this reduces inflammation. The anti-inflammatory compounds along with the vitamin C in garlic, especially fresh garlic, make it useful for helping to protect against severe attacks in some cases of asthma and may also help reduce the pain and inflammation of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
The sulphur-compound allicin is responsible for garlic’s characteristic odour, it is a powerful antibacterial and antiviral agent that joins with vitamin C to help kill harmful microbes. In research studies, allicin has been shown to be effective not only against common infections like colds, flu, stomach viruses, and Candida yeast, but also against powerful pathogenic microbes including tuberculosis and botulism.
Making garlic part of your regular diet may reduce the risk of several common cancers. Results of two studies suggest that garlic is a potent antibiotic, even against strains that have become resistant to many drugs.
The organo sulphur compound found in garlic called ajoene may also be useful in the treatment of skin cancer. This was explained in a study published in the July 2003 Archives of Dermatological Research, researchers applied ajoene topically to the tumors of patients with either nodular or superficial basal cell carcinoma, and in 17 of the 21 patients, the tumours shrunk significantly. Lab tests of the tumours before and after the application of ajoene revealed a significant decrease in Bcl-2, an apoptosis-suppressing protein. (Apoptosis is the self-destruct sequence used by the body to eliminate cancerous cells.
Other studies have shown that as few as two or more servings of garlic a week may help protect against colon cancer. Substances found in garlic, such as allicin have been shown to not only protect colon cells from the toxic effects of cancer-causing chemicals, but also to stop the growth of cancer cells once they develop. While more research is needed to confirm, recent animal research has also suggested that garlic may confer protection against the development of stomach cancer through its potential ability to decrease H pylori induced gastritis.
For maximum nutritional benefits, always purchase fresh garlic as the health benefits are higher than other forms of intake.
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