Garlic is best known for its use in international cuisines. It’s hard to imagine cooking without it. The best part of eating garlic is the health-promoting role it plays in the body.
Research supports the power of garlic to fight cancer and cardiovascular disease, as well as its anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. This makes garlic a Superfood.
Garlic’s power as a health promoter comes from its rich variety of sulphur-containing compounds. Of the many nutrients in garlic, the most important in terms of health benefits is the sulphur compound allicin. Allicin is formed instantly when cloves are crushed, chewed or cut.
TIP: Chopping garlic breaks its cells and releases stored enzymes that react with oxygen. That triggers allicin to form. Letting it sit for 10 to 15 minutes allows the allicin to fully develop before putting it in a dressing or cook it.
In addition to allicin, a single clove of garlic offers many other compounds with potential health benefits, including saponins, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, selenium, polyphenols, and arginine. Garlic is also a good source of vitamin B6 and also of vitamin C. A stronger tasting clove of garlic has more sulphur content and hence more medicinal value. Allicin is partially destroyed by cooking and you will get the greatest health boost if you use it raw or only lightly cooked when you can.
Science also has shown that garlic is a powerful broad-spectrum antibiotic. The body does not appear to build up resistance to the garlic as it does to antibiotics, so its positive health benefits continue over time. Studies have shown that garlic - especially aged garlic - can have a powerful antioxidant effect.
As well as having antibiotic properties, allicin is an excellent anti-fungal, it lowers blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar level and has been used to treat skin infections and cancer.
Garlic is the “Wonder-Drug” to heal almost everything. I eat at least 6 cloves of garlic every day in my dressing and add it to all cooked dishes. I encourage you to include it in your daily meals as much as you can. Start with whatever you tolerate and increase over time!
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