You may have heard your mother saying ‘Garlic is good for the heart’ and you may have grudgingly eaten it. Little did you know that Garlic is packed with chemicals that protect your body against various ailments.
What does the humble garlic contain?
Amino acids: Glutaminc acid, Arginine, Leucine, Aspartic acid, Lysine, Leucine, Valine
Minerals: Manganese, Potassium, Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Selenium, Sodium, Zinc, Copper, Iron
Vitamin: Vitamin B6, Folic acid, Niacin, Vitamin C
Sulphur containing components: Allyl disulphide, Allul trisulphide
Enzyme: Alliinase
Sugars: Fructose and Glucose
Garlic is a powerful antioxidant:
Garlic contains Selenium which is a component of Glutathione Peroxidase, an oxidant that that the human body produces to defend itseld. This Glutathione peroxidase works with Vitamin E to form a very powerful antioxidant defense system
Garlic also contains manganese which is again an important component in Superoxide Dismutase, powerful antioxidant enzyme.
So garlic is a powerful antioxidant but how is that important to your heart?
Oxidation is related to Oxygen. When our system breaks down glucose for energy, a number of free radicals are formed. These free radicals oxidize our cellular tissues. This is equivalent to your cellular system rusting down. The body does build up enough antioxidants to neutralize the free radicals. The free radicals can be damaging if we do not get enough antioxidants from our nutrients
When free radicals damage the cells that line your arteries, the body reacts by producing a sticky substance. This substance can team up with cholesterol and debirs to plaque your ateries forever. This further causes the narrowing and hardening of the arteries thus reducing blood flow to vital organs.
Garlic not only has enough minerals to build a powerful antioxidant defense sytem but it can also prevent calcium from lodging itself in plaque. This greatly reduces the chances of coronary artery calcification.
Vitamin C and cholesterol
Garlic contains Vitamin C which shields the body against the damage that LDL cholesterol can cause
Quercetin:
Garlic contains quercetin which is a powerful phytochemical . Quercetin is known to have anti inflammatory properties and also is effective in fighting many diseases including cancer.
Garlic and its anti thrombotic properties:
Garlic is packed with sulphorous components and alliin and ajoene that gives it the anti thrombotic properties. In layman terms, garlic makes your blood more fluid or in other words reduces the chances of blood clotting. Garlic hence helps the body fight circulatory diseases, atherosclerosis, cholesterol, hypertension, cardiac arrest, hemorrhoid formation and angina pectoris
Garlic as a digestive:
Garlic eases digestion by stimulating the liver, gall bladder and pancreas. This should be avoided in cases of hyper acidity.
Garlic is a natural antibiotic.
Garlic combined with onion is a very powerful antibiotic that makes it the best remedy against a range of diseases including Influenza, Tuberculosis, Swine Flu, Pharingitis, Sinusitis, Cough, Wheezing, Diarrhea.
Apart from this Garlic is also helps mankind in the following:
- Vaginal Infections
- Gonorrhea
- Nail fungus
- Scabies
- Insect bites
- Altitude sickness
- Intestinal worms
Are these reasons enough to add a clove of Garlic to your everyday diet? But here is the catch. Garlci should be consumed raw as cooking destroys most of its essential components. Do you hear the crackling sound when you add garlic while tempering? Not advised. You could rather add it raw in your salads. Of course you can brush your teeth after consumption.
It is also important that you keep the consumption of garlic to one – two raw cloves a day owing to its blood diluting properties!
