The nutritional and health benefits of garlic Why does garlic have a special smell

Garlic is one of the essential seasonings in our daily cooking. Let's learn about its nutritional components.

Nutritional information of garlic

Garlic and its health-care effects: Modern medical research has confirmed that garlic contains more than 100 kinds of medicinal and health-care ingredients, including 43 sulfur-containing volatiles, 13 sulfide sulfinic acid (such as allicin) esters, 9 amino acids, 8 peptides, 12 glycosides, and 11 enzymes. In addition, alliin is a unique component of garlic. When it enters the blood, it becomes allicin. Even if this allicin is diluted 100,000 times, it can still kill typhoid bacillus, dysentery bacillus, influenza virus, etc. in an instant. Allicin combined with vitamin B1 can produce allithiamine, which has the miraculous effect of eliminating fatigue and enhancing physical strength. The creatinine contained in garlic is an indispensable component for participating in muscle activity, and it also plays a role in the production of semen, which can greatly increase the number of sperm. The so-called eating garlic is energetic refers to this. Garlic can also promote metabolism, reduce the content of cholesterol and triglycerides, and has the effect of lowering blood pressure and blood sugar, so it has a certain effect on hypertension, hyperlipidemia, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, etc. Garlic can promote blood circulation in the skin, remove the aging stratum corneum of the skin, soften the skin and enhance its elasticity. It can also prevent sun exposure, prevent melanin deposition, remove spots and whiten the skin. In recent years, domestic and foreign studies have shown that garlic can break the synthesis of nitrosamine carcinogens in the body. So far, its anti-cancer effect is ranked among more than 40 kinds of vegetables and fruits in a pyramid arrangement, with garlic at the top of the pyramid. Among more than 100 ingredients, dozens of them have independent anti-cancer effects.

Garlic health benefits

Garlic essential oil is a general term for all sulfur-containing compounds in garlic. The sulfur atoms in these substances are highly active and can spontaneously transform into a variety of organic sulfur compounds. These organic sulfur compounds can be transformed into other sulfur-containing compounds under the action of physical, chemical and biological factors. Most of the sulfur-containing compounds in garlic have a wide range of pharmacological and pharmacodynamic effects, and are also the main flavor substances that constitute the unique spicy smell of garlic. Among the components of garlic essential oil, alliin, allicin and alliin have been studied more.

Why does garlic have a special smell?

After eating raw garlic, the mouth often emits an unpleasant and unique odor, which is taboo in daily communication. Whole garlic has no odor, and it only has an odor when it is eaten, cut, squeezed or its tissue is damaged. This is because the alliin contained in whole garlic is colorless and odorless, but there is also a kind of allinase in garlic cells. When the two come into contact, they form allicin with a strong and spicy smell. Allicin is the source of garlic's special smell.

Garlic's weight loss effects

：Recent Korean research points out that garlic not only has anti-cancer and antibacterial effects, but also has unexpected effects in controlling obesity. A research group of professors in South Korea conducted experiments on animals and came to the conclusion. The research group conducted a four-day experiment on mice. According to the results of the experiment, the mice that ate high-fat food and garlic juice gained 0.09g of weight per day, while the mice that only ate high-fat food gained 0.20g of weight per day. The content of leptin, a protein that can cause obesity, was more than half less in mice that only ate high-fat food. Some Nigerian scholars found that the cholesterol content in mice's blood, liver and kidneys increased sharply after feeding mice with greasy feed for a period of time. When a little garlic paste was added to the greasy feed, their cholesterol content no longer increased. It is the enzyme involved in the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol, and garlic just prevents the formation of enzymes. It can be seen that garlic has the effect of inhibiting obesity. Experts pointed out that the effect of processed garlic is slightly worse than that of raw garlic, but because of its weak irritation, it is better for the body.

Garlic application precautions