The efficacy and function of garlic

Garlic is one of the most common condiments and is indispensable in our daily life. So what are the effects and functions of garlic ?

garlic

About Garlic

Garlic is a condiment in the process of cooking delicious dishes, a good nutritional supplement, and an excellent green natural medicine. Studies have shown that the nutritional value of garlic even exceeds that of ginseng.

Garlic contains more than 200 substances that are beneficial to health, in addition to protein, vitamins E, C and trace elements such as calcium, iron, and selenium. The most popular ones are S-allylcysteine ​​(SAC), which has the ability to enhance human immunity, and allicin, which has extremely strong bactericidal properties.

Other ingredients can also prevent some diseases of the circulatory system, such as stabilizing blood pressure, improving blood circulation, inhibiting platelet aggregation, preventing thrombosis, adjusting sugar metabolism, etc. Therefore, garlic is not only a necessary treasure in the process of food cooking, but also an important means of preventing and treating diseases in people's daily life.

Garlic Benefits

It has the effects of warming the middle and promoting digestion, promoting the flow of stagnant qi, warming the spleen and stomach, eliminating accumulation, detoxifying and killing insects; it is mainly used to treat food stagnation, cold pain in the abdomen, edema, diarrhea, dysentery, malaria, whooping cough, carbuncle, white baldness, ringworm, snake and insect bites, as well as hookworms and pinworms.

Garlic Effects

Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory

Garlic is a natural plant broad-spectrum antibiotic. Garlic contains about 2% allicin, which has a bactericidal ability of 1/10 of penicillin. It has a significant inhibitory and killing effect on a variety of pathogenic bacteria such as staphylococci, meningitis, pneumonia, streptococci, diphtheria, dysentery, typhoid, paratyphoid, tuberculosis and Vibrio cholerae. It can also kill more pathogenic fungi and hookworms, pinworms and trichomonas. Eating raw garlic is an effective way to prevent influenza and intestinal infections. However, it should be noted that allicin is easily destroyed at high temperatures and loses its bactericidal effect.

Anti-cancer

The sulfur compounds in garlic mainly act on the "start-up stage" of tumorigenesis, by enhancing detoxification function, interfering with the activation of carcinogens, preventing cancer formation, enhancing immune function, blocking lipid peroxidation formation and anti-mutation, and preventing the transformation of normal cells into cancer cells. The trace element selenium contained in garlic can kill cancer cells and reduce the incidence of cancer.

Antiplatelet aggregation

Garlic essential oil has the effect of inhibiting platelet aggregation. Its mechanism is to change the physical and chemical properties of the platelet membrane, thereby affecting the platelet's pickup and release function, inhibiting the fibrinogen receptors on the platelet membrane, inhibiting the binding of platelets to fibrinogen, affecting the sulfur groups on the platelet membrane, and changing platelet function.

Lipid-lowering data

Epidemiological research has found that in areas where people eat 20 grams of garlic per day, the mortality rate from cardiovascular disease is significantly lower than in areas where people do not eat raw garlic. Researchers tested 50 people in Laoshan County and asked them to eat 50 grams of raw garlic per day. After 6 days, the levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides and l3 lipoprotein in their serum were significantly lower than before the experiment. Regular consumption of raw garlic also has a blood pressure-lowering effect.

Lowers blood sugar

Experiments have shown that eating raw garlic can improve the glucose tolerance of normal people, promote the secretion of insulin and increase the utilization of glucose by tissue cells, thereby lowering blood sugar.

Can thin the blood

Smoking and drinking can make the blood thicker, and eating garlic at the same time can balance and dilute the blood. It also has antioxidant properties similar to vitamin E and vitamin C.

Lowers blood pressure

Patients with hypertension can eat a few cloves of garlic soaked in vinegar and drink two tablespoons of vinegar juice every morning. Eating this for half a month will have obvious effects on patients with hypertension.

Lowers cholesterol

If garlic is paired with egg yolk, it can inhibit the aging of blood vessels and skin. The lecithin contained in the egg yolk can remove the cholesterol adhering to the blood vessel wall and play a role in lowering cholesterol. In addition, egg yolk is also rich in vitamin E, which can inhibit active oxygen and slow down the aging of blood vessels and skin; and garlic can promote blood circulation. This combination can not only have a better anti-aging effect, but also has a good effect on the treatment of cold fear and even beauty. For those who don't like the pungent smell of garlic, garlic fried egg yolk is a good choice. It is mixed with egg yolk in mashed garlic, and then slowly fried over a low heat. It has no pungent smell and will not cause strong irritation to the stomach. Eliminate fatigue and restore physical strength Garlic with pork is a good way to eat. Pork is one of the foods richest in vitamin B1. Vitamin B1 combined with allicin contained in garlic can play a role in eliminating fatigue and restoring physical strength.

Keep blood flowing

Garlic and herring can help blood flow smoothly, and garlic can promote the digestion of fish protein. Pomfret, saury, and herring are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which have obvious effects on lowering cholesterol, coagulating platelets, and dissolving blood clots. Eating them with garlic can help blood flow more smoothly.

Food taboos

It should be noted that garlic should be eaten raw. It is best to mash garlic into a paste rather than chop it into small pieces. It should also be left in the air for 10 to 15 minutes to allow alliin and allinase to combine in the air to produce allicin before consumption.

At the same time, you should also pay attention to the amount of garlic. The more you eat, the better. Eating too much garlic will affect the absorption of vitamin B. Eating a lot of garlic can also irritate the eyes and easily cause blepharitis and conjunctivitis.

In addition, garlic should not be eaten on an empty stomach. Patients with gastric ulcers and those suffering from headaches, coughs, toothaches, etc. should not eat garlic. It is enough to eat 2 to 3 cloves once a day or every other day.

Onions, ginger and garlic have always been condiments we often eat, but many people still don’t like to eat them. After seeing so many benefits, you should like garlic.