Not for nothing was garlic nicknamed ‘Russian Penicillin’ in the old times. Throughout history, garlic has played a big role in many a culture’s diet and medicine: Egyptians fed it to their slaves for strength and soldiers for bravery; as an antiseptic and antibiotic, it was used to save thousands of lives many years before modern medicine and, apparently, for protection from vampires and the dead, it was the go to vegetable.
Aside from keeping vampires at bay, it is important to add garlic to one’s diet because not only is it an important anti-oxidant, it also boasts numerous health benefits.
Antioxidant Elements of Garlic
Two important antioxidant found in garlic are diallyl disulfide (DADs) and allacin. Of the two, DADs is less volatile and doesn’t lose its health benefits after cooking while allacin, though in possession of bigger percentage of health benefits, starts to degrade immediately after chopping, deteriorates during cooking and gets completely destroyed after microwaving.
Why garlic is important to your body
- Fights cancer
- Improves blood quality and circulation
- Promotes health of the heart and cardiovascular system
- Lowers blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol
- Combats bacteria, viruses and yeast
- Treats lung ailments
- Thins blood
- Expels worms
Eating garlic the right way
For your body to fully enjoy the benefits of garlic, garlic is best eaten crushed/chopped and added to food.
Caution
However, garlic should be taken in small doses because when consumed in big amounts, especially raw, it can become toxic to the heart, liver and kidney.
Source: africanwomanmagazine.net