Greeks, Romans, ancient Eastern civilizations… the heroic stories about the powers of garlic go back a long way. According to some, garlic drives away evil spirits, while others say it makes you healthier, stronger or more potent. In these times, of course, we only want scientific evidence!
The secret weapon: sulphur
What makes garlic so special is the composition of its ‘sulphur-containing components’. When this garlic is cut, it releases ‘allicin’, a very unstable sulfur compound with strong antiviral and antibiotic properties. Garlic is therefore recommended to prevent or combat colds, flu, respiratory diseases, but also bacterial infections of the stomach. For example, garlic is said to be active in combating the bacteria that play a role in the development of stomach ulcers and stomach cancer. In populations that regularly use garlic, stomach cancer is much less common. According to a number of studies, garlic also has a protective effect against colon cancer. A garlic-rich diet could also help in the prevention of other cancers, especially breast, ovarian and throat cancer. In addition, garlic is best known for its protection against cardiovascular disease. Recent research has shown that the sulphur-containing components of garlic are converted in our body into ‘hydrogen sulphide’, which signals the muscle cells in the blood vessels to relax. This causes the blood vessels to dilate and blood pressure to drop.
Pump it up!
Due to the better blood flow, garlic is now also a hype in England to combat erectile dysfunction. The influence of garlic on cholesterol is less clear. Until now, this connection has only been clearly established in labs and in laboratory animals. In diabetes, garlic is also said to regulate the sugar level in the blood. Garlic is also a booster for the immune system, prevents aging, is also said to help against memory disorders and is the power food to make us feel fitter. Garlic is sometimes also used externally to treat warts and corns. And it would even help to deworm and combat head lice.
Counter odor? Chew coffee beans!
Although there are strong fans of garlic – Italians, Koreans or Chinese easily use 10 cloves of garlic per day – mass consumption is still a bit difficult for most. Of course, there is a typical smell when you have eaten garlic: not only your breath smells of it, it can also creep into your perspiration… To neutralize that bad breath, you can eat an apple or chew parsley, anise or fennel seeds, or on roasted coffee beans. Wash off the look on your hands with water and salt. In addition to the smell, garlic can also cause unpleasant stomach complaints, especially if you have eaten a lot of it. In case of anemia (too few red blood cells) or before surgery, garlic is not even recommended because it slows down blood clotting.
Prefer raw
- Garlic is best used raw (chopping, pressing, grating), because it releases the typical sulfur compound that is linked to its numerous health benefits. If you want the smell to be less strong, you can remove the germ in the garlic.
- In cooking, garlic is mainly a seasoning, but you can still enjoy the other nutrients.
- Garlic is widely used in Mediterranean countries, but scientists are not yet sure how much our daily garlic portion should be. There is also still a lot of discussion about the usefulness of garlic preparations. Because allicin is so volatile, it is difficult to capture this substance in preparations.
- Garlic capsules containing ‘fermented’ garlic are the most promising in this regard.
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