Garlic Passion

Hippocrates gave us the Hippocratic oath to which doctors swear. He also is remembered for saying something that natural and organic food supporters could use as a rallying cry: “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.”

Sounds good, doesn’t it? Actually, in light of what I’ve learned about garlic, Hippocrates still might be considered an astute and learned Greek in today’s world.

Garlic, like extra virgin olive oil, has remarkable health benefits. There’s probably not a country in the world that isn’t doing research on this fleshy herb with its seeming ability to lower blood pressure, regulate blood sugar, kill bacteria and mold, fight viruses and fungal infections like yeast. It’s a cancer fighter, and has been proved in studies to remove dangerous heavy metals from the body.

Since historical times garlic has been consumed as food and as medicine in many different cultures for thousands of years. We know today that eating garlic causes mosquitoes to avoid your skin. Some people rub a raw garlic clove on insect bites or minor burns and cuts. And no wonder. Garlic has been proven to be anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal. Anti-lots of things, but pro-health all the way.

Once touted as a way to lower cholesterol, studies now indicate this may not be true, but other findings show that garlic does inhibit the calcification of coronary arteries, a marker for plaque formation. Garlic works by decreasing the amount of free radicals in the bloodstream.

Research done by Swedish and American scientists in 2005 found that garlic’s heart healthy benefits are because of its pungency which is caused by organosulphur compounds, allicin and diallyl disulphide. These compounds activate specific sensory nerve endings, and that causes the relaxing and enlarging of blood vessels which lowers blood pressure and improves blood flow.

If that’s not enough to convince you to increase the amount of garlic in your diet, then consider this. It’s a good source of vitamin C and B6. The B6 lowers homocysteine levels which directly damage blood vessel walls. It has significant selenium which again helps prevent heart disease but also protects against cancer and heavy metal toxicity.

The list of health benefits is significant, but remember that most of the benefit comes from eating garlic that has been exposed to air. So smash, chop, or mince your garlic and let it rest for a few moments before using it.

Increasing this aromatic herb will make your stomach happy and your heart healthy. Another win-win situations. Old Hippocrates would be thrilled.