HISTORY Garlic, which is a native to the Central Asia, is one of the oldest cultivated plants that have been grown for more than 5000 years. Ancient Egyptians are believed to be the first to cultivate this plant. It has played a major role in their culture. Garlic has been bestowed with sacred qualities and is also placed in the tomb of Pharaohs intended for meals in the After Life.
However, the fact is that it was given to the slaves who built the Pyramids for enhancing their strength and endurance. This strength-enhancing quality was honored by the ancient Romans and Greeks also, the civilizations whose athletes consumed garlic before any sporting event and whose soldiers ate it before going off to war.
Later, Garlic was introduced in the other regions across the globe and migrated into several cultural tribes. By the 6th century BC, this herb was known in the Asian countries, China and India, when the latter country started using it for the therapeutic purposes. Over the last few decades, it has gained unprecedented popularity with researchers all over the world validating its numerous health benefits through scientific studies.
GARLIC AS A HEALTH SUPPLEMENT Though the medicinal properties of garlic were known to the ancient humanity, it is only recently that it has been accepted widely as a great anti-cancer agent. For centuries, this herb was used for improving the functions of the heart and for boosting the immune power. Over the last few decades, the scope of the medicinal use of this herb was widened as an effective cholesterol-lowering agent.
Its widespread use for reducing cholesterol level began only a few decades ago, possibly because people in the ancient times didn’t suffer from cholesterol a problem as much as today’s generation. The rising incidence of the disorders related to high cholesterol such as heart attacks, stroke and peripheral vascular disease can be largely attributed to a faulty diet that is comprised of junk food, lack of physical activities and an unhealthy lifestyle.
Garlic has been found to be as effective as some commonly used anti-cholesterol medications like the statins, but without the side effects. The effects of garlic in the management of high cholesterol-induced disorders lead to more research to unearth its other medicinal properties. The scientific research done within the past few decades has discovered that this herb also possesses strong properties that can help in the management of cancer.
Health Benefits of Garlic
“Let food be your medicine and
the medicine be your food.” These were the words of Hippocrates, a Greek
physician who is considered the father of medicine. He stressed on prescribing
herbs and simple food items used in the kitchen as a medicine for curing several
ailments ranging from common cold to depression. He used garlic for the
treatment of a broad range of medical conditions affecting several systems and
organs in the body. Here is the list of disorders that respond well to garlic
and the health benefits provided by this herb:
Provides the nutrition
Garlic is a highly nutritious herb that is also very low in calories. A one ounce serving of garlic can provide almost 23% of the daily requirement of Manganese and 17% of the daily requirement of vitamin B6. [1] It also contains 15% of the daily requirement of vitamin C and 6% of the daily requirement of Selenium. Besides these, it also contains some other nutrients like Calcium, Potassium, Copper, Phosphorus, Vitamin B1and Iron in decent amounts. And this amazing nutritional content comes with just 42 calories! So, the bottom line is it is the best food for those who want to lose weight. Garlic can help a person to lose weight steadily without compromising on the nutritional status of the body. The high nutritional content also makes it a valuable addition to the medicine kit of a household as a daily supplement for children and aged people.
Combats Common Cold
Garlic in its raw, crushed
form and as a supplementation can relieve the symptoms of common cold and flu
by boosting the functions of the immune system. It enhances the response of the
fighter cells in the immune system to the infection-causing germs and allergens
like dirt.
This, in turn, reduces the
symptoms of inflammation such as redness and watering of the nose, congestion
in the nose and headache. It is found that people who use garlic supplements
daily for 12 weeks have 63% less chance of getting common cold that those who
do not.
Even the average duration of
the cold symptoms reduces from 5 days to just one and a half days when garlic
supplements are regularly used. Hence, patients who develop recurrent attacks
of cold due to allergies or any other reason are advised to consume garlic
regularly.
Reduces Blood Pressure
Cardiac diseases like heart
attacks and heart failure are the most common causes of sudden death. High
blood pressure is an important driver for these diseases. Some studies have
concluded that garlic supplementation can have a significant effect on the
blood pressure of patients with hypertension. It keeps the blood pressure
within normal limits and reduces the risk of life-threatening diseases like a
heart attack. Garlic is found to be as effective as Atenolol, a commonly
prescribed drug for hypertension. However, garlic has an advantage over
atenolol and other antihypertensive drugs in that it causes no side effects.
Controls Cholesterol Levels
High level of cholesterol is
another common precursor of heart diseases like heart attack and even
hypertension. Garlic can lower the risk of these diseases by reducing bad cholesterol
in the blood. Garlic supplementations appear to reduce the cholesterol by almost
10-15%. Hence, patients suffering from high cholesterol and those at a risk of developing
hypertension and heart attack due to factors like obesity and family history are
advised to eat raw garlic daily or use its supplements.
Prevents Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is an
age-related disorder that causes loss of memory, also called dementia. Though
dementia can also occur due to some other illnesses, it is predominantly considered
a symptom of Alzheimer’s disease. Though this disease usually occurs in the older
people, it may affect younger people due to the oxidative damage caused by free
radicals. Garlic can help in controlling this process or even reverse the
progression of the disease by destroying the free radicals. It contains
antioxidants, which support the protective mechanisms of the immune system
against the oxidative damage caused by free radicals. High
doses of garlic supplements may be needed for people who have a family
history of Alzheimer’s disease as this disease is known to run in families. It
can help them in preventing this condition.
Improves the Athletic Performance
Garlic is an effective “performance
enhancing” substance. In fact, it is among one of the earliest
substances that were proved to possess this quality. It was used in ancient
cultures for reducing fatigue and enhancing the stamina and work capacity of
laborers. It was also administered to the Olympic athletes in the ancient
Greece. Garlic improves the ability of a person to exercise for a longer
duration by increasing his or her
endurance and strength. It can also allow the
patients with heart diseases to exercise safely. It had been found that such
patients, when given garlic supplements, had a lower peak heart rate and a
better exercise capacity. The lower heart rate during exercise is a significant
factor in preventing the complications caused by the extra strain on the heart
due to the strenuous activities.
Detoxifies Heavy Metals
When used in high doses,
garlic can protect the organs from the damage caused by heavy metal toxicity.
This benefit of garlic can be attributed to the Sulphur compounds present in
this herb. A four-week study conducted in the people exposed to high levels of
lead has concluded that garlic can help reduce the levels of lead in
the blood by almost 19%. It can also reduce the clinical signs of
toxicity, such as high blood pressure and headache.
Improves Bone Health and Prevents Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disorder caused
by low bone density, which makes the bones weak, brittle and prone to
fractures. This condition is commonly seen in menopausal women. Garlic can
minimize the loss of bone by increasing estrogen in women. It has been found that
eating about 2 grams of raw garlic every day or using dry garlic
extract can reduce the marker for estrogen deficiency significantly
thereby minimizing the loss of bone tissues. This suggests the importance of
garlic supplements for the menopausal women. Garlic is also useful for
relieving the pain and discomfort in the bones caused due to osteoarthritis.
Treats skin diseases
Given the strong taste and
smell of garlic, many people find it hard to believe that it can be used for treating skin disorders as
skin is a very delicate organ of the body. However, this herb has been found to work effectively in treating
blemishes. Allicin, the compound in
garlic, has an ability to minimize the harmful effects of free radicals and
bacteria on the skin. Allicin, when
in its decomposed form called sulfenic acid, also produces a
strong action on the free radicals,
making garlic a valuable herb for reducing acne, scars and skin allergies.
Reduces Hair Loss
Garlic has a very high content
of sulfur, which helps in the production of keratin. Keratin is a protein that
makes up the hair. A high level of keratin stimulates the fortification and growth
of hair. It has been found that the use of garlic gel can add to the
therapeutic efficacy of the commonly used topical agents like betamethasone
valerate for inducing hair regrowth.
Prevents infections
Garlic is a powerful natural
antibiotic. It contains Diallyl sulfide, a compound that
is much more powerful than the commonly used antibiotics. It is specifically
effective against Campylobacter bacterium, which is a very common cause of
infections in the intestine.
Garlic can boost fertility
Garlic is very rich in
allicin, which is known as an organosulfur compound, this compound improves
blood flow to the sexual organs naturally, and encourages formation of sperm
and it also Garlic is full of selenium as well as Vitamin C and B6, which
prevents chromosome defects, regulates hormones and prevent existing sperms
from damage. Thus it promotes healthy sexual performance, strong and hard
erections. Garlic contains vitamin B6 and selenium which enhance the production
of male hormone testosterone. Garlic is a super food that can enhance sexual
virility
Improves the longevity
The effect of any substance on
the longevity of human life is impossible to prove. However, given the immense
medicinal effects of garlic on the important risk factors for heart attack,
stroke, and cancer, it makes sense that this herb does help a person to live healthier
and longer. The fact that garlic can also fight the infectious diseases is also
a factor in prolonging life, especially in the children, elderly people and the
patients with dysfunctional immune systems.
So, it is clear that Garlic is
more than just a magical substance that can ward off vampires; it’s also a
superfood that works as a great health aid. Hippocrates was very right in
advising people to use this food as a medicine. He knew that the nature has
hidden a treasure of medicines in different parts of the plants; sometime in
their leaves, sometimes in the flowers, sometimes in the roots, sometimes in
the stem and even in the bulb as in garlic. It is up to us to find out this
hidden treasure and make use of them to our advantage to get rid of diseases
like cancer, high cholesterol, heart problems and depression for which the modern
science is yet to find a cure that is free from side effects.
