GARLIC HISTORY:In ancient times, many cultures used garlic as medicine.
In India and China, it was used as an aid in digestion, breathing problems,and to fight parasitic infections.Garlic was referenced in Canon of Medicine as having a compound that works against “arthritis, toothache, chronic cough, constipation, parasitic infestation, snake and insect bites, and gynecologic diseases,as well as in infectious diseases (as antibiotic).”The use of garlic became more common in Medieval times and is still a popular remedy for many ailments.The plant grows up to four feet high and is of the bulbous plant family.
Garlic bulbs, or the head, contain about 10-20 cloves.Allicin is the main component of garlic that has healing properties.It is produced when garlic is broken, either sliced or crushed, and the enzyme is activated.
GARLIC A NATURAL ANTIBIOTIC?
Back in the nineteenth century, the French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur examined the use of raw garlic juice as a potential antibacterial agent and found garlic to be capable of killing bacteria much in the same way as penicillin does.Consequently, garlic was used widely as an antibacterial agent to disinfect and heal wounds during World WarII. Since then, several research studies published in medical journals have confirmed the antibacterial and antiviral properties of garlic.In addition to its ability to control bacterial and viral infections, garlic has been shown to fight and heal infections caused by other microbes and worms.Due to the healing properties of garlic derived from its antibacterial and antiviral activity, this medicinal herb has also used in the treatment of some infections that are difficult to treat due to the presence of bacteria that have become resistant to prescription drugs such as antibiotics. However, more research is needed in this area before definite conclusions about the efficacy of garlic as an antibiotic can be made.
ANTICANCER PROPERTIES
Cancer is the leading disease for Americans.
Studies have shown that ingesting 5 grams of garlic every day blocks the excretion of nitropoline an enzyme that helps to retard cancer cells.One study claims:“Preclinical models provide rather compelling evidence that garlic and its associated components can lower the incidence of breast, colon, skin, uterine, esophagus, and lung cancers.
Suppression of nitrosamine formation continues to surface as one of the most likely mechanisms by which garlic retards cancer.”Evidence has also supported garlic’s ability to inhibit tumors and other agents that are responsible for causing cancer.“Many studies have been conducted that show that garlic also provides various anti-tumor effects.In rodents, garlic and its constituents have been reported to inhibit the development of chemically induced tumors in the liver colon, prostate, mammary gland, esophagus, lung, skin, and stomach.
GOOD FOR YOUR METABOLISM
The nervous system is the major communication network in the human body.Its normal functioning is strongly dependent on the maintenance of its structural integrity and many complex metabolic processes.Neurological disease can be a result of malnutrition or mal-absorption, which then lead to bigger neurological problems.The central nervous system controls all bodily functions, degenerative diseases that affect the brain, the spine, and the spinal cord.The neurodegenerative disorders include Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and more.While Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common neurodegenerative disorder, one of the main culprits happens when the nervous system is overridden with bad cholesterol.Garlic is now being used for its ability to lower cholesterol in smaller animals.“A number of studies have similarly shown that garlic and garlic preparations significantly reduced plasma lipids, especially total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol in humans…
Animal studies have shown that supplementation of garlic in the diet depressed the hepatic activities of lipogenic and cholesterogenic enzymes.”
Subjects with cardiovascular disease have shown positive results when taking even as little as 1g of garlic every day.
There has been a reduction in clots, tumors, and other cell degeneration.
The property of garlic rich in antioxidants fights the free radicals that promote cancer in human and animal subjects.
BENEFITS FOR INSULIN RESISTANT PEOPLE
Research suggests that a healthy diet rich in garlic may be used successfully as a complementary treatment for insulin resistance, a physiological condition that remains a major medical challenge of the twenty-first century. Insulin resistance has been linked to a number of diseases and conditions including pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes, excess body weight (especially around the waistline),adult acne and heart disease. In insulin resistant people, the body's cells are no longer able to effectively respond to the actions of the hormone insulin.According to a study published in the European Journal of Pharmacology in 2005, the health benefits of garlic for insulin resistant people may be linked to the presence of garlic oil and diallyl trisulfide in garlic. In addition to having wide-ranging healing properties documented in previous studies, these two compounds appear to improve the body's ability to effectively respond to the actions of insulin and thus fight insulin resistance.These are Some other benefits of raw garlic.May Increase Estrogen Levels in Menopausal Women
As women get older, they often have to bear in mind the loss of calcium and possibility of osteoporosis.
Studies on mice have shown that there is a correlation between calcium and osteoporosis.However, rodent studies have also shown that garlic can minimize bone loss by increasing estrogen in females,Good for Cognitive Brain Functions and Memory
Garlic consumption is directly correlated with increased levels of serotonin and enhanced memory function.Promotes Weight Control
In addition to lowering blood pressure, allicin has been linked to reducing insulin and triglyceride levels.
Garlic has reduced the spike in insulin and helped with the metabolism of sugars in laboratory animals that were on a high sugar diet or even the ones that showed signs of diabetes. Diallyl sulphides present in garlic increase the production of ferroportin ( a protein that helps in the absorption and release of iron) and improves iron metabolism that is helpful in preventing iron deficiency and associated diseases like anaemia.Garlic is full of essential compounds that help prevent viral and bacterial infections. Consuming raw garlic is also said to kill bacteria like e-coli and others that cause food poisoning in people. It is also great in treating skin infections as it contains antiviral and antibacterial properties. Ajoene, the compound present in garlic, is also said to cure numerous skin infections.
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