Garlic is a herb grown throughout the world. It belongs to the genus Allium and is closely associated to onion, chives and leek. It is widely used for flavouring in cooking, and has medicinal properties as well.
Garlic produces chemical allicin that provides it a robust smell. It contains an outsized number of cloves with a mean height and diameter of two inches. The cloves and therefore the bulb are covered with a paper-like sheath. It has a really pungent taste and adds a nutty flavour to the food.
There are different types of garlic:
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Softneck Garlic: this is often the foremost common sort of garlic with soft skin and creamy white colour, often found within the market.
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Silver Garlic: it’s a pink tint on its outer sheath and features a very pungent aroma.
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Artichoke Garlic: it’s large and fewer cloves with a light flavour.
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Hardneck Garlic: it’s a tough , woody stalk with a purple outer sheath.
Garlic grows mainly under low temperatures in well-drained loamy soil during the months of August to November. After harvesting for 4 to 5 months, the garlic bulbs are then dried to increase the shelf life.
Important Benefits of Garlic
Garlic has the following important benefits:
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Helps in Stabilizing Blood Pressure
It contains a bioactive sulphur compound, S-allylcysteine, which is liable for lowering vital sign . The deficiency of sulphur leads to high vital sign . Organosulfur compounds can help stabilize blood pressure.
Garlic extract helps in lowering cholesterol level by 10%. Research was administered on rats and it had been found that garlic inhibited the synthesis of cholesterol within the rat liver cells.
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Reduces the Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases
Garlic prevents cardiovascular diseases by lowering lipids and bad cholesterol. It is largely effective against atherosclerosis.
Garlic is beneficial against osteoporosis and arthritis. Research was administered on lab rats where they were supplemented with garlic oil and was found that the oil could cut-down ovariectomy-induced bone resorption.
Raw garlic reduces blood sugar levels within the body. An experiment conducted on lab animals proved that boiled and raw garlic can decrease blood glucose levels within the body.
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Relieves Intestinal Ailments
Garlic has an antibacterial effect on enterobacteria. It is also active against H.pylori infections.
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Detoxifies Heavy Metals in the Body
The garlic contains sulphur compounds which can protect our body from heavy metal toxicity. The employees of an automobile battery plant were treated with garlic for four weeks and found that the toxicity was reduced by 19%. It is simpler than the drug D-penicillamine in reducing the symptoms..
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Strengthens the Immune System
The antioxidants present in garlic help to remove toxins and reduce oxidative stress in the body which as a result increases our immunity against any disease. It also helps to extend differing types of immune cells within the body.
Conclusion
Garlic is usually a common ingredient that is used to treat conditions related to the heart and blood system. It has been used as medicine for hundreds of years due to its antibiotic properties. It is believed to have possessed in Siberia and later spread throughout the world. Garlic is also used in several other forms such as oil, powder and flavours for food preparation.