The pungent root vegetable that packs a powerful punch for your health

Stop and smell the... GARLIC

The pungent root vegetable that packs a powerful punch for your health

By Samantha Andersen

Nevada News Group

Garlic often gets a bad rap, not just in the fictional vampire world, due to its ability to cause bad breath. However, the odorous vegetable is actually a superfood packed with lots of nutrients and health benefits. Garlic is packed full of vitamins B and C, manganese, selenium, iron, copper, and potassium. Garlic also contains an oil compound called allicin, which not only makes garlic smell but packs most of the health benefit’s punch.

Garlic has been used as an ingredient in foods and as medicine for thousands of years. There are records of Greeks and Romans eating garlic, and well-preserved garlic was even found in an Egyptian king’s tomb. Today garlic is an important ingredient in most dishes of various regions, including eastern Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, northern Africa, southern Europe, and parts of Latin America.

As a medicine or supplement garlic has been noted to be possibly helpful for a number of ailments including:

High blood pressure

Those who consume garlic regularly are more likely to have lower blood pressure levels. For people with high blood pressure studies have shown garlic has helped some to lower systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure.

Common cold

Although research is limited and, in some cases, conflicting, taking garlic may lower a person’s chances of catching a cold. This is thought to be because of garlic’s antimicrobial and antibiotic properties, which stop the growth of unwanted organisms.

Cancer

Garlic may have a role in preventing cancer and slowing its progression. In Asian countries, where garlic is a major ingredient in most dishes some studies have resulted in potentially positive results. A 2014 study found that garlic consumption was associated with a lower risk of stomach cancer in Korean people. A study of men in China who eat about one clove of garlic daily seem to have a 50% lower risk of developing prostate cancer. It is garlic’s richness in Phytochemicals that is thought to help in the prevention and progression of cancers. Phytochemicals are chemicals found in plants that protect cells from damage that lead to cancer.

Infections (ringworm, jock itch and athlete’s foot)

Garlic has significant antibacterial properties that help protect against certain infections. This is particularly important for strains resistant to antibiotics, including MRSA. A gel containing a chemical from garlic (ajoene) is effective as antifungal medication used to treat ringworm, jock itch and athlete’s foot.

Cautions

Consuming garlic in you daily diet is thought to be safe. So, if you are so inclined it wouldn’t hurt to add an extra clove or two to your recipes. However, raw garlic has been known to cause heartburn and upset stomach as well as bad breath and body odor. There is some evidence that consuming garlic with milk helps neutralize the smell issue though.

It is important to let your doctor know if you are taking garlic as a supplement. It may increase bleeding, especially if you are on blood thinners or having surgery. Garlic can also interfere with the effectiveness of some drugs.

Sources:

Nm.org (Northwestern Medicine), Webmd.com, Nccih.nih. org (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health),Wikipedia.org

Roasted garlic

Roasted garlic is a great addition to most recipes. If you roast ahead of time you can keep peeled roasted garlic in the freezer up to two months. That way you can just pop some into any recipe that calls for garlic. Roasted garlic is a particularly good mashed in potatoes, in whole cloves on top of pizza, and blended in pasta sauces. Trim tips of garlic

Drizzle with olive oil and salt

Wrap in tin foil

Bake for 40-60 minutes (cloves should be deep golden brown and tender)

Let cool, peel and eat or store in airtight container in the freezer for when you need it

Garlic butter

In my opinion, there is nothing better than garlic bread made with fresh garlic butter. Garlic butter doesn’t have to be limited to just bread, though. It is a great addition to steak, cooked veggies and mashed potatoes. I like to make a big batch and freeze it into logs or use ice cube trays and freeze in one or two tablespoon portions for recipes.

1 cup butter, softened 2 tablespoon minced garlic ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon garlic salt 1 teaspoon italian seasoning ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon paprika

Mix ingredients well. Melt and brush over bread sticks as pictured above. Spread over french bread and cook in oven until melted and bread is crispy for garlic bread. My favorite is to spread a little cold on toast for breakfast.