Introduction To Garlic

May 17, 2023, 16:45 IST

Hey, are you searching here and there for detailed information about the benefits of Garlic? Are you considering including extra herbs in your regular recipes? If so, then you are on the right page and you should look at the advantages of ingesting garlic mentioned below. Unbelievably, common herbs can significantly impact a massive effect on your general health if taken in the proper amounts with consistency. Consuming 1-2 garlic cloves daily may have health benefits, but consuming more can have adverse reactions like foul breath, heartburn, stomach problems, and others. It's best to consume moderately. In this article, we are going to get detailed information about the benefits of Garlic and will also focus on its types and history.  

Garlic Introduction

The scientific name of garlic is Allium Sativum which is a perennial plant and belongs to the Amaryllis family. It is an edible bulb. Garlic plants often grow to a height of 60 cm (2 feet), depending on the kind. The bulb is covered with membranous skin and encloses up to 15-20 edible bulblets called cloves. The bulbs have a powerful onion-like strong aroma because of a chemical named allicin inside it and have a pungent taste which adds a nutty flavour to food. It was and is now also used traditionally for health and culinary purposes by people in many parts of the world, including the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese, and Japanese. The plant grows wildly in Italy and southern France and is native to Central Asia. It is not usually eaten raw excluding for medicinal purposes. It is widely used for its flavouring nature in cooking and medicinal properties.

Garlic History

Garlic was valued highly for its therapeutic benefits in ancient and mediaeval times, and it was also carried as a protection against demons and other evils. The plant was used in traditional and folk medicine in many places, and there is some evidence that it may help prevent heart disease. Garlic has been farmed in Mesopotamia for at least 4,000 years, according to numerous ancient records. Thousands of years ago uses of garlic in China and Egypt were found. The Tutankhamun tomb contained some well-preserved garlic (c. 1325 BC). It is believed that it was consumed by ancient soldiers, sailors, and rural classes of ancient Greek and Romans. In English cuisines, the usage of Garlic is seen as very rare but Mediterranean Europe has garlic as its common ingredient.

Types of Garlic

There are different types of garlic with their specific feature:

• Softneck garlic: Often found in markets, this is the most common type of garlic with soft skin and creamy white colour.
• Silver garlic: It has a pink tint on its outer covering and has a very pungent aroma.
• Artichoke garlic: It has a mild flavour with large and fewer cloves 
• Hardneck garlic: It has a hard, woody stalk with a purple colour of the outer skin.

Garlic Nutritional value

Garlic is a herb that has very few calories and is very nutrient-dense. Around 3 grammes of raw garlic, or one clove, has 4.5 calories, 0.2 grammes of protein, and 1 gramme of carbohydrates in addition to the following:

• 2% of the recommended daily intake: manganese.
• 2% of the daily dose: vitamin B6
• 1% of the recommended daily intake: vitamin C
• 1% of the daily value: selenium
• 0.06 grammes of fibre

Benefits of Garlic

Reduction of blood pressure:

• Garlic supplements, particularly aged garlic extract, have been shown to reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension problems.
• Garlic contains a bioactive sulphur compound, S-allylcysteine, which is responsible for lowering blood pressure. 
• The deficiency of sulphur results in high blood pressure and Organosulfur compounds present in it can help stabilise blood pressure.

Reduction of heart-related disease:

• A component of garlic oil, diallyl trisulfide, helps protect the heart after a heart attack and after heart surgery, it helps in better recovery.
• Garlic prevents cardiovascular diseases by lowering lipids and bad cholesterol in the body.
• It is largely effective against atherosclerosis disease.

Helps in fighting against infection and building up Immunity:

• Researchers observed that consumption of an aged garlic extract reduced the severity of colds and flu and also suggested that garlic supplementation enhanced the function of immune cells reducing inflammation and building up immunity.

Reduction of blood sugar level:

• An experiment conducted on lab animals proved that boiled and raw garlic can decrease blood sugar levels in the body as Garlic is rich in zinc and natural antioxidants.
• Allicin chemical and other compounds found in garlic increase the level of blood insulin

 Cure of Intestinal problems:

• Garlic helps to naturally cleanse your colon by removing toxins, pathogens and parasites from your body.
• It has an antibacterial effect on enterobacteria. 
• It is also effective against H.pylori infections.

Detoxification against heavy metals in the body:

• Researchers suggest that Garlic treatment reduces blood lead concentration significantly due to the sulphur presence, and garlic is as effective as a typical medication for lead poisoning such as the drug D-penicillamine.

Lowering Bone related problems:

• According to a clinical trial, the effect of garlic tablets in improving females experiencing postmenopausal, osteoporosis disease which is a weakening of bones, has shown very good results.
• Garlic consumption can reduce bone disorders and also the oxidative stress associated with many diseases.
• Garlic oil could suppress ovariectomy-induced bone resorption effectively.

Anticancer property:

Garlic can have anticancer or preventative effects according to some observations in clinical trials, including

• Inhibiting the activation of carcinogens(cancer causer),
• For deactivating carcinogens it works as boosting enzyme
• reducing inflammation which is related to the development of cancer.
• supporting DNA repair effectively
• inhibiting the growth and spreading of cancer and cancerous cells.

Garlic FAQs

Q1. What kind of temperature and soil is needed for Garlic growth?

Ans. Garlic grows mainly under low temperatures. It thrives in loamy, moderate regions with drained soil.

Q2. How can the shell life of Garlic be increased?

Ans. They are planted from August to November and harvested within 4 to 5 months and the bulbs are then dried to increase their shelf life.

Q3. What else is garlic named?

Ans.  “Stinking rose” is the other name which is given because of its hard and pungent smell.

Q4. What is black garlic?

Ans. Black Garlic’s taste is similar to liquorice, but it still keeps the properties of regular garlic and is called so because it’s a garlic that has been subdued to a controlled maturation process.

Q5. What is morado garlic?

Ans. It is a spicy and highly intense garlic of medium size head, round and uniform shape, with 8-10 teeth slightly cured, in a half-moon shape. The exterior skins that cover them up are in a white or slightly painted colour on the other side the interior skins that protect the teeth, are brighter and tainted in an intense purple colour.

Q6. What is the prophylactic use of garlic?

Ans. Prophylactic use means using something regularly to prevent disease. Some researchers suggest that raw garlic has tonnes of benefits including a reduction in the frequency of Colds in adults, a reduction in heart-related disease and a building up immunity.