This edible cousin of the lily may not make kisses sweet, but it may strengthen the heart. Garlic's ability to treat and prevent certain cardiovascular diseases has been demonstrated in numerous studies. Much has been said in favor of this ancient folk remedy, but, according to scientists, all this has the strongest scientific evidence.

If you chop garlic finely, you can smell some of its active ingredients. Garlic contains over 200 different compounds. The most important medicinally are sulfur compounds, which give off a pungent, garlicky odor when you cut or crush a clove of garlic. One of the compounds found in garlic, allicin, has been shown in laboratory studies to be able to kill bacteria in concentrations as low as 1/125,000. In addition, allicin has been found to prevent blood platelets from clumping together and forming clots that cause heart attacks.

Helper of the heart?

Apparently, garlic has the special property of improving arterial patency and blood circulation. This property is due to its ability to prevent platelets from grouping. In addition, garlic activates fibrinolytic (the ability to dissolve blood clots) activity, as a result of which potentially dangerous blood clots are destroyed.

But the most striking property of garlic is to reduce the level of cholesterol, which causes clogging of the arteries. Five out of six studies confirmed this effect. True, there are difficulties here: the volunteers had to consume from 7 to 28 cloves of garlic per day, which did not make their breath fresh. (Some studies used garlic extracts.) Another experiment involved 10 people with high blood cholesterol. In this case, garlic powder was used, the daily dose of which was 64 cloves. As a result, these people's blood cholesterol levels were 10% lower than if they had followed a low-fat diet alone. The level of triglycerides, which worsen arterial patency, also decreased.

There is also indirect evidence confirming the protective properties of garlic. The experience of many people shows that eating garlic reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The Chinese have long known about the healing properties of garlic. For centuries, connoisseurs of medicinal plants in this country have used garlic infused with vodka or vinegar to treat people suffering from chest pain during angina attacks. It is worth noting that Chinese doctors use a plant that is a close relative of garlic, which is one of the five most commonly prescribed remedies for the treatment of people with circulatory disorders.

Promotes digestion

Garlic can have a beneficial effect on many body systems. Garlic improves digestion and promotes peristalsis, the process of rhythmic contraction of the intestines, as a result of which food moves through it. There are also suggestions that suggest a definite connection between adding garlic to food and reducing the incidence of stomach and colon cancer. It is known that in China garlic has long been used as a preventive measure against malignant tumors. This bulbous plant also has weak antibiotic properties. Laboratory studies have shown that garlic can destroy certain types of bacteria that cause typhoid fever, fungal infections and intestinal diseases such as diarrhea. In the old days, warriors always had garlic on hand in case of injury. For these purposes, it is safer to eat garlic than to rub it on your skin. Its ability to irritate the skin was vividly demonstrated by some Israeli soldiers who, in order to obtain a medical certificate for discharge, rubbed fresh garlic onto healthy skin until they developed debilitating ulcers.

Should you include garlic in your diet regularly?

There is no conclusive evidence yet that garlic can cure any disease when eaten in quantities of a few cloves in salads or marinades. Experts cannot yet say how useful or harmless it is in this case. You just shouldn't abuse it. If you consume garlic in quantities that your stomach cannot handle, it can easily lead to indigestion. Eating jars of garlic paste can cause burns to the mucous membrane of the stomach and esophagus and even lead to anemia.

Boiled or dried garlic has a milder effect on internal organs, but in this case its effect may be less effective. Most experts believe that these processing methods destroy many of the healing elements contained in garlic.

Powdered garlic extracts are much healthier. Aged garlic extract contains active cholesterol inhibitors. Preparations with garlic in the form of tablets and capsules have also been developed. Most of them do not have the characteristic garlic smell. It is better to consume this plant fresh, as it is the safest and, moreover, time-tested. It has been eaten for 3,000 years, and so far there is no evidence that garlic can cause serious harm. Much of what people eat appeared much later.

Modern science has confirmed many of the health benefits of garlic. Here are 11 of the most useful and research-backed facts.

Benefits of garlic

1. Garlic contains allicin, a powerful natural antibiotic. .

Allicin has high activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Allicin is not present in garlic, but is formed when the integrity of the clove is damaged - when its cells are destroyed, the components interact and allicin is formed.

The best way to consume garlic is to crush or mince the garlic cloves raw and leave them for 5-10 minutes before using them. Allicin breaks down slowly at room temperature and quickly when heated (cooking).

2. Garlic is very nutritious and low in calories.

1 ounce (28 grams) of garlic contains % of the recommended daily intake: Manganese: 23%, Vitamin B6: 17%, Vitamin C: 15%, Selenium: 6%. As well as calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin B1. All this comes with 42 calories, 1.8 grams of protein and 9 grams of carbohydrates

Calories are like calories, but the content of manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C and selenium makes garlic almost indispensable on our table.

3. Garlic helps with colds and viral infections.

A 12-week study found that eating garlic daily reduced the number of colds by 63%. The average duration of a cold is reduced by 70%, from 5 to 1.5 days.

Eating garlic increases the protective functions of the immune system. If you get colds often, adding garlic to your diet will be incredibly beneficial.

Garlic lowers blood pressure

4. Active compounds in garlic reduce blood pressure

Cardiovascular diseases are the world's biggest killers. High blood pressure (hypertension) is one of the most important factors in these diseases. Human studies have shown that eating garlic lowers blood pressure.

In one study, garlic extract 600-1500 mg (about four cloves of garlic per day) was as effective at lowering blood pressure as the drug Atenolol over 24 weeks.

5. Garlic Reduces Cholesterol and Heart Disease Risk

For people with high cholesterol, adding garlic to the menu reduces cholesterol levels by about 10-15%. Garlic only affects the level of LDL cholesterol (bad), while the level of HDL cholesterol (good) does not change. Garlic also supports triglyceride levels, another factor in reducing the risk of heart disease.

Garlic antioxidant

6. Garlic contains antioxidants

Allicin is a strong antioxidant. It neutralizes free radicals in the blood, which can damage cell DNA and provoke the development of cancer. According to some studies, garlic not only helps prevent cancer, but also inhibits tumor growth.

The combined cholesterol and blood pressure lowering effects and antioxidant properties of garlic may help prevent common brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

7. Garlic helps you live longer

The effect of garlic on longevity in humans is almost impossible to prove. But given garlic's beneficial effects on important risk factors like blood pressure, it's safe to say garlic will help you live longer.

Especially considering the fact that garlic helps fight infectious diseases, which are the most common causes of death in older people and people with weak immune systems.

8. Performance improves

Garlic was used in ancient cultures to reduce fatigue and improve performance. And also in the preparation of Olympic athletes in Ancient Greece. Rodent studies have shown that garlic improves exercise performance. Other studies show that exercise-induced fatigue can be reduced with garlic.

Patients with heart disease who took garlic oil for 6 weeks improved their physical performance and reduced their peak heart rate by 12%.

Vigorous, with strong snow-white teeth, scalding in taste, giving a huge number of dishes a unique taste and wonderful aroma. When we talk about garlic, we mean a herbaceous plant of the onion family, which, due to its specific properties, is perfectly used both in medicine and as a delicious flavoring seasoning in cooking. Many may think that there is nothing more to say about this product. However, this is a misconception. We present you interesting facts about garlic.

Garlic, just like a rare item, can tell many stories and interesting facts about itself.

The cultivation of the oldest plant in the world, garlic, began almost 6,000 years ago. It is believed that its homeland is Central Asia. Due to its pronounced taste, garlic quickly spread, and soon it was cultivated in Ancient Greece, Egypt and Rome. Our “onion brother” appeared thanks to the Byzantines around the 1st century.

Interesting fact. The world famous Chicago (USA) is named after garlic. After all, from the Indian language, namely from the word “chicagaoua”, the name of the city is translated as “wild garlic”.

In 1720, the bulbous plant saved several thousand European inhabitants from the raging plague.

The ancient Romans nicknamed garlic “stinking rose” and “poor man’s molasses” because of its distinctive aroma.

Another interesting fact. Greek archaeologists in the middle of the century found Hellenic writings in which they described the process of preparing an anesthetic, where garlic juice was a must.

In Ancient Egypt to increase slaves' physical activity daily the meal came with a few cloves of garlic. In this country, this vegetable crop was considered sacred.

Scientists have found that Garlic cloves contain up to 9% protein, 22-27% carbohydrates, at least 100 biologically active elements, including B vitamins, phosphorus, calcium, iodine, nicotinic acid, iron, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, manganese - substances so necessary for the full functioning of the human body.

Garlic is a unique healing plant that protects against bacterial, viral and fungal effects. In medicine, it is used for bronchitis, asthma, atherosclerosis, blood clots, arthritis, to strengthen the immune system, for preventive purposes against the flu, and many cardiovascular and infectious diseases.

Today it is known that even a small amount of garlic allows protect the body from destructive influences heavy metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium.

Other interesting facts about garlic are presented on the Internet.

1. Garlic contains allicin, a powerful natural antibiotic.
Allicin has high activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Allicin is not present in garlic, but is formed when the integrity of the clove is damaged - when its cells are destroyed, the components interact and allicin is formed. The best way to consume garlic is to crush or chop the garlic cloves raw and leave for 5-10 minutes before using
. Allicin breaks down slowly at room temperature and quickly when heated (cooking).
2. Garlic is very nutritious and low in calories.
28 grams of garlic contains % of the recommended daily value: manganese: 23%, vitamin B6: 17%, vitamin C: 15%, selenium: 6%. As well as calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin B1. All this comes with 42 calories, 1.8 grams of protein and 9 grams of carbohydrates. Calories as calories, but the content of manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C and selenium, makes garlic almost indispensable on our table.
3. Garlic helps with colds and viral infections.
It has been found that daily consumption of garlic reduces the number of colds by 63%. The average duration of a cold is reduced by 70%, from 5 to 1.5 days. Eating garlic increases the protective functions of the immune system. If you often get colds, adding garlic to your diet will be incredibly beneficial.
4. Active compounds in garlic lower blood pressure.
Cardiovascular diseases are the world's biggest killers. High blood pressure (hypertension) is one of the most important factors in these diseases. Human studies have shown that eating garlic lowers blood pressure.
5. Garlic reduces cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.
For people with high cholesterol, adding garlic to the menu reduces cholesterol levels by about 10-15%. Garlic only affects the level of LDL cholesterol (bad), while the level of HDL cholesterol (good) does not change. Garlic also supports triglyceride levels, another factor in reducing the risk of heart disease.
6. Garlic contains antioxidants allicin - a strong antioxidant.
It neutralizes free radicals in the blood that can damage cell DNA and provoke the development of cancer. According to some studies, garlic not only helps prevent cancer, but also inhibits tumor growth. The combined cholesterol and blood pressure lowering effects and antioxidant properties of garlic may help prevent common brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
7. Garlic helps you live longer.
The effect of garlic on longevity in humans is almost impossible to prove. But given garlic's beneficial effects on important risk factors like blood pressure, it's safe to say garlic will help you live longer. Especially considering the fact that garlic helps fight infectious diseases, which are the most common causes of death in older people and people with weak immune systems.
8. performance improves.
Garlic was used in ancient cultures to reduce fatigue and improve performance. And also in the preparation of Olympic athletes in ancient Greece. Rodent studies have shown that garlic improves exercise performance. Other studies show that exercise-induced fatigue can be reduced with garlic.
9. Garlic helps remove heavy metals from the body.
Garlic reduces blood lead levels by 19%. It also reduces many clinical signs of toxicity, including headaches and blood pressure. Three doses of garlic every day even outperformed the drug D-penicillamine in treating lead poisoning.
10. Garlic can improve bone health.
Garlic may minimize bone loss by increasing estrogen in women. A daily dose of dried garlic extract (equal to 2 g of raw garlic) significantly reduces a marker of estrogen deficiency. This suggests that garlic may have beneficial effects on bone health in women, as well as its therapeutic effects on osteoarthritis.
11. Garlic is easy to include in your diet and is very tasty.
Garlic is very common in the modern world. In raw form, in the form of dry powder, in the form of extract, garlic oil and other dietary supplements. It is very easy to include in your diet. It complements the most delicious dishes, especially soups and sauces.
We advise you to add garlic to your food little by little but regularly. This will not only make your dishes healthier, but will also acquire an exquisite taste. Unlike expensive supplements or complex vitamin complexes, garlic can be on your table every day, regardless of how full your wallet is.

Garlic - myths, legends, beliefs. Interesting facts about garlic

Garlic like all the plants on the planet have their legends And myths, and beliefs related to his origin And application, which have been passed down from generation to generation for many centuries. But, unfortunately, many of them are irretrievably lost or simply forgotten, this is due to the insanely rapid development of humanity. And sometimes people simply don’t have time to think about what role garlic played in the life of their ancestors.

Garlic has long and deeply entered into human life. It is difficult to imagine our life without this herbaceous plant, which we use very often in our kitchen. Delicious salads, meat dishes, various sauces are all prepared using garlic. What do we know about him? Few people know how and where garlic came from in our lives; this is the question we will now consider.

Origin of Garlic

Like most plants, garlic does not have an exact date of origin. It is reliably known that it began its spread from the territories of modern Tien Shan and the Altai Mountains. It was from there that it began to spread throughout the world. The Chinese were the first to eat garlic.

Then garlic came to the territory of Egypt and the ancient Egyptians fell in love with it. Several heads of garlic were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun, the Egyptian pharaoh, which indicates the great importance of garlic among the ancient Egyptians. The Egyptians also began cultivating it, as evidenced by images of garlic on clay tablets in the tomb of El Mashahna. These tablets were made approximately 6000 BC.

This culture was also very popular in Ancient Greece and Rome. Pythagoras called garlic the king of all spices.

Garlic came to the territory of Rus' from Byzantium, it was brought by spice traders. It is not known exactly when this happened, however, garlic is mentioned in chronicles dating back to the 8th century AD, but it is possible that it appeared in Rus' earlier. At that time, people drank wine by putting a clove of garlic in a mug of wine.

In manuscripts of the 17th-18th centuries, garlic is mentioned very often, which indicates its widespread use, and it is also constantly mentioned in herbalists of those times as a medicinal plant.

During the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, which fell in the 17th century AD, an order was issued to create gardens with garlic for medicinal purposes.

In 1720, garlic entered the history of mankind as its savior, in the truest sense of the word. France was saved thanks to garlic. Garlic mixed with vinegar saved the French from a raging plague that could have spread throughout the world and killed a lot of people.

Myths and legends associated with garlic. Fiction or truth?

According to one legend, garlic has a very interesting history of origin. Even in ancient times, people believed that when the Lord expelled the devil from the Garden of Eden, when he left, he left traces behind him in the ground on which he walked. And in these traces plants grew, these plants were onions and garlic. The story is, of course, completely unreal, but the ancient people believed that this was exactly the case.

Even the ancient Indians used garlic; they considered it a magical plant that could save from diseases and protect a person and his home from evil spirits. Garlic was a gift from the Gods for them. They called him Janga, the pungent strong smell of garlic was considered by the ancient Indians to be the Divine power emanating from the plant, which protects against evil spirits and kills bodily diseases. This myth was quite justified, because garlic is really capable of treating many diseases, even just with its aroma, because it kills bacteria.

The ancient Egyptians attributed to it magical properties, magical powers that could give a person additional physical strength and make a person more resilient. They gave garlic to the workers who built the famous Egyptian pyramids so that they would be stronger and could do more work and build the pyramids faster. Once there was even a riot among the pyramid builders, and it happened again because of garlic; the workers were not given garlic with their food, and they rebelled because they believed that without garlic they would not have enough strength to build.

It is also known that the Egyptians placed several heads of garlic in Tutankhamun’s tomb, this was done so that evil spirits could not steal his dead body and thereby disturb his soul. The Egyptians believed that garlic was necessary for a person even after death, because evil spirits were afraid of it. Garlic in the tomb, as it was proven, garlic played a role in the safety of the mummy and everything that was in the tomb, because its smell kills bacteria in the air.

Northern peoples believed that garlic was a plant belonging to the devil; it was considered as such because of its bitter taste and strong smell; people believed that such a taste and smell could only be devilish and in no way divine; they believed that the gods simply could not create such a smell and taste.

But the Bulgarians, on the contrary, considered it a plant of God and believed that garlic was just capable of fighting the devilish forces. From there came the legends about how vampires are afraid of the smell of garlic and often people who were unpleasant about its aroma were considered vampires, so many simply had to endure the suffocating aroma so as not to be included in the list of local vampires.

The Czechs attributed to garlic the ability to repel lightning; they placed bunches of garlic on the roof. It was believed that such a beam on the roof would divert lightning from the house during even a very strong thunderstorm and protect the home from lightning strikes and subsequent fire. The method of protecting a house is, of course, very questionable and it did not always work naturally; it was believed that if a house with garlic on the roof was struck by lightning, then demons lived there, which explained everything in those days.

The Serbs have gone the furthest in garlic hoaxes; their imagination probably has no limits. With the help of garlic, the Serbs invented a method that is simply incredible for modern people to identify witches, who were being hunted in those days. There was a whole ritual for this. For him it was necessary to find and kill a snake, then the snake's head was cut off. Next, a hole was dug, the snake’s head was placed in it, garlic was placed on the head, and it was grown on the snake’s head. Then the ripe garlic was dug up, dried, and before the Annunciation this head of garlic was tied to any hat. Witches were supposed to run to this head of garlic in order to get a powerful talisman. This ritual, fortunately, has not survived these days and the snakes are completely safe. Of course, this ritual had no basis, and the first woman who approached this head of garlic was mistaken for a witch.

The Serbs did not stop at snakes; they were incredibly afraid of evil spirits. To repel evil spirits, they were literally completely rubbed with garlic. It was believed that after rubbing with garlic like this, evil spirits would not get close to a person. Of course, there is no evidence of this similar effect of garlic, but such rubbing helped protect against diseases, and in those days it was believed that diseases were the work of evil spirits.

In ancient times, Rus' also surrounded garlic with magical beliefs attributed to people. On Christmas Eve in Rus', heads of garlic were placed in the corners of the festive table, and then during the Easter service they placed peeled cloves of garlic in their mouths. So, the men stood there with garlic in their mouths throughout the entire service. This was done to identify witches in the church, so holding garlic in their mouths, the men looked at the women at the service, and if a man suddenly began to see a woman with a milk pan and milk on her head, then this was precisely the witch. If you consider that garlic can release toxic substances in heat, then by the end of the service with garlic in your mouth, and the service goes on for more than one hour, you can see a lot of things besides a woman with a milk pan. From such a ritual, hallucinations can begin, and just like that, men holding garlic in their mouths began to see the most ordinary hallucinations, and their brains simply gave them exactly what they were tuned in to when starting this ritual, as a result, many innocent women were executed because of such hallucinations .

Interesting facts about garlic

Garlic has been with us for many centuries, during which time people have learned many interesting facts about garlic. So what do people know about garlic that is so interesting?

Garlic has always been in the lives of modern people; it did not appear recently as a new crop; it was not bred by breeders in recent years. So how much do people use it? People have been eating garlic for over 3,000 years. Even before our era, it was already popular and was used in nutrition and treatment of people in various ways.

Crane Hindus rarely consume garlic, and this is not because they do not like the taste or smell of this plant. Hindus believe that when eating garlic, a person experiences severe nervous excitement, anger and aggression, and all this has a very negative effect on a person’s aura.

Garlic is an excellent environment for the development of botulism. Although it itself is capable of killing various bacteria, the fact remains that garlic contributes to the development of botulism. If you store it in a warm place or in vegetable oil, you will create all the conditions for the development of this terrible bacteria that can kill a person.

Pilots are prohibited from consuming garlic before flights. Yes, they can’t eat garlic before taking the helm! In 1950, studies were conducted that proved that garlic can reduce reactions and reduce alertness up to 3 times; this fact was revealed during testing.

Garlic is a rather hot spice, and it’s hot in the literal sense. If you eat garlic in large quantities and constantly, it can literally burn holes in your stomach. Therefore, you need to use it headlong without getting carried away, even if you love it very much, eat garlic in moderation.

The well-known city of Chicago was named “in honor” of garlic. The French, having heard the name of the city from the Indians which sounded like Shikaakwa, which meant Wild Garlic, they heard it poorly and began to call the city Chicago, as we all call it now.

Garlic oil was used during World Wars 1 and 2. It was recognized as the best remedy for healing wounds received by soldiers during battle. This medicine was effective and always available.

In Russia it was nicknamed Russian penicillin, a name given to it by soldiers of the Red Army. Doctors then relied heavily on its miraculous properties in healing wounds and treating viruses and infections.

Everyone knows about the specific aroma of garlic, but why does it smell like that? The smell of garlic is given by sulfurous substances, which it is very rich in, which is why it smells so bright, and since sulfurous substances have the ability to penetrate everything very well, this is precisely why it is so difficult to get rid of its smell.

Everyone knows that it is better not to eat garlic before going out in public, because the aroma from you, to put it mildly, will not be very good and when you smell it, you begin to involuntarily believe that evil spirits are afraid of it. But it is quite possible to get rid of it. To get rid of the smell of garlic from your mouth, you need to drink a glass of milk, eat sunflower seeds, chew parsley or cinnamon, but not all at once, of course.

Garlic is not eaten everywhere; in Japan it is exclusively a medicinal product and is used only in medicine.

There is a restaurant in San Francisco that does not have a single dish without garlic; this restaurant uses more than a ton of garlic every month. Even sweet dishes are prepared using garlic; the most famous dessert in this restaurant is ice cream with garlic. Many tourists come to this city solely for the purpose of visiting this restaurant.

Garlic is one of the few plants that deserves to be mentioned in the Bible and the Koran.

In 2009, something simply incredible happened in China: the price of garlic went up in an instant, and not just a little, the price of garlic went up 40 times. And the whole reason was the swine flu, which at that time was simply raging all over the world, and since China is very densely populated, the risk of infection is very high and everyone rushed to eat garlic in order to avoid contracting the virus and boost their immunity.

In the USA, garlic helps treat sick people more than anywhere else, and this is not due to its medicinal properties. A garlic festival is held annually in the USA, and the money raised at the festival goes to charity, namely to the treatment of children with various complex diseases.

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