Garlic: The bulb of health
Allium sativum
An essential staple in almost every Indian curry, garlic is not just used for its distinct taste but also has a couple of health benefits.
When looking at the garlic bulb itself (overall vegetable product), it tends to contain:
- The water content of around 65%
- A carbohydrate content of approximately 28% (which is primarily fructans)
- Protein at about 2% (mostly alliinase and glycoproteins) and 1.2% free amino acids
- 2.3% organosulfur compounds (commonly seen as the main bioactive)
- 1.5% dietary fiber
Garlic helps in fighting inflammation and microbial infection. That is why you see an increased use of garlic in winter months, as they keep the body warm. It is an immunomodulatory spice, which means it can regulate, normalize, and maintain the immune system. Allicin is the active ingredient in garlic, which is rich in sulfur and responsible for its immune-boosting properties. It protects against disease-causing viruses.
Have you heard about the 10-minute Garlic rule?
When a protein in garlic is called alliin, a heat-sensitive enzyme called alliinase combines, and allicin is created. The garlic must be chewed (raw), crushed, or sliced to activate allicin.
Hence, crush, chop, or mince garlic and keep it from heat for 10 minutes. During this time, the maximum allicin stays intact during cooking. You can then fry, sauté, and bake to your heart's content and still get all its benefits.
How to use:
- Garlic can be used in vegetable dishes.
- Garlic is helpful in animal-based dishes.
- Garlic imparts a distinct taste in curries and soups.
Supplementation with aged garlic extract at a relatively higher dose of 2.56g daily for 90 days showed a reduced number of collective sick days relative to placebo (61%), as well as reported sickness incidents (58%) and symptom severity (21%).
In another study, 250mg of garlic extract was given to people with type II diabetes two to three times daily alongside Metformin over twelve weeks. It was found that adding garlic significantly impacted fasting blood glucose, postprandial blood glucose, and HbA1c. This study also noted hypolipidemic effects of garlic not seen with Metformin alone.
Consumption of garlic and related vegetables appears to be associated with reduced risk for myeloma.
Hence, garlic has been considered one of the most potent immune-boosting food.
