Garlic – Spice Or Medicine!?

Da suan,ajo,agliottli,ail,poor man’s treacle…..

Wondering what these are? They are nothing but the names of GARLIC in  Chinese,Spanish,Italian. …

Did you know that garlic was worshiped by the ancient Egyptians, chewed by Greek Olympian athletes and thought to be essential for keeping vampires at bay! ?

Garlic is used as a seasoning or a condiment. It has been used as food and medicine for more than thousands of years. Apart from the culinary use, its medicinal properties are innumerable. It contains allin, enzymes, vitamin B, minerals, and flavonoids.

Garlic has long been considered a herbal “wonder drug”, with a reputation for preventing everything from the common cold to the Plague.

So, is garlic a spice or a medicine?

It was used to protect against plague by monks in the Middle Ages. Hippocrates used garlic vapors to treat cervical cancer. Garlic poultices were placed on wounds during World War II as an inexpensive and apparently quite effective replacement for antibiotics which were scarce during wartime.

Now science is beginning to prove the medicinal properties of garlic that our ancestors took for granted.Extensive tests on humans have concluded that a regular intake of garlic can:

* Lower total cholesterol (but raise the good-type HDL cholesterol)
* Produce more “natural killer” cells in the blood that will tackle infections and tumors
* Lower blood pressure
* Reduce the risk of blood clots (that are responsible for most heart attacks and strokes)
* Destroy infection causing viruses and bacteria
* Reduce the risk of certain cancers, in particular, stomach cancers

DARK SIDE

The only real danger of toxicity from garlic would come from long-term consumption of several bulbs or more of raw garlic.The most common side effects are

• Stomach irritation
• Nausea
• Skin irritation

The following effects can be experienced with a high enough dose and a long enough application:Not sure if it true but penning them down anyway…

• Diarrhea
• Flatulence
• Flushed face
• Gastric irritation
• Headache
• Heartburn
• Hot skin
• Increased sexual desire
• Insomnia
• Nausea
• Rapid pulse
• Vomiting
• Skin blisters and irritation on external application

GARLICKY BREATH…..WHY AND WHAT TO DO?

Did you know that the royal chef in the French court of King Louis XIV used to chew up a clove of garlic and breathe over the salad?[Yuck].This would give the garlic flavor to the salad without subjecting the king to the embarrassment of garlic on his breath.

The sulfur –containing compounds are responsible for the garlic’s odor, whether from a cut garlic or on the breath. But these compounds are full of medicinal properties that are at work protecting the body from various infections, heart diseases, cancer and toxins.

Tips for dealing with garlic breath:

• Brush your teeth after the meal
• Try a swig of Chinese tea after garlicky meal
• Take it cooked instead of raw
• Cover it up!!Use a mouthwash or chew parsley,mint leaves, cumin or cardamom

LIGHTER SIDE

‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away;
A garlic a day keeps everyone away’

‘Did you hear about the dog which ate garlic?
His bark was worse than his bite!!’. …..

Now onto some recipes that have garlic as the star element…