How much the "garlic" is useful to our health? Any thing harmful?
By oarnamav
@oarnamav (2708)
India
March 1, 2007 12:03am CST
I think garlic adds some thing to our body
and the working of heart, but I came across
with some contradictions about the garlic.
Should the garlic be taken in raw form
or fried would not make any difference?
Can you write something on this subject please?
5 responses
@Wanderlaugh (1622)
• Australia
1 Mar 07
Garlc contains sulphur, which is an essential nutrient, helping form a lot of compounds and electrolytes. It also has antibacterial properties, and can help with some fungal infections.
That said, too much can be harmful, causing acidity, and sometimes damaging gut flora. Note also that people with chronic acidity problems could make things worse. Acidity's bad enough without that as well.
Cooking garlic doesn't affect its potency, but it does affect how it's absorbed by the body, and in what form (compound) it is digested. To break down food and release nutrients for use, different compounds break down differently, and some require more processing than others to be useful in the body. Sulphates, for example, are easily processed, and useful, but sulphides aren't.
Fried garlic isn't harmful, but the fresh garlic is easier to digest, being a less complex form.
@Wanderlaugh (1622)
• Australia
21 Mar 07
Sorry oarnamav, been a bit busy. Yeah, a clove or so a day would be quite enough, just look out for any acid symptoms, burping, etc. Garlic is better eaten with other foods, notably breads, potatos, etc, making the sort of natural compounds the body is used to working with.
@Wanderlaugh (1622)
• Australia
1 Mar 07
In answer to your question about heart cconditions, garlic is supposed to prevent clotting and "clumping" of blood platelets, and widen blood vessels for better blood supply.
Re cholesterol, sulphur is believed to assist metabolism of cholesterol in the liver. That's at least partly true, because sodium sulphate is a well known liver tonic, helping clean the liver after eating.
Improved liver function is an extremely important consideration for people with cholesterol issues, because their metabolism is effectively working against them, causing a buildup in cholesterol levels.
1 person likes this
@silvermoonmyst (943)
• United States
1 Mar 07
Ive read alot, and had a natropath agree that eating a clove of garlic a day in the raw is good for your health, It cleans out your system and prevents parasites.
I doubt that cooking it would make too much of a difference though.
1 person likes this
@silvermoonmyst (943)
• United States
1 Mar 07
I do know if you take too much garlic you will smell like it for a couple hours afterwords while your system digests then flushes it. :)
@brujj1 (228)
• Canada
1 Mar 07
Oh I know garlic is good for filtering the blood. I mean I heard about it. Somehow I love garlic. I prefer garlic to onion, although onion is a good antibiotic. I don't know how much garlic is bad or if it is bad but I love it. I eat as much as I can.
1 person likes this
@shilpaum (1752)
• India
1 Mar 07
It is a powerful antioxidant and can lower high blood pressure.
*Garlic contains phosphorus, potassium, calcium, protein and significant amounts of vitamins B & C which makes it an almost essential part of any diet. In addition, it contains Allacin which is a sulphur compound and has antibiotic and antifungal properties. Another component - diallyl suphide - has been used to inactivate carcinogens in animal studies and to suppress the growth of tumours.
*Garlic can stimulate the production of glutathione, an amino acid which is known to be a very potent antioxidant and de-toxifier and the smooth muscle relaxant - adenosine - also found in the herb, will lower blood pressure
