Garlic - Composition, Useful Properties And Contraindications

Garlic or garlic is a perennial vegetable of the onion family. One chapter contains a large number of individual cloves. Raw, it has a strong and sharp smell, which becomes softer when cooked. Vegetables produce a chemical called allicin, which gives it healing properties and a characteristic odor.

It is used in cooking and as a medicine for a wide range of diseases and conditions. It has been used by humans for thousands of years. Vegetables have a number of health benefits both raw and cooked, have antibiotic properties.

Garlic is most often consumed in conditions related to the heart and circulatory system, such as high blood pressure, high levels of cholesterol or other fats (lipids) in the blood (hyperlipidemia) and hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis).

Fresh garlic, powder or garlic oil is added to foods and beverages to add flavor.

Ancient civilizations used it to treat asthma, digestive disorders, heart disease, infections, respiratory disorders, tumors and even intestinal worms. Today, claims to the health benefits of garlic include lower blood pressure and cholesterol, an anti-inflammatory effect, a reduced risk of cancer and a stronger immune system.

Nutritional value of garlic

Vegetables from the Onion family are low in calories, but also nutritious. In one clove (3 grams) of raw garlic the composition is as follows:

• 4.5 calories
• 0.2 grams of protein
• 1 gram of carbohydrates
• 0.06 grams of fiber
• Manganese - 2% of the daily requirement *
• Vitamin B6 - 2% *
• Vitamin C: 1% *
• Selenium - 1% *

It is also a good source of calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin B1.

Useful properties of garlic

There is no doubt about the healing properties of garlic. Despite all its disadvantages (such as bad breath after consumption), it is an excellent antibacterial agent, a good remedy for scurvy, one of the best natural means of strengthening capillaries, as well as an excellent adaptogen. American scientists prove that it has a positive effect on heart function. An experiment was performed which showed that this spice reduces the tension in the blood vessels. The properties of garlic are due to the presence of allicin in its content, which is the cause of the characteristic odor in the mouth after consumption. When this substance penetrates the walls of blood vessels, it interacts with erythrocytes, resulting in the formation of hydrogen sulfide.

Hydrogen sulfide is known to help reduce the tension in the blood vessels, ie the substance helps to improve blood flow. This lowers blood pressure, which makes it possible to provide more oxygen to vital organs and reduce the workload on the heart.

Garlic increases testosterone levels and reduces that of the catabolic hormone cortisol. Cortisol is always released in response to training stress, as each workout causes the inevitable destruction of muscle mass. Another issue is that exercise stimulates the secretion of the anabolic hormone testosterone, which does the exact opposite - increases muscle mass. Garlic will help you direct the hormonal balance towards anabolism and thus accelerate muscle growth.

It also stabilizes the immune system and fights colds. It is useful in the treatment of viral diseases, lowers cholesterol levels, suitable for the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease, for the prevention of heart attack and stroke, in the fight against cancer, to increase male potency.

Harmful properties and contraindications of garlic

There is a lot of talk about the benefits of this plant, but rarely about the harm from it. We mentioned the unpleasant odor after use, I must say that it is not suitable for diet because it increases appetite. May cause serious damage to liver, stomach or kidneys. It is contraindicated in peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, chronic gastritis, other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The toxic elements contained in garlic are harmful to digestion. It is contraindicated in epilepsy, can cause a seizure. Also for hemorrhoids, for pregnant and breastfeeding women, in particular, because of the damage they can cause to the brain. The information that this plant harms the brain is shocking. The harm comes from the fact that garlic contains sulfanyl - a hydroxyl ion that penetrates the blood to the brain and is dangerous to higher mammals.