Garlic has been around for thousands of years, used for culinary as well as medicinal purposes. There is no doubt garlic holds many health benefits, but there is debate regarding how much and in what form. Garlic can be eaten raw, cooked, dried or whole. It can be made into a tea or taken in pill form. Garlic is rich in antioxidants and powerful sulfur-containing compounds. According to the World's Healthiest Foods website, allicin is the best known compound.
Raw Garlic
According to the World's Healthiest Foods website, letting garlic sit after it is chopped or minced -- and before cooking or adding acidic ingredients to it -- will help signify its benefits by allowing the alliinase enzymes to work. According to the World's Healthiest Foods website, allicin, the highly sought after sulfur compound, will stay viable for two and a half days at room temperature when crushed but only for two to 16 hours in extracted form. The Chinese Holistic Health Exercises website suggests eating garlic raw to derive the greatest health benefits.
Garlic Tea
Garlic tea has been consumed as a folk remedy for centuries. According to the Chinese Holistic Health Exercises website, one of the best ways to use garlic for medicinal purposes is by way of garlic tea. Add one to two cloves of crushed garlic and 1 to 2g of green tea to boiling water, and let steep for five minutes. This will produce a tea that can help kill germs and rid toxins from the body. The Natural News website recommends using one clove of chopped garlic added to boiling water to help fight against cold and flu viruses. Garlic tea has the advantage of providing the benefits of raw garlic in a more palatable way.
Garlic Extract
Because allicin is difficult to keep potent without destroying, a popular garlic supplement is aged garlic extract. Garlic extract is made from sliced, macerated garlic and put in water or alcohol for up to two years, according to the Garlic Central website. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, most studies are based on aged garlic extract. Though the extract doesn't contain allicin, the phytochemicals present may help with heart health. Both the University of Maryland Medical Center and the World's Healthiest Foods websites, report that garlic may lower cholesterol and triglycerides, aiding in preventing heart disease.
Member Comments