Garlic has been used as a magical medicine since ancient times. In the era when medicine was underdeveloped, garlic, like aspirin, can treat many common diseases.
Do you know garlic’s benefits and side effects?
The main active ingredient in garlic comes from allicin, which is a substance formed after garlic is destroyed by an external force. It is a kind of sulfide and has high volatility, that is, a source of the strong odor.
According to the current research, in addition to its excellent antibacterial effect, garlic can also protect the cardiovascular system, improve immunity, and even prevent brain aging. It can be said that it is a good ingredient for people to live forever.
What are the benefits of eating garlic?
1. Cardiovascular diseases
According to the Global burden of diseases, cardiovascular disease is the world’s leading cause of death, and it ranks among the top three of the top ten causes of death in Chinese regions. According to statistics, it only takes tens of millions on the planet in one year. In human life, coronary heart disease (also known as ischemic heart disease) is the most common.
The garlic extract (aged garlic extract) was found in the research, has the following effects, can prevent cardiovascular disease from a variety of aspects (summarized below).
Reduce vascular calcification (vascular calcification is one of the indicators of intravascular plaque or atherosclerosis, which can predict the incidence of cardiovascular disease)
Anti-platelet aggregation (Alliance “Ajoene” in garlic can interfere with blood proteins, reduce blood clot formation, and avoid vascular embolism).
Cholesterol-lowering (reduction of 10-15% of total cholesterol and low-density cholesterol, reducing the chance of arteriosclerosis).
Relaxing blood vessels (can increase nitric oxide produced by vascular endothelial cells to achieve the effect of relaxing blood vessels).
2. Bacterial vaginitis
Bacterial vaginitis is an inflammatory disease caused by an imbalance of microbes in the vagina (caused by the reduction of lactic acid bacteria that produce antibacterial substances and the increase of anaerobic bacteria). According to the US Centers for Disease Control estimates, 29.2% of women between 14 and 49 years old Incidence.
The main symptom of bacterial vaginosis is a grayish-white vaginal discharge with a fishy smell, and 50% to 75% of infected patients usually have no symptoms.
A controlled study (a 7-day study involving 120 married women aged 18-44) found that garlic extract helped reduce the diagnostic score for bacterial vaginitis (Amsel’s criteria, a drop of up to 70%), compared to the first The line antibiotic Metronidazole (Metronidazole) was 48.3%, and there was no significant difference in the treatment success rate between the two groups.
The study also mentioned that the antibiotic treatment group has more gastrointestinal side effects, and the failure rate and recurrence rate are higher, so garlic may be good alternative therapy, but more studies still need to confirm.
3. hypertension
About 1 billion people in the world are affected by high blood pressure, about 1 in 4 adults. Because the symptoms are not obvious, nearly half of them do not know that they have been sick.
It is estimated that about 70% of cardiovascular disease cases (stroke, heart disease, heart failure) are related to high blood pressure, making people have to face the problem.
A meta-analysis of literature (meta-analysis, including 17 randomized controlled studies) indicates that garlic intake does help lower blood pressure (diastolic blood pressure drop 3.39mm, systolic blood pressure drop 3.75mm), and is particularly effective for patients with hypertension.
The underlying mechanism is related to the antioxidant and angiotensin-converting enzyme properties of garlic and allicin.
*（The forms used in the study are garlic powder, garlic extract and garlic extract (oil pill)）
4. cold
Cold is not a fuss in ordinary people’s minds, but according to the survey, people have an average of 200 colds in their lifetime, each lasting about 9 days, that is, 5 years of time are moderate in the discomfort symptoms of colds Ever.
In the case of a cold, in addition to seeing a doctor to take medicine, you can also use garlic to improve immunity. According to research published in Advances in Therapy, taking garlic extract can effectively reduce the prevalence of colds by 63%, and even colds can be reduced. 70% of the symptoms reduced the recovery period of the cold from 5 days to 1.5 days.
5. Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is described as a more terrible disease than cancer. As the condition deteriorates, patients will lose their memory and expression ability and deprive people of the most basic dignity. At present, Alzheimer’s disease is known to be a neurodegenerative The disease is related to the abnormal accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain.
According to research, aged garlic extract has excellent antioxidant capacity, which can prevent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and improve immunity. It can prevent brain aging and improve cognitive function.
In addition, it has been found in animal studies that garlic extract has the effect of preventing the formation of amyloid plaques (amyloid protein), thus preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
6. Maintain oral health
Dental plaque is a major enemy of the teeth and can cause bad breath tooth decay and periodontal disease. If left unchecked, it may cause gum inflammation and tooth looseness. The antibacterial ingredients contained in garlic have been proven to eliminate plaque in research. The efficacy of bacteria can help maintain the health of the mouth.
7. Exclude heavy metals/lead
Lead is currently the most common environmental heavy metal. In addition to polluted air, even common daily necessities (such as cups and plates) may also contain high amounts of lead. As a result of long-term exposure, kidney disease, infertility, and mental deterioration may occur, Hypertension, and other diseases.
In a study (targeted at battery factory employees), garlic intake can effectively reduce the 19% lead concentration in the blood and improve various symptoms caused by lead poisoning (headache, irritability, high blood pressure), the focus is The effect is also better than D-penicillamine, a drug used to treat lead poisoning.
Are there any side effects of garlic?
Garlic is generally recognized as safe food (GRAS) by the US FDA, but due to the sulfide properties of allicin, in addition to giving people a strong breath, excessive intake of raw garlic may cause stomach pain, heartburn, diarrhea, flatulence and Side effects such as insomnia.
In addition, garlic has an anti-coagulant effect, so avoid taking anti-coagulant drugs or healthy foods with anticoagulant effects (such as ginkgo, sugar cane plain and high-dose vitamin E); and 2 weeks before the operation and production Avoid ingesting purified garlic health food to reduce possible bleeding risk.
Where can I buy garlic supplements?
In recent years, food safety problems in various countries have exploded, and it is not healthy but black-hearted products that everyone spends on. Therefore, European and American products with relatively strict quality control have become popular products.
And iHerb.com is a large-scale medical cosmetics e-commerce company in the United States. It has a high satisfaction rate of 97% in the evaluation of Google customers. It provides global home delivery so that you can buy it without risking buying fakes through purchasing high-quality health products.
