Go...Go...Garlic !!

Garlic is used in a variety of cooking to add more flavour to the food. The Chinese use garlic as a main ingredient in many of their stir-fry dishes. There are some people who enjoy eating raw garlic, especially when added with soy sauce and chopped chili as a dip, I'm the one who really love this! Then of course, there are those who find the smell of garlic too over-powering and avoid it at all costs. But if you know the health benefits of garlic, you may change your mind and consider it into your daily diet......

The benefits :
Garlic belongs to the onion family. Through the years, garlic is used as a natural antibiotic to kill bacteria and has been used in the treatment of wounds. Perhaps that could also explain the use of garlic to season or marinate meats, killing bacteria present in the meats and reducing the risk of food poisoning. Garlic also has antioxidant properties, it contains sulphur compounds, which is enhances further when the garlic is chopped or crushed to convert alliin to allicin. The smell and the taste of the garlic is due to the allicin compound.

Garlic is known to help prevent the growth of tumours, and to prevent stomach and colon cancer.

This could be due to its antioxidant properties to fight free radicals. Studies have suggested that individuals who consume garlic on a regular basis show lower incidence of stomach cancer.


The uses :
- to lower cholesterol, this helps to reduce risk of coronary heart disease
- to lower blood pressure
- to prevent blood clots by helping to thin the blood. This reduces the risk
  of stroke
- to reduce build-up of plaque in the arteries
- to strengthen the body's immunity system
- however, research has yet to prove all these benefits of garlic



So far, research has yet to determine the best of taking garlic to obtain the most of its health benefits. You can take garlic in its natural form, but if you really cannot "suffer" its smell, you can purchase garlic supplements available in capsules, which contain extracts of allicin.


Caution :
As garlic helps to thin the blood and prevent blood clots, it should not be used with anticoagulant medications, in case of bleeding. Other cases in which uses of garlic should be exercised with care are during pregnancy and before surgery. This is very important to consult your doctor for advise.



For me, Garlic is more than just great taste, what do you think??