Each year on April 19th, it's National Garlic Day. Garlic is one of the oldest, unaltered foods known throughout the world. Garlic is a member of the Allium family (garlic, onion, shallots, chives, leeks...), often classified as a vegetable, but used as an herb when added to dishes for flavor, as a spice when dried and measured, and sometimes as a medicinal option because of its many healing properties.
Allicin is garlics' most active ingredient, created when two substances in garlic interact with each other. To appreciate the health benefits of garlic when using the bulbs for cooking, crush the bulbs and allow them to rest for 10 minutes before exposing them to heat. This important preparation step allows the heat-sensitive enzymes to interact with the other compounds, creating important healing properties. Here are just a few of the many benefits that can result by adding garlic to your diet:
Cardiovascular health (promotes healthy blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol levels)
Activates lymphatic system
Contains antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties
Inhibits and destroys bacteria, fungus and parasites
Reduces severity of common cold
Ancient Traditional Medicine such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine have recognized the endless benefits of garlic for centuries. Do some online research of your own and you'll uncover even more amazing qualities of garlic.
One day each year, we celebrate garlic, but you can benefit all year long by preparing garlic properly and incorporating it in your cooking often.
