Keep the vampires from your door (Garlic)

Member Name: west_jenn

Product:	Garlic
Date:	09/02/03 (97 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: protects against heart disease and cancer

Disadvantages: can cause stinky breath

Garlic isn't just good for making your breath smell, it's very good for your health and has been used for medicinal purposes for millenia.

The use of garlic has been recorded 4500 years ago in ancient Egypt when the builders of the pyramids were given garlic gloves to keep up their strength. The Chinese were taught about garlic of Hsai in 2000 BC. In World War Two British soldiers had their wounds treated with garlic.

Garlic contains around 200 compounds many of which protect against cancer and heart disease. Garlic (as well as shallots, leeks and onions) contain allicin which lowers cholesterol, reduces blood stickiness, widens blood vessels and helps prevent heart disease and strokes. Allicin enhances immunity and wards of viruses as well as fungal and bacterial infections. Allicin also helps to deactivate carcinogens ( cancer causing substances)

Garlic also contains selenium, germanium, cysteine and gluatathione these are antioxidants which fight the free radical damage that can lead to cancer.Garlic has been shown to protect against the formation of tumours and inhibit the growth of already established tumours.A large study in Iowa, USA involving 41,837 women between 55 and 69 found garlic to be protective against colon cancer, those who ate garlic at least once a week were 50 per cent less likely to contract colon cancer than those who said they never ate it.

So garlic has been shown to boost immunity, ward of infection and protect against cancer and heart disease which is pretty good going for one small vegetable. Maybe thats why in folklore its supposed to ward of vampires, because of its long established reputation as a wonder veg.

I usually use one glove of garlic most days when cooking dinner and find my breath doesn't stink of garlic after eating dinner. You can buy garlic tablets if the prospect of wiffy breath worries you. I actually quite like the taste of cooked garlic and think it makes a goo
d seasoning, although you do have to make sure the pieces are cut up finely otherwise you're get a bit of a shock whilst munching through dinner.

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