Garlic a Cancer Fighter
How to potentialize garlics' antioxidant powder while preparing your food
Garlic is being used for thousands of years in history as medicine because of its proved effects (1).
It is a plant high in sulfur compound that is called allicin, responsible for its distinct smell, and it is filled with antioxidants. Substances know to prevent or reduce damage to our cells.
“Antioxidants are released from the foods we eat through digestion and travel through the bloodstream and into cells, where they do work on free radicals.” (2)
“Free radicals can be caused by outside sources, such as smoking or toxins, but a lot of them come from normal metabolism in the body. Thus, we can control them to some degree – for example not smoking or overeating – but not entirely.”
Garlic has multiples health benefit effects. Here are some of them:
- Antibacterial - Helps detoxification
- Antiviral
- Anti-clotting
- Anticancer (1, 2, 3, 4)
- Enhances athletic performance
- Protects the heart: lowering cholesterol levels, regulating blood pressure, and improving artery function (1, 2, 3)
- Anti-inflammatory properties
- Anti-fungal
- Protects the brain
- Helps digestion
- Strengthens immunity
Why garlic is so potent?
“One milligram of allicin, the main active ingredient in garlic, is equivalent to 15 international units of penicillin. Each clove has from 7 to thirteen milligrams of allicin, so three cloves contain the same antibacterial activity as a standard dose of penicillin.” (3)
How to use garlic in order to potentialize its antioxidant benefits?
The best way to keep allicin power in our food is not to be using garlic immediately after slicing or pressing. The heat would destroy the heat sensitive enzyme (alinase).
“Raw garlic contains the molecules needed to make allicin, its most active ingredient, but they are not activated.
Allicin is created when the enzyme alinase (heat-sensitive enzyme) interacts with the sulfur compound allin.”
In a clove of garlic, these compounds are detained in separated molecules. To be brought together they need to be sliced, pressed, or chewed. Breaking the barriers between allinase and allin will start a process where allicin is created.
It takes 10 minutes “standing period” after you slice or crush a garlic clove in order to enable the enzymes to be transformed in a potent anti-cancer property.
However, if you use garlic in foods that do not require cooking you don’t need to wait 10 minutes. Just add it to your favorite cold dishes, and enjoy its power.
Throughout history garlic has been used as a potent remedy. So, it is very wise to be including garlic in our daily dishes even though it has a strong odor. Remember that its benefits are far outweigh the drawbacks.