Medicine in Your Spice Rack - Garlic

For thousands of years spices have been used to preserve food and enhance its flavor. These same spices were also said to have medicinal properties, though science downplayed these claims as “old wives tales”… it turns out those old wives were right. Today’s research is finding that spices can help you fight off some very serious diseases like cancer, heart disease, & diabetes. You probably have most of them in your kitchen right now, so lets get cooking. Here’s Kent Burden with Medicine in your spice rack… on Lisa.fm

Garlic (Allium Sativum) is native to central Asia and is the one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world. It has been used for millennia and Sanskrit records mention garlic remedies as commonplace as early as five thousand years ago. The Egyptians, Greeks and Chinese all used garlic extensively in their medicinal practices. Science is now proving they had good reason. The “stinking rose” as it is sometimes known, has been part of the natural medicine chest since the dawn of time.

The active ingredients in garlic are believed to be allicin, diallyl disulfide, diallyl trisulfide and other sulfur-rich compounds. Garlic is also high in selenium and germanium. Studies show garlic can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. It may provide protection against atherosclerosis and heart disease; it may decrease total serum cholesterol levels and raises HDL (“good cholesterol”) levels. Raw garlic is a potent antibiotic and infection-fighter. It has been called the “Russian Penicillin. Garlic may also reduce the clotting tendencies of the blood, which may reduce the risk of stroke. The allicin in garlic can be effective against common colds, flu and stomach viruses.

According to several European studies, consuming garlic on a regular basis also seems to offer protection against several forms of cancer including breast and ovarian. When cooking, use fresh garlic whenever possible and expose it to as little heat as possible. The medicinal properties of garlic are very fragile and break down easily the more they are processed or heated. Garlic can be added to almost any savory dish. It is a staple in Italian cuisine such as lasagna, marinara sauce, pesto sauce and others. It is great on all meats, can be added to stews, soups, vegetable dishes, and stir-fry dishes. Slice a clove or two and sauté gently in olive oil with fresh mustard greens or collard greens, onions and cayenne pepper for a great-tasting antioxidant and antibacterial blast. Garlic can be added to almost anything. In fact, if you stop by the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California, you can even try garlic ice cream! Bon Appetit!

Listen to my Medicine in Your Spice Rack radio feature at Lisa.fm