Garlic, described as a bulbous perennial plant, a strong smelling pungent tasting bulb. The bulbs are small and round, enveloped with two membranes.
For a small herb and also used as a vegetable, garlic sure has a big, and well deserved, reputation.
Although garlic may not always bring good luck, it is guaranteed to transform any meal into a bold, aromatic, and healthy culinary experience. Garlic is a member of the Lily family and is a cousin to onions, leeks and chives.
Native to Asia, garlic is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world and have been around for over five thousand (5000) years. Ancient Egyptians seem to have been the first to cultivate this plant that played an important role in their culture.
While growing up as a child, my grandmother use to grind on the pegs of garlic and when ask what was the purpose was, she said it is good for her hypertension (high blood pressure). I did not believe back then but after doing my research I now subscribe to her story that I thought was a myth.
Garlic has many health benefits, studies have shown that garlic can benefit the health of your respiratory and circulatory system in several different ways. It helps with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease and hardening of the artery.
The research on each condition and how garlic can help is varied, but research into what it can do for atherosclerosis and blood pressure is promising.
These benefits may come from the production of hydrogen sulfide gas, which is produced when red blood cells take the sulphuric compounds from garlic. The gas can help expand our blood vessels, which can help keep your blood pressure steady.
One of those benefits might be beating bad skin, the antioxidants found in garlic can kill the bacteria that are sometimes a cause of acne. The next time you have a pimple, try rubbing on a sliced clove of raw garlic and you will see positive results.
Along with its anti-inflammatory properties, garlic has anti-fungal properties as well. Give those itchy feet a soak in garlic water to cut the fungus that causes athlete’s foot (otherwise known as ringworm of the foot). Or you can use this approach and rub raw garlic straight on your feet.
One study from India found that mosquitoes apparently hate garlic, great news for people who are fans of natural bug repellents and not fans of pesky nippers. You can either apply the garlic directly to your skin, or just keep some nearby to try to keep the bugs out of your general vicinity.