Grey Duck Garlic
Garlic and Health
BLOOD
Imagine a clove of Siberian, pure white with a blush of purple stripe, lying on a marble slab cutting board.
SLASH IT and an enzymatic reaction begins immediately when the cell is broken: the alliin comes into contact with the enzyme alliinase resulting in allicin. Allicin has a sharp bite, an audacious odor and used topically has been shown to have antibiotic, antifungal and antiseptic properties.
HACK IT into tiny pieces and you will create a mound of allicin soaked garlic.
INGEST IT now and it is quickly metabolized, thinning blood and benefiting the heart and lungs. The organosulfur compounds formed when allicin is metabolized or dried or heated, such as ajoene or S-allyl-L-cysteine, also have been shown to have impressive health benefits. They even kill food poisoning bacteria. Eventually excess sulfur compounds are released from the blood stream through the skin and the lungs, potentially creating body odor.
VAMPIRES
Exactly why garlic is closely associated with vampires is a subject of debate. Is it because garlic has been found to repel bloodsucking insects like mosquitoes and fleas? Did the pungent smell of the frequent garlic eater cause social isolation and hence protection from communicable diseases? Is it the blood-thinning property garlic exhibits? All we can know is that we have sighted no vampires in the recesses of our garlic barn, although a nice toad lives there.
AND GARLIC
If you leave the Siberian above to rest on the slab, the allicin quickly breaks down and the taste and smell of the garlic mellows. Cooking speeds this up – in fact, cooked, Siberian is the mildest garlic we sell. There are a myriad of health benefits attributed to this mellow garlic. Garlic is used to treat hypertension , hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease, age-related vascular changes, colorectal cancer and to repel pests.
OH MY!
Garlic can change your genes! Learn about garlic and epigenetics.
Check out the history of garlic's medicinal use and new research on how garlic can help prevent food poisoning.
Garlic can reduce cholesterol and blood sugar!
References
Garlic antibiotic, antifungal, antiseptic, and antiviral properties:
Weber ND, Andersen DO, North JA et al. In vitro virucidal effects of Allium sativum (garlic) extract and compounds. Planta Med 1992;58:417-23.
Ankri S, Mirelman D. Antimicrobial properties of allicin from garlic. Microbes Infect 1999;1:125-9.
Sasaki J, Kita T, Ishita K, et al. Antibacterial activity of garlic powder against Escherichia coli O-157. J Nutr Sci Vitamin (Tokyo) 1999; 45:785-9
Ledezma E, Marcano K, Jorquera A. Efficacy of ajoene in the treatment on tinea pedis: A double blind and comparative study with terbinafine. J Am Acad Dermatol 2000:43;829-32.
Dehghani F, Merat A, Panjehshahin MR, Handjani F. Healing effect of garlic on warts and corns. Int J dermatol 2005;44:612-15.
Raw vs. cooked garlic:
Mukherjee S, Lekli I, Das D. Freshly crushed garlic is a superior cardioprotective agent than processed garlic. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2009;57:7137-7144.
Chutani SK, Bordia A. The effect of fried versus raw garlic on fibrinoloytic activity in man. Atherosclerosis 1981;38:417-21.
Ali M, Bordia T, Mustafa T, Effect of raw versus boiled aqueous extract of garlic and onion on platelet aggregation. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 1999;60;43-7.
Sulfur compound formation when garlic is eaten, heated, or dried:
Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckmann J, eds. Herbal Medicine Expanded commission E Monographs. Newton, Ma. Integrative Medicine Communications. 2000.
Linus Pauley Institute at Oregon State University: micronutrient research
A great deal of information about garlic sulfur compounds.
Ingested garlic and sulfur compounds in the bloodstream, atherosclerosis, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, bladder cancer, immune stimulation, and hypertension:
Auer W, Elber A, Hertkorn E, et al. Hypertension and hyperlipidaemia: garlic helps in mild cases. Br J Clin Pract Sump Suppl 1990;69:3-6.
Ide N, Lau BH. Aged garlic extract attenuates intracellular oxidative stress. Phytomedicine 1999;6:125-31.
Steiner M, Lin RS. Changes in platelet function and susceptibility of lipoproteins to oxidation associated with administration of aged garlic extract. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 1998;31:904-8.
Rahman K, Billington D. Dietary supplementation with aged garlic extract inhibits APD-induced platelet aggregation in humans. J Nutr 2000;130:2662-5.
Pedraza-Chaverri J, Tapia E, Medina-Campos ON, et al. Garlic prevents hypertension induced by chronic inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis. Life Sci 1998;62:71-7.
Steiner M, Li W. Aged garlic extract, a modulator of cardiovascular risk factors: a dose-finding study on the effect of AGE on Platelet functions. J Nutr 2001;131:980S-4.
Williams, FMK, Spector TD, Cassidy A, Davidson RM, McGregor AJ. Dietary garlic and hip osteoarthritis: evidence of protective effect and putative mechanism of action BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2010;11:280 (8 December 2010).
Reid K, Frank OR, Stocks, NP, Fakler P, Sullivan T. Effect of Garlic on Blood Pressure: a systemic review and meta-analysis. BMC Cardiovascular Disord. 2008 16:8:13.
Ackermann RT, Monroe CD, Ramirez G, et al. Garlic shows promise for improving some cardiovascular risk factors. Arch Intern Med 2001;161:813-24.
You WC, Brown LM, Zhang l, et al. Randomized double-blind factorial trial of three treatments to reduce the prevalence of precancerous gastric lesions. J Natl Cancer Inst 2006;98:974-83.
American Institute of Cancer Research: Search for garlic or garlic research
Garlic as a pest repellent:
Stjernberg L, Berglund J. Garlic as an Insect Repellent. JAMA 2000;284:831.
McHugh CP. Garlic as a tick repellent. JAMA 2001;285:41-2.
Toad sighting:
Fluegel J, Hastain E, Toad Sighting in garlic barn. September 2010.
Other garlic information:
C. Brownlee. Decoding garlic’s pizzazz: extract stimulates taste, temperature receptors. Science News, June 4, 2005.
Peter Josling. Preventing the common cold with a garlic supplement: a double blind, placebo-controlled survey. Advances in Therapy,18:4 July/Aug 2001,
Tattelman Ellen. Health Effects of Garlic. American Family Physician. July 1 2005.
Fareed G, Scolaro M, Jordan W, Sanders M, Chesson C, Slattery M, Long D, Castro C; International Conference on Aids. (1996) July 7-12.