While raw and smelly garlic may not seem very romantic, it might help your heart, researchers say.
Garlic, beloved by cooks around the globe, has long been thought to have heath benefits such as reducing high levels of cholesterol and fighting cancer and cardiovascular disease. And now a new US study suggests that garlic is best for your heart when it is raw, crushed and smelly rather than when it is processed or cooked.
As reported by Reuters, cardiovascular researchers from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine found that freshly crushed garlic has more potent heart-healthy effects than dried garlic.
Their study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, challenges the belief that most of garlic's health benefits are due to its abundance of antioxidants. Instead, researchers found that garlic's heart-friendly attributes seemed to result mainly from hydrogen sulfide, a chemical-signaling substance that is formed after garlic is cut or crushed. And when eaten, it relaxes blood vessels.
"Although best known as the stuff that gives rotten eggs their distinctive odor, hydrogen sulfide also acts as a chemical messenger in the body, relaxing blood vessels and allowing more blood to pass through," said researcher Dipak Das in a statement.
"Processed and cooked garlic, however, loses its ability to generate hydrogen sulfide."
For the study, scientists gave freshly crushed garlic and processed garlic to two groups of lab rats for a period of 30 days. (They were given what amounts to be about two cloves a day for a 175-pound person.) Afterward, researchers studied how well the animals' hearts recovered from simulated heart attacks.
"Both crushed and processed garlic reduced damage from lack of oxygen, but the fresh garlic group had a significantly greater effect on restoring good blood flow in the aorta and increased pressure in the left ventricle of the heart," said Das.
He said that these results were potentially important for heart patients who are looking for natural and complementary medicine. "The results of the present study strongly suggest that using fresh garlic would provide maximal and added benefits to the cardiovascular patients," he said.
About garlic
The potency of garlic has been acknowledged for thousands of years. Mentioned by name in the Old Testament and the Muslim Quran, garlic is said to be one of the foods the Israelites missed most during their years of wandering. Ancient Egyptians considered it sacred enough to be buried in the tombs of their deceased kings.
The health benefits of garlic also date back to ancient times. In 1500 BC, the Egyptians used garlic to treat at least 22 different conditions. And the ancient Greeks credited it for repelling scorpions and treating dog bites. Since then it has been used as a remedy for intestinal disorders, flatulence, worms, respiratory infections, skin diseases, wounds, symptoms of aging, and other ailments.
Because of its strong smell, ancients also used the "stinky rose" to drive away evil spirits, protect against werewolves and vampires, protect from evil and to bring good luck.
Want to incorporate more garlic into your diet? Read our tips on how to grow garlic at home .
Sources: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry; National Institutes of Health; Reuters
Photo ©iStockphoto.com/ Oliver Kessler
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