Garlic: Allium sativum

Hindi name: Lasan/Lahsan/Lahsun

The bulb:
The bulb (the only part eaten) is of a compound nature, consisting of numerous bulblets, known technically as 'cloves,' grouped together between the membraneous scales and enclosed within a whitish skin, which holds them as in a sac.

Garlic leaves:
The leaves are long, narrow and flat like grass. Immature scapes are tender and edible. They are also known as 'garlic spears', 'stems', or 'tops'. Scapes generally have a milder taste than cloves. They are often used in stir frying or prepared like asparagus. Garlic leaves are a popular vegetable in many parts of Asia, particularly Chinese, Vietnamese, and Cambodian. The leaves are cut, cleaned, and then stir-fried with eggs, meat or vegetables.

Fresh, dried and powdered garlic are available in markets throughout the year.

Important constituents of garlic:
Garlic is an excellent source of manganese. . It is also a very good source of vitamin B6 and vitamin C. and . In addition, garlic is a good source of protein and thiamin (vitamin B1) as well as the minerals phosphorous, selenium, calcium, potassium, iron and copper.

Fresh garlic has many active constituents including alliin, allicin, alliinase and unique sulfur compounds.

• Allicin and the sulfur compounds of garlic are the ingredients primarily responsible for garlic's potency as an antibiotic, anti viral and a fungicide and for its use in treating high blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, for helping to prevent certain types of cancer, as well as its use as an immune stimulant.
• Allicin is a strong antibiotic agent produced when the alliin and alliinase are merged together, as happens when a fresh garlic clove is crushed or chewed.
  
  

Health Benefits of garlic:
Imagine a single food ingredient that could prevent heart attacks, reduce cancer risk, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, improve digestion, and act as an antibiotic. Yes, the answer is Garlic.

A summary of these uses shows that garlic is like a medicine chest in itself:

• Respiratory conditions: Cold, flu, bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, tuberculosis
• Digestive disorders: Stomach ulcer, diarrhea, amoebic dysentery, worms, parasites
• Cardiovascular disease: Atherosclerosis, post-heart attack therapy, post-stroke therapy, claudication
• Skin problems: Acne, boils, eczema, fungal infections, insect bites and stings

Some more details regarding therapetic use of garlic
• Garlic is a gastric stimulant & helps with digestion.
• It acts as an anti flatulent, carminative and diaphoretic.
• It stimulates the kidneys and is diuretic in nature.
• It is a tonic, giving strength & vitality
• It is an expectorant having a special effect on the bronchial and pulmonary secretions
• It is beneficial for eyes & brain.
• It helps to heal fractured bones.
• It is a great antiseptic.
• It has allicin, which has the property to destroy germs which are not killed by penicillin. As such, it is a very powerful germicidal.
• It rehabilitates sexual malfunctions.
• It improves functional activity of heavy smokers.
• Half a raw garlic clove a day can increase body activity to dissolve blood clots, thereby preventing heart attacks and strokes.
• A couple of raw garlic cloves daily can bring blood cholesterol levels down in heart patients.
Antiviral, antimicrobial and antifungal; Sure. But did you know that garlic can be a powerful antioxidant? Just like many antioxidant plant foods, this herb--only after it has been crushed--can provide a powerful protective effect to the body. Antioxidants help protect the body's cells from the damage of flee radicals, a sort of molecular garbage that alters healthy cells and promotes aging and even cancer.

Best way to get its health benefits:
The best method to use garlic is to make it a part in regular food habit and this continuous supply to the body would automatically act upon and over all life and health quality will enhance.

Making garlic and onions a staple in your healthy way of eating may greatly lower your risk of several common cancers, suggests a large data set of case-control studies from Southern European populations.