G-A-R-L-I-C

#1 of Health 101- GARLIC! Love this food and herb! It's always been one of my favorites to cook with and take as a regular supplement. Its a member of the onion and leek family, and as such it tends to have an odor that can sometimes be overbearing or noticeable. Suprisingly, the same stuff (i.e. compounds like thiosulfinates, sulfoxides and dithiins) that cause the odor also are responsible for many amazing health effects (how can something so good cause something so not good! ha ) Garlic works as:

• An Antibacterial and Antiviral (AKA prevention for colds, flu, other illness etc.)

Garlic can be taken as a PREVENTATIVE mainly to help get rid of symptoms of the cold and flu. It indirectly effects the immune system as a whole as it fights off illness! I take a Garlic supplement I found at Wild Oats a while back. It is garlic oil in a softgel, contains 500 mg per serving and you take it twice daily as needed with food. I do Not take it everyday of course, mainly when I feel my immune system is down a little, or I feel a cold or sore throat coming on. I have noticed however, that when I am sick, eating raw garlic or taking this supplement cuts my cold time in half, at least! (One time I was told to eat a whole clove, just peel and eat. IT WAS SO STRONG! I could literally feel it going down my throat as if it was burning every bacteria it touched). Although I probably wouldn't do that again anytime soon, I do recommend cooking with it if you don't have supplements. However, there are different ways to cook it. CRUSHING and CHOPPING activate the enzymes (these help speed up processes with your bodies cells or help break down foods etc. so your body can process and regulate itself). Research tells us that microwaving or boiling garlic in its whole form deactivates tons of its nutrients and enzymes!

• An Anti-Inflammatory

Garlic helps our musculoskeletal and respiratory systems! There are many Sulfides in garlic that have been shown to produce anti-arthritic properties. It also assists with airway inflammation (asthma etc.). Research also believes that it may help decrease the development of fat cells, which includes an inflammatory process! Eat up!

• A Cardiovascular promoter
  

Garlic will lower triglyceride and cholesterol production and helps control our blood pressure by triggering dilation of our blood vessels. Remember Sulfides??? It turns out that polysulfides found in garlic, can be changed by our Red Blood Cells (RBC's) into a gas called hydrogen sulfide (H2S). This H2S dilates our blood vessels! There is more on this but that is all I will share...

• Anti-Cancer Properties

Have u heard of oxidative stress?! Your cells undergo this a lot even though you may not even know. This deals with ANTIOXIDANTS, heard of these? Foods rich in antioxidents are good for you! An antioxidant is a molecule that stops oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction dealing with electrons and these Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals (BAD). In turn, these radicals can start reactions that damage cells.

Free Radicals= Damaged cells= Abnormal cells= Cancer

ANTIOXIDANTS (i.e. Garlic)= Helps kill free radicals= Intact cells= normal functioning cells= Absence of disease/sickness

Garlic has TONS of Antioxidants!

Nutrients!

Garlic has vitamin C, vitamin B6, selenium and manganese etc. Garlic is a very good source of Vitamin C which helps with your immune system, overall health etc. Garlic's vitamin B6 helps prevent heart disease. The Selenium also works with vitamin E in a number of vital antioxidant systems! The trace mineral, manganese helps as a factor in many other important antioxidant defenses as well.

Garlic 1.00 oz-wt 28.35 grams 42.24 calories
Nutrient	Amount	DV (%)	Nutrient Density	World's Healthiest Foods Rating
manganese	0.47 mg	23.5	10.0	excellent
vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)	0.35 mg	17.5	7.5	very good
vitamin C	8.85 mg	14.8	6.3	very good
tryptophan	0.02 g	6.3	2.7	good
selenium	4.03 mcg	5.8	2.5	good
calcium	51.31 mg	5.1	2.2	good
phosphorus	43.38 mg	4.3	1.8	good
vitamin B1 (thiamin)	0.06 mg	4.0	1.7	good
copper	0.08 mg	4.0	1.7	good
protein	1.80 g	3.6	1.5	good

Go to these sites for more info:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=60#howtouse
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/garlic-000245.htm

As you can see, our beloved GARLIC with all its smells, is very beneficial for you!