Nutrition News
Fresh or in supplement form,
garlic offers many notable health benefits.
Unfortunately, studies do show that high
temperatures destroy allicin, the active
ingredient in garlic. So, my suggestion
is to enjoy fresh garlic in dressings or
lightly sautéed in your favorite dishes. Of
course, there are great garlic supplements
available in our Healthy Living Department.
What are the health benefits
of garlic?
Garlic isn’t just good for warding off
vampires anymore. It contains several
components that may have health
benefits, including allicin. Many studies
have shown, for instance that the allicin
in garlic may help reduce total cholesterol
and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol by small
amounts. Although more evidence is
needed to link garlic to cancer prevention,
some studies have shown that garlic
may reduce the risk of developing certain
types of stomach and colon cancers.
Eating garlic may also help cause small
reductions in blood pressure.
As noted earlier, in order to get
the most benefits from garlic, choose
fresh uncooked garlic—high cooking
temperatures make it less potent. And
note that garlic must be crushed,
chopped or chewed in order to release
the allicin.
What about garlic supplements?
If you don’t like the taste of garlic, or
you don’t want the bad breath that it
can impart, supplements may be what
you are looking for. Garlic supplements
have been shown to have the same
health benefits as fresh garlic. Before
you start including supplements in your
diet check with your doctor to see if
garlic supplements are right for you—
garlic supplements can adversely react
with certain other drugs and/or
supplements and, therefore, may
not be appropriate for everyone.
How much garlic do I need to
eat to reap the health benefits?
The World Health Organization
suggests 2–5 grams fresh garlic,
0.4–1.2 grams of dried powder,
2–5mg of oil, 300–1,000mg
of extract, or other formulations
that are equal to 2–5mg of allicin
daily. Of course, it also doesn’t
hurt to add more fresh garlic to
your diet. |
|
|
|
