Garlic
For a small vegetable, garlic sure has a big, and well deserved, reputation. This member of the Lily family, a cousin to onions, leeks and chives, can transform any meal into a bold, aromatic and healthy culinary experience.
Garlic is arranged in a head, called the "bulb," which is made up of separate cloves. Both the cloves and the entire bulb are encased in paper-like sheathes that can be white, off-white or pinkish.
Health Benefits of Garlic
Garlic has a pungent smell, and is good in certain dishes, but is there more too it? Why is garlic so often considered a great, healthy herb? Well, for one, it has the vital chemical compound allicin, which is a wonderful therapeutic ingredient with many medicinal qualities. The allicin compound contains sulfur, which gives the garlic its pungent savor and peculiar smell. The health benefits of garlic are innumerable. It helps fight heart ailments, fight cold, cough, and lowers blood pressure.
Garlic is the oldest known medicinal plant variety or spice in existence. Mankind recognized the curative qualities of this magic herb over 3,000 years ago. Sir Louis Pasteur, the scientist who discovered penicillin, effectively utilized the anti-bacterial qualities of garlic all the way back in 1858.
World War I medical surgeons used the health benefits of garlic juice as an antiseptic for treating war wounds. Garlic contains useful minerals such as phosphorous, calcium and iron, as well as trace minerals like iodine, sulfur and chlorine, which are also present in the cloves. In terms of organic compounds, garlic is one of the rare sources of allicin, allisatin 1, and 2.
Garlic is rich in nutrients like Selenium, Quercetin and Vitamin C, all of which help treat eye infections and swelling.