Is garlic a panacea for all diseases? Interesting facts about garlic

Garlic is a biennial plant that has been cultivated by humans for several millennia and has found its purpose in cooking and medicine.

The origin of garlic

The closest “relative” of garlic is the onion, as both cultures share a common ancestor – a wild type of onion called Allium longicuspic that grows in the foothills of Central Asia, Afghanistan and India. About 5000 years ago the then inhabitants of these territories began to cultivate the plant, the wild type of which is still used in local cuisine. Later, through the Mediterranean and Caucasian-Carpathian regions, cultivated types of garlic spread throughout the world.

Garlic is an extremely plastic plant, so the selection was carried out by the selection method. All early varieties of garlic released the so-called “arrow” and only over time breeders obtained varieties that do not produce a flowering stem. In addition, there is an intermediate type of garlic – Creole, which may or may not produce a peduncle.

As a rule, varieties of garlic with a flower stalk are edible – they contain 2-4 mg of essential oil per 1 kg of cleaned cloves. In turn, garlic varieties that do not produce an “arrow” are mostly technical – they contain 5-9 mg per 1 kg of cloves.

The earliest mention about garlic can be found in the biblical text about the time of the Jews in Egypt:

… The children of Israel began to weep with them and say: “Who will feed us with meat? We remember the fish we ate in Egypt for nothing, cucumbers and melons, and onions and garlic.

Bible (Numbers 11:4 – 11:5).

In ancient Egypt, garlic was included in the mandatory diet of the builders of the pyramids and warriors, that is, even at that time it was not only a spice, but was used as tonic.

And since the diseases of people in ancient times were considered a manifestation of the evil actions of various evil spirits, then garlic became attribute magical power. So, archaeologists found garlic inside or on the eyes of mummies.

A panacea for all diseases?

Does regular use of garlic really protect against various diseases, primarily bacterial infections?

The World Health Organization notes that garlic is a healthy product that has certain antibacterial properties. But in order for these properties to manifest themselves, some instructions must be followed.

Garlic has its own characteristic smell and tasteas well as bactericidal and fungicidal properties thanks to the essential oil called allicin, which is formed only in the process of mechanical destruction of garlic cells. The fact is that garlic does not contain this organic compound as such: allicin is formed from alliin (in the cytoplasm) and the enzyme alliinase (in the vacuoles). With mechanical damage, garlic cells are destroyed, and their components begin to interact, resulting in the formation of allicin, which is called a natural antibiotic.

It is important to note that garlic has low thermal stability: it breaks down slowly at room temperature and very quickly during heat treatment.

Therefore, if you want to benefit from the consumption of garlic, follow two main rules.

Main rules

• Garlic should only be eaten raw.
• Garlic must be chewed. If you swallow it whole, allicin simply won’t form.

However, no need to overestimate the importance of garlic in the prevention of bacterial infections. In one small clinical trial, a daily high dose of extracted allicin (20 times more than a clove of garlic) was shown to be effective in preventing colds. But so far, its effectiveness in the treatment of infections remains unclear.

Interesting facts about garlic

1. The largest producer of garlic is China, where 78% of the world’s garlic harvest is grown (in 2018, it was 22.3 million tons). The share of India, which ranks second in the ranking of garlic producers, is only 6%, Bangladesh is also in the top three – 1.6%.

In 2018, 187,000 tons of garlic were harvested in Ukraine, which was 0.66% of the world harvest.

2. Depending on the type of garlic, its bulb may fold from 2 to 50 teeth.

3. Garlic contains a compound N-propyl disulfide, which is extremely toxic to animals, including causing acute anemia in dogs and cats. Garlic (as well as onions) do not give to your pets in any form.

4. The name of the American city of Chicago comes from an Indian word shikaakwawhich means wild onion or garlic.

5. Popular in Asian countries black garlic is formed from ordinary white garlic under the action of thermal fermentation. The final product loses its characteristic bitter garlic flavor and becomes sweet.

6. The Spanish city of Las Pedronieros is considered world capital of garlic due to the combination of climatic conditions and soil quality for growing purple garlic. Since 1973, the city has hosted an international garlic festival, and you can taste it in local restaurants garlic ice cream.

7. Garlic contains vitamins B1, B2, PP, carotene and D, as well as important elements for the human body – calcium, phosphorus, sulfur, iodine, selenium. With, annual rate of garlic is only 1 kg per person.

8. In Ancient Greece, garlic was called a stinking rose. Athletes at the Olympic Games used garlic as dopeas it was believed to make a person stronger, relieve fatigue and protect against magic.

9. In Ukrainian mythology, opposite meanings were attributed to garlic: protective – against diseases and evil spirits, but for some it was also considered a “devil’s potion”.

Garlic was placed in the cradle of a baby or under the pillow of an adult to prevent insomnia. But at the same time, the sharp smell of the plant led to the appearance of peculiar superstitions. For example, that the angel will not fly to the house where they ate garlic in the evening.

The expression “to pound garlic on someone” means the intention of some evil business: “Damn garlic is already being pounded on my head.” Another phraseology “to rub garlic” means to beat someone: “Now when I rub garlic on you, you will know.”

Tweet

10. Vampires are scared away by the smell of garlic, but this is not true.

• About the author
• Other articles

Yuriy P.

I know I know nothing. Researcher of cause-and-effect relationships.

New publications of the author (ALL ARTICLES)

• “Coca-Cola” is a success story, interesting facts – May 19, 2022
• Mr. Feynman is an outstanding physicist and a great joker – May 11, 2022
• Red poppies as a symbol of memory – May 8, 2022