Garlic! Is it good for heart ???

The smell may be a healthy sign

Researchers have cracked the mystery of why eating garlic can help keep the heart healthy.

The key is allicin, which is broken down into the foul-smelling sulphur compounds which taint breath.

These compounds react with red blood cells and produce hydrogen sulphide which relaxes the blood vessels, and keeps blood flowing easily.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham research appears in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Our results suggest garlic in the diet is a very good thing Dr David Kraus University of Alabama

However, UK experts warned taking garlic supplements could lead to side effects.

Hydrogen sulphide generates a smell of rotten eggs and is used to make stink bombs.

But at low concentrations it plays a vital role in helping cells to communicate with each other.

And within the blood vessels it stimulates the cells that form the lining to relax, causing the vessels to dilate.

This, in turn, reduces blood pressure, allowing the blood to carry more oxygen to essential organs, and reducing pressure on the heart.

The Alabama team bathed rat blood vessels in a bath containing juice from crushed garlic.

Striking results

This produced striking results - with tension within the vessels reduced by 72%.

The researchers also found that red blood cells exposed to minute amounts of juice extracted from supermarket garlic immediately began emitting hydrogen sulphide.

Further experiments showed that the chemical reaction took place mainly on the surface of the blood cells.

The researchers suggest that hydrogen sulphide production in red blood cells could be used to standardise dietary garlic supplements.

Lead researcher Dr David Kraus said: "Our results suggest garlic in the diet is a very good thing.

"Certainly in areas where garlic consumption is high, such as the Mediterranean and the Far East, there is a low incidence of cardiovascular disease."

Judy O'Sullivan, a cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "This interesting study suggests that garlic may provide some heart health benefits.

"However, there remains insufficient evidence to support the notion of eating garlic as medicine in order to reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease.

"Having garlic as part of a varied diet is a matter of personal choice.

"It is important to note that large amounts in supplement form may interact with blood thinning drugs and could increase the risk of bleeding."

yes it is true. garlic reduces your bad cholesterol. it is said that one should eat at least one garlic piece (dont know what u call those sub garlic things. ) with a glass of water daily. to reduce cholesterol. my father eats it.

i know it stinks. but u can always brush your teeth after. 😃

but how is it related to DM?

Originally posted by: Ms. Bholi Bhali

yes it is true. garlic reduces your bad cholesterol. it is said that one should eat at least one garlic piece (dont know what u call those sub garlic things. ) with a glass of water daily. to reduce cholesterol. my father eats it.

i know it stinks. but u can always brush your teeth after. 😃

but how is it related to DM?

thanks for telling but here its garlic

Allium sativum L., commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, and leek. Garlic has been used throughout recorded history for both culinary and medicinal purposes. It has a characteristic pungent, 'hot', flavor that mellows and sweetens considerably with cooking.^[1]

A bulb of garlic, the most commonly used plant part, is divided into numerous discrete fleshy sections called cloves. The cloves are used as seed, for consumption(raw or cooked) and medicinal purposes. The leaves, stems(scape) and flowers(bulbils) on the head(spathe) are also edible and most often consumed while immature and still tender. The papery, protective layers of 'skin' over various parts of the plant and the roots attached to the bulb are the only parts not considered palatable.

There is much folklore and confusion surrounding this ancient plant. For example, one of the most well known "garlics", the so-called elephant garlic, is actually a Wild Leek (Allium ampeloprasum), not a garlic (Allium sativum).

😃😃

oh THanks. ya they are called cloves. just couldn't remember names when needed.


ya the smell is bad, but it is too good for health. our Desi foods have a lot of garlic and spices, that is why there are many many diseases which we dont suffer from as compared to what the western world suffer from.


and now their nutritions are forcing them to take supplements and add it in their daily diet so they can get t he same benefit which we as desis have been getting for such a long time.

Originally posted by: Pensacola.S_02

Why garlic is good for the heart

The Alabama team bathed rat blood vessels in a bath containing juice from crushed garlic.

Striking results

This produced striking results - with tension within the vessels reduced by 72%.

The researchers suggest that hydrogen sulphide production in red blood cells could be used to standardise dietary garlic supplements

As long as they don't make bath soap or toothpaste out of Garlic, I am fine with it.😛

Originally posted by: Believe

I hate garlic smell 🤢

Then you must not have tasted garlic bread. 😉