Did you know that garlic is good for heart health? Not only
for the heart but there are also many other benefits that garlic produces.
Before knowing the benefits of garlic, let's look at the information related to
garlic below!
Garlic
Garlic, with the Latin name Allium sativum L, is a spice
that grows worldwide. Besides being used as a food flavoring, it turns out that
garlic has been used for natural medicines in various regions of the world, you
know! For example, garlic is known to have been used to treat typhus,
dysentery, cholera, and influenza.
Garlic Content
Garlic is classified as a very functional spice because it
contains a variety of nutritional constituents. Garlic is high in potassium,
zinc, sulfur, selenium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, moderate iron, and a
little sodium. In addition, garlic contains vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B
complex.
Recently, garlic contains various bioactive components that
are beneficial for health, especially polyphenols, flavonoids,
tannins, saponins, and various other bioactive components. There are more than
20 kinds of polyphenols and 17 kinds of amino acids in garlic. However, some of
the bioactive components in garlic are only intact and will be lost when
processed.
The benefits of garlic against various cardiovascular diseases
Studies have found that garlic can slightly lower blood
pressure, both systolic and diastolic pressure. Several studies reveal that
garlic can lower blood pressure in 80% of patients. Some even found that giving
garlic can lower blood pressure by up to 12 mmHg.
In addition to lowering blood pressure, it turns out that
garlic can also significantly lower cholesterol. As we know, high cholesterol
can harm the heart and cause diseases such as stroke and coronary heart
disease. It is known that garlic can lower serum cholesterol, triglycerides,
and LDL, although it affects HDL.
Another benefit of garlic is that it increases fibrinolytic
activity. Fibrinolytics are one of the treatment targets for coronary heart
disease. The purpose of fibrinolytic is to destroy fibrin that can cause
blockages in the arteries of the heart.
Garlic can also prevent the formation of thrombosis.
Thrombosis is a cholesterol plaque that forms in blood vessels which then flows
and can cause blockages in other blood vessels such as brain blood vessels that
cause a stroke.
Other benefits of garlic
Besides being useful for maintaining a healthy heart and
blood vessels, garlic still has many other benefits. Garlic can lower blood
sugar levels, which is beneficial in diabetics, prevents fatty liver formation,
and reduces the risk of prostate cancer in men.
How much garlic needs to be consumed to get these
benefits?
Although garlic has been proven to provide various benefits,
it takes a certain amount to get these benefits. Studies recommend consuming
300 mg of garlic powder daily for 2 years to reduce the risk of coronary heart
disease.
For other benefits, studies have found that different doses
are needed. For example, to lower blood pressure, the amount of garlic that
needs to be consumed is 300 to 1500 mg. To lower cholesterol levels, need more
garlic, which is equal to 1000-7200mg.
Garlic is beneficial for various diseases, especially for
the heart and blood vessels. Adding cooking ingredients with more garlic can provide
these benefits. However, don't forget to keep consuming spices or other food
ingredients that are no less healthy to complement each other's benefits.
