The Hidden Healing Powers of Garlic

The ancient Greeks distributed garlic to soldiers to boost their health before battle. The Egyptians worshipped the healing powers of this pungent herb so much that it was used as currency and placed in the tombs of kings as tokens of eternal life. They also fed it to their sick, believing it could cure over 20 ailments—from asthma to heart disease to tumors—and they were absolutely correct. Garlic is a wonder food, among the healthiest things on the planet you can eat.

Today we know that garlic successfully lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) and raises good cholesterol (HDL). It also thins the blood, lowering your chances of developing artery clogging-clots, which cause heart attacks and strokes. It even reduces high blood pressure and prevents colon and stomach cancer.

But it doesn’t stop there. What’s especially beneficial for YOU is garlic’s magic effect on blood sugar levels. Just a few cloves a day have been shown to increase insulin secretion and lower blood sugar. It also improves insulin sensitivity, in effect, reversing diabetes.

How can one simple food have such powers? A garlic bulb is a virtual chemical factory full of healing substances. Among these are sulfur compounds including thiosulfinates, which are responsible for garlic’s distinctive aroma and for many of its effects. But garlic’s best-known nutrient might be allicin: Recent research links allicin to garlic’s heart-protective abilities. Allicin and other chemical components also have antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties, which in addition to its other benefits, makes garlic a great home remedy for healing wounds and athlete’s foot and for expelling worms.

There’s one “but,” and that is many of garlic’s healing chemicals are highly volatile. Their availability depends on how fresh the garlic is, and whether it’s been crushed, chopped, chewed, or cooked. In particular, allicin is created in the chopping or crushing process, and starts to degrade immediately. Cooking speeds up the degradation, and microwaving is said to destroy allicin totally. So the best approach is to crush raw garlic right before using, and adding to dishes in the last stage of the cooking process.

You can flavor just about any savory chicken, fish, beef, tofu or veggie dish with garlic. Cooking mellows its flavor, so don’t worry about it overpowering your dishes. You can also marinate meat in olive oil and garlic. Grill or bake whole garlic cloves and then mash them up to spread on top of bread instead of butter—or just eat ’em whole!

Raw garlic is a stronger flavor, but has even more medicinal potency. The perfect solution: Make a pesto by pureeing basil, raw garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and pine nuts in a blender or food processor. Or, chop raw garlic into vinaigrette dressings and store-bought tomato sauces.

One last cook’s tip for you: Garlic needs to be stored in a cool, dark place or it’ll sprout too quickly. Keep it out of the fridge for best storage.