Faisalabad: An in-depth study conducted at the National Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad has confirmed the benefits of garlic in combating lifestyle-related disorders like hypercholesterolemia, dyslipidemia, and high blood pressure.
The UAF study published under the title “Garlic and its Health Claims” was led by a team of scientists under Dr. Masood Sadiq Butt and Hafiz Ansar Rasul Suleria. Garlic (Allium sativum) is one of the most common vegetables utilized in both medicinal purposes and culinary practices as providing flavor and taste to the final product.
Amazing Health Benefits of Garlic and Vicks
Garlic products have become popular in recent years as pharmaceutical preparations.
“There are various traditional plants that have been used as therapeutic carriers for different physiological threats,” the study states. “Research continues to prove that consuming these healthy foods promotes good health while unhealthy food leads to an accumulation of toxins within the body, resulting in chronic diseases in the long run.
For this reason, various plant-based functional foods are becoming popular worldwide owing to a number of evidence for their safer therapeutic applications.”
The investigation through diet-based therapies elucidates the significance of an array of plants, including garlic, onion, black cumin, green tea, ginger, etc. However, several avenues have yet to be explored for researchers.
“Garlic is a rich source of sulfur-containing compounds, for example, diallyl sulfide, allicin, and alliin collectively called as allium compounds that are effective in reducing the risk of certain types of cancer as well as in managing cholesterol and blood pressure,” the research paper states.
The investigator Ansar Rasul said the main pharmacological effects of garlic were attributed to its characteristic organo-sulfur compounds. Allicin (diallyl thiosulphate), the principal bioactive component in garlic, is responsible for its typical pungent smell and various therapeutic properties.
Hundreds of research articles have been published in the last few decades aimed at exploring the effects of garlic consumption against the number of maladies.
“Health benefits garlic is established and its functional activities include free-radical scavenging activities, immune stimulation, curing cardiovascular diseases, anti-cancer, and anti-infectious properties,” Ansar claimed.
How It Works:
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease (the leading cause of death in the U.S.). Garlic seems to be able to modestly reduce blood pressure, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
It’s thought that garlic may help lower blood pressure in part by stimulating the production of nitric oxide (a compound that plays a key role in the widening of your blood vessels).