Ever wondered why most health enthusiasts use garlic on a
daily basis? Well, the secret is Allicin!
Allicin is an organosulfur compound obtained from garlic. When fresh
garlic is chopped or crushed, an enzyme called alliinase
converts alliin into allicin, which is responsible for the
aroma of fresh garlic.
Allicin is
produced in garlic cells when they are damaged, which is why garlic’s scent is
most potent once it is being cut or cooked. Several scientific studies have
pointed out several health benefits of ingesting Allicin:
Health Benefits of
Allicin
1. Cardio-protective benefits (Heart health) - Blood cell and blood vessel protection from
inflammatory and oxidative stress. Damage
to blood vessel linings by highly reactive oxygen molecules is a key factor for
increasing our risk of cardiovascular problems, including heart attack and
atherosclerosis. Oxidative damage also leads to unwanted inflammation, and it
is this combination of unwanted inflammation and oxidative stress that puts our
blood vessels at risk of unwanted plaque formation and clogging.
2. Lower Blood Pressure - Allicin blocks the activity of angiotensin II, a
small piece of protein (peptide), which helps our blood vessels contract. When vessels
contract, blood is forced to pass through a smaller space, and the pressure is
increased. By blocking the activity of angiotensin II, allicin helps to prevent
contraction of blood vessels and increase in blood pressure.
4. Anti-thrombotic
–This means Garlic could have potentially beneficial health effects on persons
living with Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT) and can be used in anti-thrombotic
therapy.
5. Anti-inflammatory properties – The diallyl
sulfide (DAS) and thiacremonone
in garlic have been shown to have anti-arthritic properties, hence garlic is
very beneficial to persons with Arthritis and other inflammatory disorders. Some inflammatory aspects of Obesity may be
altered by sulfur-containing compounds in garlic. Fat cells cannot become fully
developed unless they are able to progress from a preliminary stage called pre-adipocytes to a final stage called adipocytes. One of the sulfur compounds
in garlic (1,2,-vinyldithiin, or 1,2-DT) appears able to lessen this conversion
of pre-adipocytes into adipocytes, and the impact of 1,2-DT
appears to be inflammation-related.
7. Anti-carcinogen
- Allyl sulfides in garlic activate a
molecule called nuclear erythroid factor (Nrf2) in the main compartment of
cells, which triggers various metabolic activities. One such activity is the
cell’s self-destruction or programmed cell death (apoptosis). When a cell
recognizes that it has become too compromised to continue functioning in a
healthy manner with other cells, it stops proceeding through its own life cycle
and dismantles itself and recycle its parts. It's critical for a cell to
determine whether it should continue on or shut itself down, because cells that
continue on without the ability to properly function or communicate effectively
with other cells are at risk of becoming cancerous. This essentially means that
garlic may actually be able to stop or at least slow down metastasis of cancer
cells. For those who like Nyama choma, one of the carcinogenic substances
formed when meat is cooked under very high temperatures (400°F/204°C or higher)
is PhlP (2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazopyridine). Diallyl sulfide (DAS), one
of the many sulfur-containing compounds in garlic, has been shown to inhibit
the transformation of PhIP into carcinogens.
8. Antimicrobial properties
- The antibacterial and antiviral properties of garlic are its most legendary
feature. Garlic has tremendous benefits in controlling infection not only by
bacteria and viruses, but also infection from other microbes including yeasts, fungi
and worms. Garlic has a strong ability to treat bacterial infections that are
difficult to treat due to resistance to prescription antibiotics.
9. Lower Blood Triglycerides and moderately lower total Cholesterol levels
10. Improves Iron metabolism – Stored iron requires
a protein called ferroportin for it
to be moved out of the cell and returned into circulation. Garlic may be able
to increase the body's production of ferroportin, hence iron remains in
circulation as needed.
Garlic is
also rich in sulfur-containing molecules called polysulfides. Once inside red blood cells (RBCs), polysulfides are
converted by RBCs into a gas called hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide helps
control blood pressure by triggering dilation (expanding) of blood vessels.
When the space inside blood vessels expands, blood pressure gets reduced.
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) is described as a "gasotransmitter" and placed
in the same category as Nitric Oxide (NO) as a messaging molecule that can help
expand and relax our blood vessel walls.
