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Ward off more than just vampires
Despite studies, history touts benefits of garlic
By Catherine Jozwik
Although garlic is versatile and useful in terms of cuisine and other medicinal uses, Colleen Bernstein, R.N., a health and nutrition educator at UWM’s Norris Health Center, claims that the scientific data compiled regarding garlic lowering cholesterol and heart disease is unclear.
Many people believe that garlic, a close relative of the onion, does more than add zest to a pot of spaghetti or a slice of pizza. Over thousands of years, many different cultures have used garlic for medicinal purposes, culinary uses and even superstitious practices. However, recent research has helped debunk the myth of garlic as a “cure” for heart disease and high cholesterol, although it can be used to treat other ailments.
According to wikipedia.org, garlic has been used for food since ancient Egyptian times. Greek and Roman soldiers ate it, and to this day, garlic is a prevalent ingredient in Mediterranean, Chinese, Vietnamese and other ethnic cuisines.
In terms of medicine, garlic was used by the Cherokee and British for treating cold and cough, and in an uncontrolled study in China, garlic was used, with some success, to treat AIDS victims with cryptosporidium. During World War I and World War II, garlic’s antibacterial activity made it useful as an antiseptic to prevent gangrene. And the perspiration of someone who has recently eaten garlic acts as a useful mosquito repellant, as garlic stays in the body up to 24 hours.
Garlic has been considered to have mystical value. In Central European folklore, garlic was believed to ward off demons, werewolves and vampires—surely, Dracula wouldn’t come anywhere near someone wearing a garlic necklace.
Although garlic is versatile and useful in terms of cuisine and other medicinal uses, Colleen Bernstein, R.N., a health and nutrition educator at UWM’s Norris Health Center, claims that the scientific data compiled regarding garlic lowering cholesterol and heart disease is unclear.
In a recent Stanford University study, in which participants ate food mixed with raw garlic, such as chicken quesadillas, garlic consumption did not impact the group members’ cholesterol levels at all. Allicin, a sulphur-like compound, has been proven to prevent cholesterol when applied directly to cells, but the compound loses his effectiveness after being diluted in the body.
However, studies done by credible institutions, such as the Mayo Clinic and Columbia University, do not discount garlic as having other health benefits.
Despite this scientific finding, says Bernstein, many people, including her neighbor, still have faith in the powers of garlic as a means to reduce cholesterol.
“No one is coming out and touting garlic as a well-documented cure,” says Bernstein.
Like most other foods, eating too much garlic has its adverse effects. Besides the obvious halitosis that can be a major inconvenience on a date, over consumption can also cause diarrhea, indigestion and nausea. So add a dash of garlic to your slice of pizza. Just don’t overdo it.
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