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Posts Tagged ‘National Garlic Day’

April 19 is National Garlic Day. By Our Student Pharmacist, Madison Price.

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Did you know that April 19 is National Garlic Day!

This fragrant, flavor enhancer has some great health benefits. Garlic is widely consumed across many cultures for culinary and medicinal benefit. In fact, the earliest garlic consumption dates back thousands of years to China and Central Asia. The chemicals that give garlic its pungent smell and flavor include allicin, ajoene, and compounds such as S-allyl-L-cysteine. Allicin, one of the more studied garlic components, is produced when the cloves are crushed or chopped and gives raw garlic its spicy taste.

Here are a few of the many health benefits of garlic:

  • Vitamin Rich – one raw clove of garlic contains many nutrients including manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and selenium.
  • High Blood Pressure – garlic has been found to help reduce high blood pressure by causing vasodilation, or relaxation of blood vessels to promote blood pressure lowering.
  • Cholesterol – garlic has demonstrated cholesterol lowering effects, particularly reducing LDL, sometimes referred to as “bad” cholesterol and total cholesterol by 10 to 15%. Triglycerides are another form of cholesterol that contributes to heart disease but garlic has not shown any reliable effect on triglyceride levels.
  • Anticoagulant and antithrombotic activities – garlic may help prevent platelets from sticking together and forming potentially dangerous blood clots. Patients currently taking blood thinning medications should use garlic with caution as it may increase their risk for bleeding.

Garlic 2Garlic comes in many forms, including whole cloves, powder, and aged extracts. It is very easy (and delicious) to incorporate garlic into your current diet.

Roasted Garlic

  1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
  2. Slice ¼ inch off the top of a head of garlic.
  3. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Wrap garlic in aluminum foil or place in a baking dish.
  5. Roast in preheated oven for 40 to 60 minutes or until cloves are fork tender.
  6. Enjoy! Spread on toasted bread, add to mashed potatoes, or mix into butter and sauces!

Here are some tips to get rid of garlic breath and the garlic smell on your hands after chopping fresh garlic cloves:

  • Rub a stainless steel spoon or other stainless steel utensil over your hands to eliminate the smell.
  • Don’t have stainless steel, try citrus. Steep citrus peels in warm water, pour into a spray bottle and spritz onto hands.
  • Garlic breath? Try chewing on some fresh mint or parsley.

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References:

  1. Ansary J, Forbes-Hernández TY, Gil E, et al. Potential health benefit of garlic based on Human Intervention Studies: A brief overview. Antioxidants. 2020;9(7):619. doi:10.3390/antiox9070619
  2. Jiang TA. Health benefits of culinary herbs and spices. Journal of AOAC INTERNATIONAL. 2019;102(2):395-411. doi:10.5740/jaoacint.18-0418
  3. Leech J. 11 proven health benefits of garlic. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-health-benefits-of-garlic. Published June 28, 2018. Accessed April 9, 2022.
  4. Team W. 6 garlic benefits to boost your health. Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/6-surprising-ways-garlic-boosts-your-health/. Published March 2, 2022. Accessed April 9, 2022.