Garlic Facts
Some Garlic Facts You Might Like to Know
Garlic – the onion's pungent cousin - is a great seasoning vegetable.
• In addition to being related to the onion, garlic, facts confirm, is also related to chives, shallots and leeks. It is used for medicinal as well as culinary purposes. It possesses a unique spice and pungent flavor, but it sweetens and mellows when you cook it.
• The leaves, flowers and stems of garlic are edible too, and usually eaten when they are tender; usually they are picked while still immature, for these purposes. The layers that cover the bulb and the roots of the vegetable are the only parts of garlic that are considered not palatable.
• Garlic grows wild in some areas, mainly in southwestern Asia. The top commercial producers of garlic are, in order, China, India, South Korea and Russia.
• One ounce of garlic has only forty-two calories. It contains about fifteen percent of your recommended daily amount of Vitamin C, and garlic facts point out that it also offers protein, Vitamin B6, calcium and selenium.
• Studies have shown that regular consumption of garlic benefits your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Garlic is described as a food that can help prevent diabetic heart disease and atherosclerosis, as well as lowering your risk for stroke or heart attack.
• Garlic is rich in organosulphur compounds that result, when ingested, in the enlargement and relaxation of blood vessels, which lowers your blood pressure and can improve the blood flow in your body.
• The selenium that is contained in garlic helps prevent heart disease and also gives you protection against heavy metal toxicity and cancer. Selenium, coupled with Vitamin C, is an excellent antioxidant, and garlic, facts state, contains many nutrients to cover all your bases medically.
• Garlic facts confirm that this vegetable possesses compounds that can reduce inflammation. Garlic, especially when fresh, protects you from severe asthma attacks, and can help reduce the inflammation and pain of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
• When choosing a clove of garlic, it's best to purchase it fresh. You can find garlic in powders, flakes or pastes, and they are easier to use in some recipes, but you won't get all the health benefits unless you buy fresh. Pick garlic that has unbroken skin, and is plump. Squeeze the garlic bulb gently in your fingers and make sure it is firm and not damp.
• For a treat, take canned garbanzo beans, tahini, fresh garlic and puree them, and add lemon juice and olive oil to make a great hummus dip.
• Puree cooked potatoes, roasted garlic and olive oil to make garlic masked potatoes. Tasty!
• Make a healthy side dish by sautéing garlic with steamed spinach and lemon juice.
• Marinate garlic in a bit of olive oil, and use it for a flavored marinade or dressing.