Can garlic prevent the flu? Riding the wave of the fight against the H1N1 flu, seasonings like garlic have become the hottest commodities on the market, with prices even catching up to meat prices, soaring by 10 times. Regarding the folk belief that garlic can prevent H1N1 flu, Wen Fuqiang, director of the Respiratory Department at West China Hospital of Sichuan University, stated clearly that there is currently no scientific evidence to confirm that garlic has the effect of preventing H1N1 flu.
Garlic does have health benefits
However, although there is no scientific basis for whether garlic can prevent H1N1 flu, in fact, besides being an essential daily seasoning, garlic does have many pharmacological effects. It is even called a "health protector" abroad. Currently, American scientists have also listed garlic as one of the basic health foods.
Allicin in garlic has a powerful bactericidal function. Li Changping, a chief nutritionist at the Nutrition Department of Beijing Hospital, pointed out that after garlic is crushed, alliin and alliinase combine, and allicin can be formed after 10-15 minutes. It has a killing effect on Staphylococcus and E. coli. In addition, garlic can block the chemical synthesis of the carcinogen nitrosamine and inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Scientists believe that garlic also has a preventive effect on leukemia, oral cancer, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, etc. Eating raw garlic can also improve human immunity. Dr. Gesman, an infectious disease expert from the German Medical Association, stated that although garlic cannot treat H1N1 flu, it can be antitoxic and help inhibit complications of H1N1 flu. For example, garlic contains nearly 400 active ingredients that prevent bacteria from reproducing and growing.
Garlic also follows the principle of "too much of a good thing."
Harm to vision:
Although garlic has countless benefits, in light of the current hot sales of garlic, if some people consume excessive amounts of garlic, it will have a certain impact on their vision. There is a folk saying that "garlic has a hundred benefits but harms the eyes." Therefore, people with eye diseases should not eat too much, especially those who often have fevers or have excessive internal heat should not consume it in excess for a long time. Because certain components of garlic have an irritating effect on the body's mucous membranes and conjunctival tissues, affecting the treatment effect.
Braised Pork Intestines with Garlic
Contraindicated for diarrhea:
Although eating raw garlic is very beneficial to gastrointestinal health, doctors point out that it is not advisable to eat too much garlic when you have diarrhea. Because the intestinal cavity is in a state of stress during diarrhea, the allicin produced by garlic instead aggravates the stimulation of the intestinal wall, causing congestion and edema of the blood vessels to worsen, which often leads to the aggravation of the condition.