Many people enjoy eating garlic and even can't live without it. Garlic has a strong, pungent, spicy aroma and flavor. It has a pungent smell, can be eaten or used for seasoning, and can also be used as medicine. It can warm the middle energizer, strengthen the stomach, aid digestion, and regulate qi. Consuming garlic or taking nutritional supplements containing garlic extract is often considered a natural way to lower cholesterol, blood pressure levels, and the risk of heart disease.
Sprouted garlic has stronger antioxidant capacity
Researchers found through experiments that garlic sprouted for five days has stronger antioxidant activity than fresh garlic. In addition, sprouted garlic also contains different metabolites, which indicates that it has produced different substances. Extracts from sprouted garlic can also protect cells from certain types of damage under laboratory conditions.
Garlic should be crushed before eating
Garlic contains active substances such as alliin and alliinase. When crushed, these substances come into contact with each other to form allicin, which has health benefits. Therefore, it's best to crush garlic into a paste and let it sit for 10-15 minutes before eating, which is beneficial for the formation of allicin.
Eating raw garlic is more effective for sterilization
During the heating process, the content of organic sulfides with antibacterial effects gradually decreases, and the higher the temperature, the faster the decrease. Therefore, eating cooked garlic does not have a good sterilizing effect. Using garlic in cold salads or mixing crushed garlic with a little vinegar and sesame oil for dumplings are very healthy ways to eat it.
Add a little sugar when stir-frying to protect allicin
When stir-frying with garlic, the oil temperature should not be too high and the cooking time should not be too long. After smashing the garlic, put it in the pan. Those who like a sweet taste can add a little sugar, as sugar has a protective effect on allicin and reduces its destruction by high temperatures.
Purple-skinned garlic is more antibacterial than white-skinned garlic
Garlic can be divided into white-skinned, purple-skinned, black-skinned, etc., based on the color of its outer skin. Among these, white-skinned and purple-skinned garlic are more common. Compared to white-skinned garlic, purple-skinned garlic is spicier, has a higher content of the active ingredient allicin, and a more significant antibacterial effect.
Single-clove garlic is more effective against cancer
A single-clove garlic bulb is actually a garlic bulb that is underdeveloped due to insufficient nutrients in the plant and cannot form multiple cloves. It has a unique spicy flavor and certain medicinal value, and its anti-cancer effect is higher than that of ordinary multi-clove garlic.
Garlic should be stored in a dark place
Newly harvested garlic has a relatively high water content. After buying it home, it should be laid flat to dry before storage and not placed in a plastic bag. Garlic is best stored in a ventilated, dry, and dark place, which can inhibit its sprouting. The outer skin should also remain intact during storage, and it should be peeled as needed.
Daily raw consumption should not exceed 2-3 cloves
Allicin has a certain irritating effect on the stomach and intestines. Eating too much raw garlic can easily cause acute gastritis, and long-term excessive consumption can also easily lead to eye discomfort. For people with poor gastrointestinal function, it is best not to exceed 1 clove per day; for those with good gastrointestinal function, 2-3 cloves per day is best. Patients with liver disease, non-bacterial diarrhea, eye diseases, stomach diseases, duodenal issues, or cerebral hemorrhage should not eat garlic.