Raw Garlic Can Prevent Cancer, but Five Groups of People Should Avoid It
Core Tip: Garlic has health benefits for cancer prevention. A recent study published in an international academic journal pointed out that eating one clove of garlic daily can reduce the risk of stomach cancer by 10%. Although garlic is excellent for preventing cancer, it is not suitable for everyone to eat!
Eating Raw Garlic Preserves Allicin
The medicinal effect of garlic in preventing cancer is simply due to its natural antibacterial substance, "allicin," which is responsible for the pungent smell we smell. This allicin can instantly kill typhoid bacilli, dysentery bacilli, influenza viruses, and other pathogens even when diluted 100,000 times. It is especially effective in killing *Helicobacter pylori*, the primary cause of stomach cancer.
When garlic is stir-fried or boiled, most of its allicin volatilizes or decomposes due to heat, significantly reducing its health benefits. Therefore, it is best to eat garlic raw. If you cannot tolerate the spicy taste, you can add minced garlic just before the dish is done cooking. This way, the spiciness is reduced, and excessive loss of allicin is avoided. You can also opt for eating candied garlic or vinegar-pickled garlic.
Furthermore, you cannot get allicin by swallowing a whole piece of garlic because allicin does not exist directly; it is synthesized from two separate substances in garlic: alliin and alliinase. Only by crushing or mincing the garlic can these two substances combine to form allicin. Therefore, it is best to crush or mince garlic when eating it, or chew it for a longer time, which also helps eliminate oral bacteria.
Five Groups of People Should Not Eat Raw Garlic
As a common vegetable and seasoning, garlic is certainly suitable for most people's daily consumption, especially for patients with tuberculosis, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and arteriosclerosis. However, if you have eye diseases, cancer, liver disease, or diarrhea, you should not rush to eat raw garlic.
1. Patients with Eye Diseases
The ancients said: "Garlic cures a hundred illnesses, but harms the eyes." Long-term and excessive consumption of garlic is harmful to the eyes. Ji Kang, in his "Discourse on Nourishing Life," stated that "pungent and greasy foods harm the eyes." Garlic is the most pungent and it affects the clear orifices, passing through the eyes, and can easily cause damage. Therefore, one should be careful not to eat too much garlic, especially those with eye diseases, who must avoid spicy foods during treatment.
2. The Weak and Those with Internal Heat
The ancients believed that eating too much garlic consumes a person's *qi* (vital energy) and blood. The "Ben Cong Xin" records: "Garlic is pungent, hot, and toxic; it produces phlegm, stirs up fire, scatters *qi*, and consumes blood. Those who are weak and have internal heat must not touch it." Therefore, people who are in poor health with weak *qi* and blood should be cautious.
3. Patients with Liver Disease
Many people eat garlic to prevent hepatitis, and some continue to eat it daily after contracting hepatitis. This is incorrect. The "Compendium of Materia Medica" states that "long-term consumption of garlic damages the liver and harms the eyes." Garlic is hot in nature and can stoke the fire; its pungent taste is highly irritating. For those with internal heat in the liver, consumption will make the liver fire even stronger, which will naturally cause damage over time.
4. Patients with Spleen Deficiency and Diarrhea
Raw garlic is highly irritating. Eating a small amount normally can aid digestion, but if you have non-bacterial enteritis or diarrhea, eating garlic can cause strong irritation that will aggravate the congestion and edema of the intestinal mucosa, promote exudation, and worsen the condition.
5. Patients with Serious Illnesses Should Consume with Caution
Garlic is considered a "trigger food," which refers to foods that can easily induce certain diseases or aggravate existing ones. Consuming spicy foods like garlic and chili can cause significant side effects for those with serious illnesses or those on medication. It may not only trigger old illnesses but also render the medication ineffective or cause chain reactions that affect health.