The domesticated garlic plant does not produce seeds, but is grown from bulbs. These bulbs, whose segments are usually called "cloves" by cooks, are the part of the plant most commonly eaten, though some cooks also use the early spring shoots. These shoots are often pickled in Russia and states of the Caucasus and eaten as an appetizer.
Garlic is most often used as a seasoning or a condiment, and is believed to have some medicinal value, notably against hypertension. When crushed or finely chopped it yields allicin, a powerful antibiotic and anti-fungal compound.
The cloves are used by aficionados for infections, especially chest problems, digestive disorders, and fungal infections such as thrush. They are claimed to be an effective long-term remedy for cardiovascular problems reducing excessive blood cholesteral levels, atherosclerosis, the risk of thrombosis, and hypertension but these claims are disputed as there has been no clinical trial that has demonstrated any such benefits. Garlic is also alleged to help regulate blood sugar levels, and so can be helpful in late-onset diabetes, though people taking insulin should not consume medicinal amounts of garlic without consulting a physician. Best used fresh.
Garlic Nutrition Facts: Calories, Carbs, and Health Benefits
Garlic is 58.58% water, 33.06% carbohydrates, 6.36% protein, 2.1% dietary fiber, 1.5% ash and 0.5% fat. If you consume one garlic clove you will get 0.992 grams of carbohydrates. It is equal to 0.76 percent of the 130 grams of carbohydrates you should include in your daily diet. That same it has an energy value of 623 kJ (149 Calories) in a 100 g (3.5 Oz) amount and is an excellent source of Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) (95% and 41.6% of the Daily Value, respectively). So if your diet contains garlic, it helps your body to maintain metabolism of fats and carbohydrates into monosaccharides, break down peptides into amino acid monomers so that it can be used in the body, decrease symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) (in females) and it is effective against Alzheimer’s disease with the help of other vitamins, anemia and morning sickness during pregnancy in women. Besides it it contains a considerable amount of Manganese, Copper and Selenium attaining 92.89%, 33.22% and 25.82% of the Daily Value in a 100 g (3.5 Oz), respectively.
In double-blind studies with garlic, preparations provided a daily dose of at least 10 mg allicin. Blood pressure readings dropped with typical reductions of 11 mm Hg for the systolic and 5.0 in the diastolic. This occured within a 1 to 3-month period.
The smell of garlic can be removed by running your hands under cold water while rubbing a stainless steel object.
Garlic is one of the oldest cultivated crops. It was fed to the builders of the Great Pyramid in Egypt in the belief that it gave them strength and endurance.
Garlic attracts leeches. They take 14.9 seconds to attach to a hand covered with garlic, but 44.9 seconds to suck blood from a clean one.
The majority of garlic (90%) grown in the United States comes from California. China however produces 66% of the world's garlic.
April 19th is National Garlic Day. The origin of National Garlic Day is unknown, and it is not recorded in congressional or presidential proclamations.
There are over 300 varieties of garlic grown throughout the world.
If your rose garden is being attacked by aphids, an excellent home remedy to get rid of them is to spritz the leaves and blooms with a mixture of crushed garlic and water. It is also known to repel other insects such as mosquitoes, mites and fleas.
Garlic is a member of the Lily family, which also includes onions, leeks and shallots.
The psychological term for fear of garlic is Alliumphobia.
In ancient Greece, brides carried bouquets of herbs and garlic, not flowers.
The city of Chicago is named after garlic. 'Chicagaoua' was the Indian word for wild garlic.
The most cloves of garlic eaten in one minute is 34, achieved by Deepak Sharma Bajagain of Nepal.
Raw, freshly minced garlic has the most health benefits. If you cannot stand the smell and must cook it, you need at least four and a half cloves to get the same effect.
If your garlic has sprouted, it is still usable although it has lost some of its flavor and health benefits.
When picking out garlic at the grocery store, choose firm, tight, heavy, dry bulbs.
Garlic applied on wounds can heal them faster. During World War I, this healing quality of garlic was used extensively by British soldiers.
Garlic contains 17 amino acids. Amino acids are essential to nearly every bodily function, and make up 75% of the human body. Every chemical reaction that takes place in your body depends on amino acids and the proteins that they build.
