Garlic
Latin name:
Allium sativum L.
Common name:
Knoflook, Look
Family:
Amaryllidaceae
Origin:
Central Asia
Part of the plant used:
Bulb
Description
Garlic has been cultivated for 6,000 years and had a prominent place in ancient pharmacopoeia. The Egyptians used it for its antiseptic properties, particularly in the preservation of mummies. An emblematic plant of Mediterranean cuisine, garlic offers many health benefits.
Its main constituents are sulphur derivatives such as alliin and allicin.
The benefits
- Antibacterial and antifungal properties,especially on the fungus Candida albicans, frequently involved in digestive or genital mycosis;
- Protective properties against vascular disorders: cholesterol-lowering and lipid-lowering effects; anti-platelet effect (garlic inhibits the coagulation of red blood cells, this anticoagulant effect being similar to that of aspirin). All of these properties help to reduce the risk of heart attack.
