Garlic, one of the most used ingredients in Mediterranean cuisine and Latin America, has been the main object of use to attack certain disorders that affect the body. Apart from specific treatments with high dose of garlic, specialists in natural therapies advise consuming small weekly amounts, mixed with food, to benefit thus of its preventive effects of a great number of ailments.
It is recommended to consume the raw bulb since it usually loses up to 90 per percent of its properties during cooking. However, cooked garlic is more digestible than raw and its aroma less penetrating. Many recipes suggest light cooking (sautéed in oil) to flavor certain prepared and thus enjoy its incredible properties.
Main properties of garlic
• Due to its sulfurous components, it reduces cholesterol and prevents development of dangerous diseases, such as arteriosclerosis.
• Garlic is an excellent reducer of blood pressure indices and decreases the formation of fibers in the vascular system.
• This beneficial bulb strengthens the immune system, prevents inflammation and its extracts have proven very useful to combat different infections, especially those of the respiratory tract.
• Injections of garlic extracts have given very positive results in treatments for cancers of the nose, throat and lymphatic system.
Different varieties
According to the type of stem:
• Garlic with hard neck: The stem has flowering and generates suckers.
• Soft neck garlic: Because it does not produce suckers, they have better performance, since they only use the energy for the production of the bulb. They also withstand longer periods of storage in
compared to hard neck garlic.
According to the coloring:
• White garlic: Suitable for dry consumption.
• Pink or purple garlic: They are generally earlier in their maturation than whites.
