Protect your heart with garlic

Protect your heart with garlic

Since ancient times, diet has been considered as important as medicine in maintaining health and preventing many diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). Garlic is known to have CVD protective, anticancer, antimicrobial properties; And it is an ingredient in most Ayurvedic medicines and the most researched medicinal plant. Garlic extract has cholesterol-lowering, blood-thinning, and blood-pressure-lowering properties.

The main chemical constituent of garlic is the amino acid alliin, which immediately condenses to form the active ingredient allicin. Allicin is a very potent antioxidant that reacts very quickly with free radicals, the same action that prevents the formation of toxic oxidized low-density lipoproteins (LDL), which are deposits of cholesterol on the lining of blood vessels reason. The chemical composition of garlic inhibits the production of cholesterol in liver cells and reduces LDL by 8-16%, not as effective as cholesterol-lowering drugs, but beneficial.

In animal studies, organ polysulfides in garlic are cardioprotective during surgery and heart attack. Hydrogen sulfide , the active ingredient in garlic, has effects on vascular reactivity and blood pressure control. Because hydrogen sulfide is a short-lived gas, it disappears when garlic is dried, processed, or cooked. Adenosine, a compound in garlic, inhibits platelet aggregation and improves blood flow in the blood vessels of the heart, prevents poor blood clotting in the coronary vessels and prevents heart attacks. Garlic extract increases fibrinolytic activity and reduces platelet aggregation. Bleeding complications are rarely reported with garlic extract, but during surgery.

Article published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2016 elucidates garlic-derived organ polysulfides and cardioprotective effects. New evidence in this paper demonstrates that hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) has cardioprotective and cytoprotective properties. Preclinical studies have shown that enhancement of endogenous H 2 S has an effect on vascular reactivity. In a CVD model, administration of H 2 S prevents myocardial injury and dysfunction. The researchers believe that these beneficial effects of garlic may be mediated by an H 2 S-dependent mechanism. The study also confirmed the benefits of garlic supplements in reducing the buildup of soft plaque and preventing the formation of new plaques in arteries, which can lead to heart disease.