In this short article, we will answer the question “Is garlic a vegetable?” and will show you how healthy it is.
Is garlic a vegetable?
Yes. Garlic (Allium sativum) is categorised as a vegetable in botany. It, together with shallots, leeks, and chives, is a member of the onion family. Vegetables are technically any edible component of a herbaceous plant, including the roots, foliage, stems, and also bulbs.
Is eating garlic healthy?
Yes. You’ll be glad to know, if you like garlic, that scientific research has already shown its health benefits in addition to the fact that it is used in traditional medicine.
It contains sulfur- and non-sulfur-containing phytochemicals that help fight fungus, germs, and viruses as well as manage blood pressure and total cholesterol. Allicin is one of these compounds that sticks out because it is what gives vegetables their distinctive smell.
Bulbs also contain flavonoids and selenium, a mineral having powerful antioxidant properties. Science has not, however, validated all the claims made by our grandmothers regarding the benefits of garlic.
See which of the following garlic advantages have been scientifically proven and which are still being researched.
It is important to keep in mind that when the benefit of garlic is based on scientific research, it should always be taken in conjunction with other treatments and never as a substitute.
What are the definite advantages of garlic?
Cholesterol:
Garlic has already been demonstrated to reduce total and/or LDL cholesterol, which is regarded as undesirable, by 10 to 15% in persons with high levels of this molecule.
Although the exact mechanisms causing this effect are not fully understood, it appears that they have an impact on the synthesis of endogenous cholesterol.
This beneficial effect has been demonstrated in people with “mildly elevated” cholesterol levels, greater than 200 mg/dL. The study involved 2,300 adults.
The study was conducted by the University of Adelaide in Australia and released in the Nutrition Reviews journal in 2013.
It is crucial to note that garlic is an adjuvant and shouldn’t take the place of standard treatments in this instance (or any of the others we discuss below).
Diabetes:
Chinese researchers published a thorough assessment of the connection to diabetes management in the journal Food and Nutrition Research in 2017.
A daily dose of between 0.05 g and 1.5 g (a clove weighs approximately 5 g) of the garlic supplement was given to diabetes patients in more than ten studies, and their results were compared to those of a placebo.
In the end, garlic had a beneficial effect on blood sugar levels. After 12 weeks, there was a difference of approximately 10 mg/dL, and after 24 weeks of supplementation, there was a difference of over 20 mg/dL.
Although the exact process is yet unknown, it appears that allicin and its other chemicals enhance the transfer of glucose into cells and lessen the end products of advanced glycation, which are the proteins that cause diabetes problems.
Still being researched
High blood pressure
Garlic lowers blood pressure because it is a vasodilator, which allows the arteries to open up and relax. Instead of contracting and relaxing as they should, the blood vessels often grow more “tense” in this condition. Science has long been interested in this effect.
A 2015 systematic analysis that examined 17 prior research and was published in The Journal of Clinical Hypertension revealed an average decrease in systolic pressure in hypertensive individuals of 3.75 mmHg and a decrease in diastolic pressure of 3.39 mmHg.
The advantage was seen when the vegetable was taken as a supplement in the form of capsules, extract, and powder.
Garlic does appear to lower blood pressure, according to a separate Cochrane review, an independent organisation that compiles the best available scientific information on health, but there is not enough data to make a firm conclusion about the matter.
Heart wellness:
The endothelium, which forms the artery wall, may benefit from its antioxidant effect.
This is due to the fact that oxidative stress, which occurs when cholesterol particles in the blood become oxidised and deposit on the endothelium to create fatty plaques that cause blockages, is the primary cause of the majority of prevalent cardiovascular disorders.
According to a literature analysis that was published in 2016 in the Journal of Nutrition, taking supplements containing up to 960 mg of garlic extract can lower atherosclerotic indicators (buildup of these plaques in the arteries).
Controlling platelet aggregation, which is the medical term for the creation of clots that result in blocked blood vessels, is another crucial component of garlic’s heart attack prevention properties.
This effect was confirmed in blood samples taken from 14 participants in another investigation, this time by British researchers. Studies in this field are favourable to capsules.
Conclusion:
In this short article, we answered the question “Is garlic a vegetable?” and have shown you how healthy it is.