id169429510233312

supplier accountmagazinefeatures

file nameFI1308-FI0813P080.jpg

title*The beautiful bulb

subject date15-03-2021

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caption80womensfitnessmagazine.com.au womensfitnessaustralia @womensfitnessmag @womensfitnessau WORDS SAM BAILEY PHOTOGRAPHY CORBIS Eat t Did you know? Drinking a glass of milk while eating GARLIC has been said to cure just about everything, from the common cold to the plague. It was even given to soldiers during both World Wars to help prevent gangrene. But is there any truth to these claims, or is garlic simply a great fl avourer? While we can’t confi rm whether garlic makes a good vampire repellent (having never met a real-life bloodsucker), one thing’s for sure: this bulb can help put a stop to a whole range of illnesses. PUNCHY BENEFITS A great source of magnesium, vitamin B6 and C and selenium – a trace mineral essential for good health – garlic has been proven to help lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels and fi ght infections. The health benefi ts stem from its powerful sulphur compounds, which inhibit parasites, viruses and bacteria, including salmonella, to boost the immune system and promote detoxifi cation. Not surprisingly, it’s these sulphur compounds that are responsible for its characteristic odour and fl avour. Garlic is heart healthy, too. When they’re cut or crushed, hydrogen sulfi de forms, acting as a chemical messenger in the body that induces the enlargement and relaxation of blood vessels. This improves blood fl ow and prevents high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes. THE RAW TRUTH While we usually throw garlic into a frying pan, cooking it prohibits the production of its main defence mechanism, allicin. Garlic is therefore most potent when it’s eaten raw. To allow its compounds to be fully activated, expose cut or crushed garlic to air for fi ve to 10 minutes, and then add it to a green juice or smoothie. Or mix a clove of minced garlic with some butter and spread it on your toast for breakfast. beautiful garlic-y foods can help reduce bad breath. Not much to look at, garlic’s antibacterial and illness-fi ghting properties are worth its we