27 March 2013-Garlic may not be preferred by all due to its stinking properties, but high bad cholesterol levels can be your worst enemy. The unique benefits of garlic are multi-pronged and it is highly recommended for people with bad cholesterol or LDL(low-density lipo protein). You may wonder what is it that makes garlic a natural medicine for a healthy heart. The answer to that is, it has a special element called allicin, which promotes good heart health.
The allicin disintegrates the foul-smelling and bad-breath emitting sulphur compounds in garlic. These sulphur compounds react with red blood cells and produce hydrogen sulphide also called polysulphides which relaxes the blood vessels, and keeps blood flowing easily.
It also regulates the number of fat cells and in turn prevents them from being produced in the body. The recent research and studies indicate that in the near future, garlic is most likely to be used in treating obesity due to its blood thinning and LDL cholesterol fighting properties.
Let us look at a few ways through which you can incorporate garlic in your diet for a healthy heart.
Salads-A dash of garlic in your favourite salad with vinegar dressing is the best way to start your meal. Garlic makes salads taste extra delicious and healthy.
Pasta– Spaghetti aglio olio (here aglio means garlic and olio is olive oil in French) is another healthy food that you can include in your heart healthy diet. This specialty pasta involves a simple and easy procedure.
Soup– Indian soups like rasam made with garlic acts as an excellent antibiotic in curing cold, cough and fever. It also enables digestion. Garlic can be used in other soups like tomato-basil soup, clear soup and vegetable soup.
Bread– Garlic bread is the most sought after starter which is common in the Italian cuisines. You can also add garlic to a crisp crostini and enjoy it with your meal. Indian breads like naan, roti and parathas can be spiced with garlic by mashing them with the rest of the ingredients in the dough, it gives it a different flavour altogether.
Ginger-garlic paste– This is something that is distinctly present in most of the Indian and Chinese cuisines. It can be used as a seasoning for most of the stir fries, noodles and rice varieties.
These are few reasons to know why garlic is healthy for the heart. As it thins blood, garlic is a medicine for preventing heart diseases. Garlic also lowers bad cholesterol so, make sure you have garlic in your diet.
