Garlic is a true miracle cure when it comes to vascular health. Due to its special active ingredients, garlic is mainly used for the prevention of age-related vascular changes, especially hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis).
Application for the vessels
Arteriosclerotic changes occur when blood fats, platelets (thrombi) stored together, connective tissue, and calcium build up in the walls of blood vessels, leading to a narrowing (stenosis) in the vascular system. If this continues over a long period of time, the tissue is no longer sufficiently supplied with oxygen and this can lead to chest tightness (angina pectoris) or a heart attack, among other things.
Garlic can contribute to a reduction in excessively high blood lipid levels such as cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) and, in addition to the treatment and prophylaxis of vascular calcification, is also generally used to support dietary measures.
Garlic in folk medicine
In earlier times, garlic was taken mainly for digestive disorders. Today, the plant is also used folk medicine for arteriosclerosis, as well as cough, cold and bronchitis.
Another folk medicine application is the supportive treatment of diabetes and menopausal symptoms.
Garlic as a homeopathic
In homeopathy, garlic is used for inflammation of the lower respiratory tract, muscular rheumatism in the loin area and digestive disorders.
Ingredients of garlic
In terms of ingredients, it is necessary to distinguish between the different states of the drug. Fresh garlic contains 0.35-1.3% odorless and stable alliins (sulfur-containing amino acids).
It also contains the enzyme alliinase, which converts alliin in an aqueous environment into allicin, among other things. This substance is unstable after rearrangement to sulfur compounds and is responsible for the strong odor of crushed garlic.
In garlic powder, an attempt is made to preserve the alliin-alliinase system, but to prevent further reaction of allicin by depriving it of water. It contains 0.5-2.5% allicin and other active ingredients such as lectins, flavonoids, polysaccharides and selenium compounds.
Pursuing the goal of producing odor-free preparations, dried garlic extracts have also been offered for several years. During the production process, most of the allicin is converted into other stable sulfur compounds.
Garlic oil
Oil macerates are obtained by mixing freshly crushed garlic with fatty oil for 48 hours. Various sulfur-containing compounds are present in this form in widely varying amounts.
Garlic essential oil is produced by macerating crushed garlic with water for several hours, followed by steam distillation. It contains 50-60% diallyl oligosulfides and many other organic sulfur compounds.
Garlic – helpful for what indication?
Indications of garlic are:
- Arteriosclerosis
- Vascular calcification
- Arteriosclerosis
- Vascular change
- Hyperlipidemia
- Hypercholesterolemia
