The Daily Turn On! Go for the garlic

Did you know ... Garlic is one of the most powerful natural healing foods on the planet. In the ancient Egyptian papyruses, a medical journal (circa 2000 BC) mentions garlic twenty-two times as a medicinal herbal remedy for a plethora of illnesses. In the ancient times, garlic was used as a remedy for intestinal disorders, flatulence, worms, respiratory infections, skin diseases, wounds, symptoms of aging, and many other ailments. Through the middles ages into World War II, the use of garlic to treat wounds surfaced repeatedly. It was ground up or sliced and was applied directly to wounds to inhibit the spread of infections. To date, there are more than three thousand publications from all over the world that have confirmed the recognized health benefits of garlic.

Irresistible to researchers, due to the fact that it's been around for over 4,000 years, they couldn't help but take a closer look at what exactly makes garlic so healthful.

I've got a crush! Crushing garlic creates a mini chemical reaction. There are two main components found separately in the cloves. When crushed, the components, allin and allinase, form allicin. Allicin is what creates the "garlic" smell, which has a sulfur base. Allicin is the primary component responsible for garlic's healing properties.

Allicin Wonderland: The following is just a short list of the healing wonders of garlic:

• Opens or dilates blood vessels
• Decreased cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure
• Decreases rate of colon, rectal and breast cancer
• Prevents free radical damage from radiation, chemical exposure and food additives
• Lowers LDLs (the bad cholesterol)
• Prevents the formation of blood clots by acting as a blood thinner, thereby assisting in the prevention of strokes
• Protects against liver damage, especially during chemotherapy
• Fights yeast or candida, as well as the for prescription drugs
• Inhibits lipoxygenase, a major promoter of tumor growth
• Prevents nitrates from converting into nitrosamines, which directly lead to cancer

Go for the garlic this fall and give a new meaning to the idea of comfort foods!