Healthful, Pungent Garlic
THERE’S A UNIQUE synergy in the intersection of food and medicine. We’re taught that each has its place: Food nourishes the body, and medicine cures the body. But what if we recognize that we can make use of the power of food and herbs to support the body?
Traditional culinary herbs and spices have formidable medicinal abilities. They support everything from digestion and metabolism to immune function, circulation, and the nervous system.
Take garlic, for example. Garlic (Allium sativum) contains highly medicinal sulfur compounds, including alliin, which, when acted upon by an enzyme called alliinase, is converted into allicin. Allicin has attracted lots of attention from researchers because of its potent antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal activity. Garlic just happens to contain both alliin and alliinase; they’re stored in different parts of the bulb, kept apart from one another by cell membranes. When you cut, crush, or juice garlic, these compounds come together and produce allicin.
Garlic has long been used as a remedy for asthma and other respiratory issues. Garlic infused in vinegar with honey is a classic tonic for upper respiratory congestion, asthma, and seasonal allergies. If fresh garlic is too harsh for your stomach, try adding
