During this time most of us only recognize garlic as an ingredient that can add fragrant and taste of cuisine, you can read funtion garlic for make beef rendang. But apparently, garlic has been used humans from a long time ago as antibiotics, they use it to heal wounds, bitten insects and so forth. Nowadays, recent research reveals that garlic has many benefits for humans. The researchers found many active compounds, each of which proved remarkably efficacious for human health. Garlic including members of the onion family are very rich in the content of sulfur compounds such as thiosulfinates (the best known are allicin), sulfoxides (the best known are alliin), and dithiins (the most studied are ajoene). The compounds are those that cause a distinctive smell of garlic.
Sulfur compounds in garlic are the most unique nutrients. There are literally dozens of well-studied sulfur molecules, and almost all have been shown to function as antioxidants. In addition, many of them provide benefits as anti-inflammatory.
More recent studies have found other sulfur compounds that contribute to the extraordinary efficacy of garlic, including:
1,2-vinyldithiin (1,2-DT)
thiacremonone.
Hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) produced from garlic sulphide compounds also attracted many researchers. When produced and released from red blood cells, this H2S gas will help widen the blood vessels to keep blood pressure normal. Sulfur is one of the most needed minerals of the body, but besides sulfur compounds, garlic is also a source of manganese, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, vitamin C, copper, phosphorus, calcium, and selenium. By scientists, garlic is called a 'seleniferous' plant because it can still take selenium from the soil where it grows despite its very low concentration.
Benefits of garlic for the health of the cardiovascular system
The effect of garlic on the health of the cardiovascular system is done by using garlic powder, garlic oil, or garlic extract instead of using fresh garlic. Studies of the effect of garlic in the diet show that members of the onion family (allium) have cardioprotective properties.
Consuming garlic can lower total triglyceride and cholesterol levels even though moderate levels of decline (ie 5% to 15%). But the effect of lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood is not the most amazing benefit of garlic in protecting the heart. The main benefit lies in the ability of garlic to protect blood cells and blood vessels from inflammation (inflammation) and oxidative stress. Damage to blood vessels by highly reactive oxygen molecules is a major factor that increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease including heart attack and atherosclerosis. Oxidative damage causes unwanted inflammation, and this inflammation and oxidative stress put blood vessels at risk of plaque formation and blockage. These garlic sulfur compounds protect us from the danger of undesirable oxidative stress and inflammation.
Here are the sulfur compounds that can reduce the risk of oxidative stress:
alliin
allicin
allixin
allyl polysulfides
polysulfides is a general term that refers to some compounds)
diallyl sulfide (DAS)
diallyl disulfude (DADS)
diallyl trisulfide (DATS)
N-acetylcysteine (NAC)
N-acetyl-S-allylcysteine (NASC)
S-allylcysteine (SAC)
S-allylmercaptocysteine (SAMC),
S-ethylcysteine (SEC)
S-methylcysteine (SMC)
S-propylcysteine (SPC)
1,2-vinyldithiin (1,2-DT)
thiacremonone
The 1,2-vinyldithiin (1,2-DT) and thiacremonone compounds attracted the attention of recent researchers in terms of their anti-inflammatory abilities. Both compounds inhibit the activity of inflammatory messenger molecules (inflammatory messenger molecules). In the inhibited thiacremonone is an inflammatory transcription factor called NFkappaB. The anti-inflammatory mechanism of 1,2-DT is not very clear, although the production of inflammatory carrier molecules such as interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin 8 (IL-8) by macrophages in white adipose tissue has been reduced by 1,2- DT.
The combination of anti-inflammatory and anti-stress oxidative compounds in garlic makes it a unique ingredient to protect the cardiovascular system, especially against chronic degenerative diseases of the cardiovascular such as artherosclerosis.
Garlic is also able to prevent the formation of blood clots in the blood vessels. The compound responsible for the ability to protect the cardiovascular system is a disulfide compound called ajoene. This Ajoene has often been proven to have anti-clogging properties, by preventing certain cells in the blood become too sticky, the control of this adhesiveness minimizes the possibility of platelets to clot and form clots. Another ability of garlic is to lower blood pressure. Researchers have known that allicin produced by alliins in garlic can block angiotensin II activity.
Angiotensin II is a kind of peptide that helps blood vessels to contract, as blood vessels contract so the blood will be forced through a narrowed cross section, so the pressure increases. By blocking the production of angiotensin II, the allicin of this garlic can prevent unwanted contractions in the blood vessels thereby preventing an increase in unexpected blood pressure.
Garlic also contains many sulfur compounds called polysulfides. If this compound is in red blood cells, then this red blood cell will convert it into hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S). Hydrogen sulphide helps control blood pressure by triggering blood vessel dilatation, as blood vessels dilate then blood passes through a wider cross section, resulting in downward pressure). This H2S is called a 'gasotransmitter' categorized as nitric oxide (NO) as 'messaging molecules' which helps the expansion and relax of blood vessel walls. But unfortunately, red blood cells can not take advantage of garlic extract as well as on polysulfides derived from fresh garlic in the diet.
Various benefits of garlic to the cardiovascular system not only donated by sulfur compounds, garlic also contains vitamin C, vitamin B6, selenium, and manganese. Garlic is very rich in vitamin C which is the main antioxidant in the body in the aquatic environment (water-soluble area) as in the bloodstream. This vitamin C protects LDL cholesterol against oxidation, we know that oxidized LDL cholesterol is what initiates the destruction of blood vessel walls. Reducing the rate of oxidation by free radicals in the bloodstream will be very beneficial to prevent cardiovascular disease. B6 helps prevent heart disease by reducing levels of homocysteine in the blood. As an intermediate product in a biochemical process within a cell called a methylation cycle, homocysteine can harm the blood vessel wall.
Selenium is also an important part of the endogenous antioxidant system in the human body. As a cofactor of glutathione peroxidase which is one of the body's antioxidants, selenium also works with vitamin E in a number of important antioxidant systems. Garlic is not only rich in selenium, but also contains trace elements of manganese, which also function as cofactors in various antioxidant enzymes in the body such as superoxide dismutase (SOD). There have been studies that found that manganese deficiency in adults will lead to lower HDL levels in the blood, this HDL is a 'good' cholesterol. Which is also good to maintain the health of cadavascular system.
hopefully this discussion about garlic can be a valuable knowledge for you. Do not be afraid to consume garlic because in fact by consume it can help you avoid health problems in the cardiovascular system
