Garlic

Hermes introduced the garlic to Odysseus as a special antidote to the sorceress of Circe who had transformed his companions into pigs. Also, the athletes at the ancient Olympic Games chewed a clove of garlic before entering the race.
In addition, Greek and Roman farmers, soldiers and sailors had garlic as the most common snack. The Romans even considered it a symbol of military roam. The wild garlic rose in the courtyards of the churches of England and for centuries they had the mission to drive away the evil spirits. Before the Anglo-Saxons began to build churches, the crumbling Britons knew garlic as a basic ingredient of their colonial guard’s kitchen.
During the Middle Ages, it was considered to be a specific medicine against leprosy. In France, King Henry IV always chewed garlic before attempting a new erotic feat. Also, the epidemic that ravaged Marseilles in 1726 was fought with an antiseptic composed of garlic and oil. During the First World War, the British army used garlic to control the injuries of the injured. Dried the raw garlic juice with water and applied the solution directly to the wound with excellent results. The same method was applied by Russian doctors during the Second World War.

The garlic bulb is used for pharmaceutical purposes. It can be used fresh, dehydrated, or as an extract. Garlic has a high concentration of sulfur compounds, which are the active substances. The main biochemistry substances containing garlic, are the alliine and the allinash. These two substances are contained in the garlic separately and are not interconnected.
When the leg of the garlic breaks, these two substances are joined and the allysin is formed. Allysin is the substance that gives the garlic its distinctive odor and taste. For this reason, it is necessary for the garlic to be crushed before it is added to the food in order to release the active allysin.
According to research, allysin is toxic to cancer cells. However, stomach acids and heat inhibit the enzymatic activity of the alliinase, resulting in a lesser amount of allysine and, consequently, the garlic in cooked form has less potent therapeutic action.
Contraindications – Interactions. Consumption of one to two pieces of raw garlic per day is considered safe for adults. The most common unpleasant consequence of garlic is the smell of breathing and body. Consuming too much raw garlic, especially on an empty stomach, can cause gastrointestinal disturbances and changes in intestinal motility.