The Power of Herbs - Garlic

I’m guessing that there are not too many people out there that haven’t heard about the benefits of garlic. I think many of us have a love/hate relationship with garlic. We know it’s good for us, but the trail it leaves behind is not so good. I’m talking about the garlic breath and the garlicky smelling sweat from the next day’s workout.

But there is no denying that garlic should be included in our diets. I remember a classic experiment we did as an undergrad in Microbiology class. We began with a Petri dish of solid growth medium that had a lawn of bacteria growing on it. We added a small piece of raw garlic to the middle of the dish, covered it, and let it incubate overnight. The next morning, there was a dead zone surrounding the piece of garlic where the bacteria had died and were unable to re-grow.

The main active compounds in garlic are sulfur-containing and include allicin. Besides acting as an antibacterial, garlic also exhibits antiviral and antifungal properties and can be used to fight and prevent a cold. It is strongly anti-inflammatory and has been shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by reducing the oxidative damage done to blood vessel walls, lowering the accumulation of plaque. Its vasodilative effect also relaxes the blood vessels, which helps to lower blood pressure.

Garlic also has anti-cancer properties. Diallyl sulfide (DAS), a sulfur-containing compound in garlic has been shown to inhibit the conversion of heterocyclic amines that are produced by cooking meat at high heat, into carcinogens in the liver.

To get the most benefits out of garlic, it should be crushed or chopped and allowed to sit for 5-10 minutes for the conversion of alliin to alllicin. Although some may not be able to take the heat of raw garlic, but it is best to eat it as close to raw as possible. Still, there is nothing better than the aroma of sautéed garlic or garlic roasting in the oven. To retain its health benefits, add it into dishes at the end of cooking.

Just 3 cloves of fresh garlic have the following micronutrient profile with trace amounts of additional vitamins and minerals:

% Daily Value

Vitamin C 5

Vitamin B6 6

Manganese 8

Calcium 2

Selenium 2

Here are some ways to add garlic to the diet:

• Add it into hummus or pesto
• Use it minced in dressings
• Include it in sauces and soups
• Mix it into a marinade
• Chop off the top and roast it in the oven, then spread the soft cloves on bread : )
• Make garlic-flavored oil by soaking the cloves (this should not be stored at room temperature)
• Use the tender shoots, or scapes in dressings, soups, stir-frys, or on salads

Can you think of more??

The Power of Herbs - Parsley

Parsley is probably one of the most widely used herbs to garnish a dish, and it does add a certain elegance to a meal. It is also a practical tool for cleansing the palate and freshening the breath after eating, so in that way, it plays multiple roles on the plate.

However, limiting parsley in the diet to a sprig at the end of a meal greatly limits its true health benefits as an anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and digestion aid.

Just 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley provide the following nutrients:

% daily value

vitamin K 154

vitamin C 17

vitamin A 13

Folate 3

Iron 3

The flavenoids in parsley act as powerful antioxidants to neutralize oxygen radicals and increase the antioxidant activity of the blood. It has high levels of vitamin K, which is required for blood clotting and bone formation, the antioxidant vitamin C, and vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. Foods rich in this nutrient are linked to a reduced risk of atherosclerosis, diabetes, and colon cancer.

Parsley contains volatile oils including myristicin, which have been shown to inhibit tumor formation in the lungs of animals. Myristicin also activates glutathione-S-transferase, which works with glutathione to prevent damage done by oxidized molecules. The oils also work to protect against the harmful effects of compounds referred to as benzopyrenes found in cigarette smoke, charcoal grill smoke, and fried foods.

Here are some easy ways to get the full benefits of parsley:

• Add fresh, chopped parsley to scrambled eggs or omelets
• Sprinkle it onto grain dishes near the end of cooking
• Flavor sautéed vegetables
• Include it in soups and stews
• Mix it into salads
• Use it to make pesto

What are your favorite ways to use parsley??

The Power of Herbs - Parsley

Parsley is probably one of the most widely used herbs to garnish a dish, and it does add a certain elegance to a meal. It is also a practical tool for cleansing the palate and freshening the breath after eating, so in that way, it plays multiple roles on the plate. However, limiting parsley in the diet to a sprig at the end of a meal greatly limits its true health benefits as an anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and digestion aid.

Just 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley provide the following nutrients:

% daily value

• vitamin K 154

• vitamin C 17

• vitamin A 13
  

• folate 3

• iron 3
  

The flavenoids in parsley act as powerful antioxidants to neutralize oxygen radicals and increase the antioxidant activity of the blood. It has high levels of vitamin K, which is required for blood clotting and bone formation, the antioxidant vitamin C, and vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. Foods rich in this nutrient are linked to a reduced risk of atherosclerosis, diabetes, and colon cancer.

Parsley contains volatile oils including myristicin, which have been shown to inhibit tumor formation in the lungs of animals. Myristicin also activates glutathione-S-transferase, which works with glutathione to prevent damage done by oxidized molecules. The oils also work to protect against the harmful effects of compounds referred to as benzopyrenes found in cigarette smoke, charcoal grill smoke, and fried foods.

Here are some easy ways to get the full benefits of parsley:

- Add fresh, chopped parsley to scrambled eggs or omelets

- Sprinkle it onto grain dishes near the end of cooking

- Flavor sautéed vegetables

- Include it in soups and stews

- Mix it into salads

- Use it in pesto

What are some of the ways you like to use fresh parsley??