Black Garlic has immense health benefits with it, and as a result, it has garnered the attention of a lot of people who use natural medicines and also people looking for more organic ways to improve their health. This article discovers what science already now about the health benefits of black garlic and the blind spots where still a lot of research has to be done.

From raw garlic to black garlic

Raw Garlic in itself has multiple health benefits, and various civilisations have used it for a very long time for treating various types of ailments. Black Garlic was first developed in Korea, and it was used as a health product and was used for treating health related issues. Black Garlic is shown to have more medicinal properties when compared to Raw Garlic and as such is more preferred.

The chemistry behind the goodness of fermented Garlic

Black Garlic is made by the process of fermentation which takes at the maximum takes one month; this very process transforms normal garlic into super garlic known as Black Garlic. After the fermentation of Garlic, the unique odour of garlic is decreased, and it leads to the increase in the concentration of a compound called S-allyl cysteine or SAC which is naturally occurring in fresh garlic but in much lower concentrations.

Black Garlic thus tends to contain a significantly higher quantity of S-allyl cysteine in it. SAC is a derivate of cysteine, an amino acid, which has multiple health benefits. Multiple scientific studies have shown that SAC lowers the cholesterol levels lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases and keeps the cholesterol levels in check. SAC is also an ant carcinogen thus lowering the risks of cancer. Black Garlic also possesses antibiotic, anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties which boosts the immune system and decreases the possibilities of infections.

Raw Garlic is also known to contain high amounts of antioxidants; however, with Black Garlic the antioxidant count is much higher in number. Antioxidants are responsible for protecting the cells and also are shown to slow down the process of ageing in humans. Besides these the antioxidants present in Black Garlic protects the body from free radical damage, making it a good source of food to fight chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Arthritis, Cardiovascular diseases and a host of other chronic diseases.

The health benefits of Black Garlic in Detail

The following are some of the health benefits of consuming Black Garlic. Since Black Garlic has such a wide range of applications in maintaining the health of an individual, it is considered as a Super Food. Black Garlic is thus something which should be consumed in a Daily Basis to keep oneself healthy and lead a disease free life.

1. Black Garlic boosts your immune system

Fresh Garlic has Anti-viral, Antibacterial, Anti-microbial and Anti-parasitic properties with it, which makes is boosts the immune system and keeps you free from illnesses and infections. Black Garlic likewise retains this same immune protecting property as such consuming Black Garlic regularly will boost your immune system, keeping you healthy and preventing any illness from taking over your body.                  

2. Black Garlic helps to keep control of your cholesterol levels

There are two types of cholesterol in our body, i.e., HDL also known as Good Cholesterol and LDL also known as Bad Cholesterol. It has been seen that due to imbalances in diet and an unhealthy lifestyle many people tend to have high levels of LDL. High LDL levels will lead to heart diseases, strokes and even cause premature death. Therefore it is necessary to keep one’s LDL level in check. Studies have found that People who consume Black Garlic on a daily basis have lower levels of LDL and increased HDL levels. Thus maintaining a balance between these two will ensure that your heart is healthy and no cardiovascular diseases will crop up in the future.

3. The bulbs are a very rich source of antioxidants

Fresh Garlic is naturally known to have high antioxidant levels; however studies have revealed that Black Garlic has twice the amount of antioxidants levels than raw Garlic. Black Garlic is prepared by the process of fermentation, and it is thought that this process is responsible for doubling the number of antioxidants. Antioxidants have numerous health benefits as they are known to protect cells from getting oxidised and damaged or destroyed. Antioxidants also protect the body from free radical damage. Therefore Consuming Black Garlic on a daily basis will decrease the chances of chronic diseases such as Arthritis, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s and other cardiovascular diseases from coming up.

4. Black Garlics is natural antihistamine and an antibacterial food

For People who suffer from allergies of different kinds which may be nasal or skin, Black Garlic is a very good source of relief. Black Garlic is shown to switch off genes which are responsible for causing allergic and inflammatory reactions. In addition to this, Black Garlic also possesses Antibacterial and Antibiotic properties, because of its high antioxidant levels. IT can kill bacteria, fungus, pathogens etc. without harming the good bacteria that resides in your guts. Therefore, People looking for a natural way to help relieve their allergies and other forms of illnesses can use Black Garlic to heal them naturally.

5. The garlic appears to have anti-carcinogenic properties

Research has shown that Black Garlic possesses anti-carcinogenic properties. It is shown that Black Garlic specifically prevents Colon Cancer. It does so by blocking the pathway that leads to Colon Cancer. Therefore, Black Garlic with its Anti-carcinogenic properties should be consumed on a regular basis to lower the chances of Cancer.

6. It can help in the healing of a damaged liver due to alcohol abuse

Among all the organs of the body, the liver is unique as it can heal and repair itself from damage caused by alcohol abuse. However, too much alcohol can cause irreversible damage to the liver causing inflammation and permanent scarring. However, recent studies have shown that Black Garlic with its anti-inflammatory property is shown to significantly reduce inflammation in the liver and even showed signs of reversing the damage done by alcohol. Therefore, Black Garlic is a promising natural cure for people looking for ways to treat liver damage.

7. Black Garlic is a rich source of vitamins

Garlic is naturally a good source of vitamins more importantly water-soluble vitamins. Water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the human body and must be consumed on a daily basis. Experts have found that when Garlic is turned into Black Garlic by the process of heat and fermentation, the water-soluble vitamin content in Black Garlic is more than that of Fresh Garlic. Consuming Black Garlic on a daily basis will thus keep the levels of water-soluble vitamins in check and prevent any deficiencies from happening.

Sources:

Individual differences on immunostimulatory activity of raw and black garlic extract in human primary immune cells: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/08923973.2011.649288, https://zenian.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Japanese-+-Chinese-research-on-black-garlic.pdf

Processed Black Garlic Extracts Enhance Anti-Tumor Potency against Mouse Tumors: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9159/916f3d32a392f641532cb1b5b818a4c69614.pdf

The beneficial effects of aged black garlic extract on obesity and hyperlipidemia in rats fed a high-fat diet: http://www.academicjournals.org/journal/JMPR/article-abstract/E1EBBEA19050

A comparative study on the antioxidative and anti‐allergic activities of fresh and aged black garlic extracts: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2621.2012.02957.x/full

Aged black garlic extract inhibits Ht29 colon cancer cell growth via the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway: https://www.spandidos-publications.com/10.3892/br.2014.226?text=abstract

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