Hydrogen
Sulfide
Scientists have lately been
looking into the properties of
hydrogen sulfide, a substance that forms after garlic is crushed or
cut. While
probably known more for the stuff that gives rotten eggs their rotten
egg
smell, Hydrogen sulfide also acts a chemical messenger in the body. It
causes
blood vessels to relax thus allowing blood to flow more freely through
the
blood vessels.
According to the study,
published in the August 12 issue of
the Journal of Agricultural and Food chemistry, the garlic given to lab
rats
helped reduce damage from the lack of oxygen to the heart. Good flowing blood is
essential to a healthy
heart and can be the difference between lie and death if a heart attack
happens.
The
catch
The study was conducted using
both processed garlic and raw
crushed garlic. According to Dr.
Dipak
K. Das who led the study, while both
helped reduce damage from the lack of oxygen, the
rats from the fresh
garlic group recovered more quickly from simulated heart attacks and
had better
blood flow through the aorta and increased pressure in the left
ventricle.
This is probably because garlic
loses most of its ability to
produce hydrogen sulfide when it is cooked or otherwise processed. By
crushing
and eating garlic raw, you increase the chances of ingesting the
compound and
thereby helping the blood flow through your heart.
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