Many people know that garlic is the cure for most ailments. And many who know this have never thought about why this is so and did not even allow the idea that it could be otherwise. Why did someone decide that garlic is a good medicine? And what is this culture like? Is it a vegetable or a fruit? The article will help you figure this out.

What is garlic?

Garlic is a two-year-old herb from the genus Onion. It is a vegetable from the onion group. Why vegetable? From a botanical point of view, a fruit is a fruit with pulp and seed. It is formed from a flower ovary.

A vegetable is the fruit of a herbaceous plant with a soft stem. So it turns out that garlic, forming its fruit underground, can only be a vegetable, and nothing else.

The composition of garlic includes (100 g):

Vitamins:

• β-carotene - 5 μg;
• B1 - 0.2 mg;
• B2 - 0.1 mg
• B3 - 0.7 mg;
• B5 - 0.6 mg;
• B6 - 1.2 mg;
• B9 - 3 mcg;
• C - 31 mg

Trace elements:

• calcium - 181 mg;
• iron - 1.7 mg;
• magnesium - 24-26 mg;
• phosphorus - 153 mg;
• potassium - 401 mg;
• sodium - 17 mg;
• zinc - 1.2 mg;
• Manganese - 1.7 mg;
• selenium - 14 mcg.

Nutrition value of 100 g of a fresh product:

• 58-59 g - water;
• 6.4 g - proteins;
• 0.5 g - fats;
• 33.1 g - carbohydrates;
• 1 g sugar;
• 0.23-0.73% - essential oils;
• 20-27% - polysaccharides.

Did you know? Italians, Koreans and Chinese consume an average of 8-12 cloves of garlic per day.

Culture characteristic

Describing the plant, we can distinguish the following points that most accurately characterize it:

• narrow, elongated foliage without emptiness inside and with keel on the inside. The end is pointed, 0.3-1 m long, grows straight;
• false stem, is formed from leaves growing inside the previous ones;
• when the plant is about to bloom, it releases arrow 0.6-1.5 m longtwisted at the end;
• the end of the arrow has umbrella inflorescencehidden behind the membranous membrane, destroyed during flowering;
• simple flowers, with long knives, white or pale lilac with six stamens;
• after flowering, the fruit is formed (box), practically without seeds (vegetative reproduction);
• the bulb may consist of 2-50 small children, “Cloves” covered with stiff scales;
• round bulb shapeslightly flattened;
• onion color: white, yellowish, dark violet, pink-violet.

Garlic has two subspecies:

• gunner;
• non-shooting.

• spring;
• winter.

The properties of garlic

Having figured out what culture is, we find out how useful it is for our body.

Benefit

• These positive aspects are noted:
• activates the digestive system;
• lowers bad cholesterol;
• does not allow blood clots to form;
• resolves intravascular thrombi;
• inhibits pathogenic microorganisms;
• is an antioxidant;
• increases the resistance of the immune system;
• possesses antibacterial properties;
• beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system;
• increases potency;
• helps to cope with menopause;
• dilutes blood.

Harm and contraindications

There is a negative effect associated with the fact that the vegetable can cause heartburn and increase blood pressure.

• Therefore, it is contraindicated in:
• problems with the kidneys, liver;
• gallstone disease;
• anemia
• ulcer, gastritis, pancreatitis;
• hemorrhoids;
• epilepsy;
• overweight.

Important! It is advisable to refuse the use of garlic to lactating women, and pregnant women should be extremely careful with its use. It is better to consult a doctor.

Application features

In many cultures of the world, garlic is an integral element in cooking, and all thanks to its unusual aroma and pungent taste. But not only in cooking did the vegetable find its application.

In cooking

The pronounced pungent taste of garlic allows you to use it as a spicy seasoning for many dishes. So, on the east and the Mediterranean coast, most dishes cannot be imagined without this ingredient. Koreans and Japanese ferment the vegetable at high temperatures, as a result of which it gets a sugary-sweet taste. Gascon prepare soup from this vegetable.

Used in cooking and arrows of garlic. They are fermented, salted, pickled or stewed. Even the leaves of a young plant are used. They are especially appreciated fried.

Good seasoning is obtained from dried vegetables. To prepare it, the cloves are ground into one of the fractions: crushed, cereal, flour.

Did you know? The favorite seasoning of the inhabitants of the Mediterranean is aioli sauce. It is made from garlic, olive oil and egg yolk. The last ingredient can be removed from the list, or it (list) is supplemented with a pear (in Catalonia).

In folk medicine

By incorporating a number of acids and other beneficial substances, garlic is able to repulse malaria, viruses, bacteria, fungal infections, and have an antiprotozoal and anti-inflammatory effect. Tinctures, alcohol extracts are prepared from it, which can improve the digestive tract, normalize the intestinal microflora, and make the body more resistant to viruses and bacteria. Vegetables are prescribed for fermentation in the intestines.

Back in the XIX century. It was discovered that garlic contains antibiotics. A vegetable fights many diseases. These are Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, fungi of the genus Candida and Salmonella.

In cosmetology

The content in garlic of many trace elements, essential oils, vitamins and phytoncides makes it indispensable in cosmetology. All these substances endowed the vegetable with antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, cleansing and anti-aging abilities.

Therefore, garlic is used in the fight against problems:

• various types of acne;
• hair loss and deterioration of their structure;
• various changes to the nail plate.

Basic rules for selection and storage

When choosing garlic, you must definitely pay attention to the following points:

1. A quality product must be hard and dry.
2. The smaller the head of garlic, the finer its taste, and the better it sets off the taste of other dishes.
3. The head should be resilient and with large teeth.
4. Well-palpable cloves are a sign of the maturity of the vegetable.
5. There are many husks on the head - it has not yet ripened.
6. Sprouted vegetable has a sharp and unpleasant taste. In addition, he loses all his positive qualities.

Important! Before laying garlic for storage, it must be dried on paper.

Vegetable Storage:

• optimal temperature - + 15- + 20 ° С;
• ideal place - dark, dry, ventilated;
• a suitable container is a box (can be stored in a bunch).

The basic rules of growing

To get a good harvest, you must follow the rules:

1. A suitable place for landing is warm, sheltered from the wind, with a deep arable layer.
2. The predecessors of the culture are early potatoes, cucumbers.
3. To increase the crop yield, you need to break the peduncle.
4. Planting of winter garlic is carried out from the third decade of September to the first decade of October inclusive. Spring planted in the spring, as soon as the soil warms up.
5. Before planting, the soil must be loosened and fertilized.
6. In order for the culture to grow well, it must be regularly watered and fertilized.
7. Harvesting occurs before the onset of rains. Bulbs that are not fully ripened are removed.

Video: How and when to collect garlic from the garden

Not for nothing that our ancestors so appreciated this "burning" vegetable. Its benefits to our body are indispensable. It is also the most valuable seasoning for a large number of dishes.