We all know that Korea is home to the superfood kimchi. Are you aware that the said country is offering one more edible phenomenon? It’s black garlic — yes, it a black-colored version of the very popular beneficial herb. It is said that black garlic is more superior because it has undergone fermentation, which results in the formation of beneficial bacteria as well as an increase in the nutrients and active compounds in garlic!
There is no denying that garlic is one of the most powerful and valuable herbs on the face of the planet. Who knew that it can impress furthermore by having it fermented? In order to make black garlic, regular garlic has to undergone several weeks of fermentation, not to mention under a strictly-controlled environment. This results in black-colored garlic that has a jelly consistency, plus it no longer possesses the characteristic smell of garlic.
So can black garlic be used just like regular garlic? By all means! You can add black garlic to just about any gastronomic treat that calls for the use of roasted garlic. It may not taste exactly like roasted garlic, but black garlic can certainly make soups, stews, steaks, chicken, potato salad and others pack added flavor.
Certainly, you can swallow black garlic just like you would fresh peeled cloves of garlic. The process of fermentation, in fact, helps increase the amount of garlic’s allicin and sulfur-rich compounds, making the herb even more powerful! The following are some of the most impressive health benefits that black garlic can provide:
It Helps Detoxify Your Body
Garlic is revered for its hundreds of sulfur-containing compounds, which help make the pungent herb very good at getting rid of poisonous substances in the body. According to scientific investigations, black garlic packs more of those detoxifying compounds — the process of fermentation seems to double their amount!
It Also Wards Off Cancer and Aging
Aside from those sulfur-containing compounds, antioxidants are also doubled by fermenting garlic, say the experts. This only means that the inclusion of black garlic in your everyday diet allows you to obtain more antioxidants than before. Such is wonderful news because we all know that antioxidants help neutralize excess free radicals before they cause cellular damage and mutation, which can lead to deadly cancer! Also, the loads of antioxidants present in black garlic help slow down the effects of aging both internally and externally.
It Lowers Stroke and Heart Attack Risk
One of the numerous antioxidants present in garlic is allicin, which can be found exclusively in the well-loved herb. According to experts, allicin is superb at keeping the blood from clumping together as it thins your blood. Because of this, your risk of suffering from a stroke or heart attack can be considerably lowered! However, you should steer clear of garlic — black or regular — if you are already prescribed with blood-thinners by your physician.
It Prevents or Treats Infections
Garlic is impressive because it is capable of zapping all sorts of microbes — bacteria, fungi and even viruses. It’s exactly for this reason why regularly consuming black garlic, which is touted as something more powerful than regular garlic, helps deal with all sorts of infections — internally and externally alike.
It Won’t Give You Digestive Distress
A lot of people would love to benefit from garlic but simply couldn’t. That’s because garlic can cause irritation of the inner lining of the GI tract such as that of the esophagus and stomach, thus causing much distress. Fortunately, black garlic is friendlier to the digestive system! So if regular garlic is leaving you with acid reflux or painful gastric ulcers, simply go for some black garlic in order to take advantage of the popular herb’s numerous health benefits!
Source: sharonminkoff.com
