Introduction

We are blessed by God who provides us with an abundance of plants so that we can use them to keep our body in good health. One of such plant is the garlic. There are some popular adage about garlic that states how important the plant is . Some of these adage are: “Garlic is as good as Ten (10) mothers” and “A garlic a day keeps sickness away”. This now is giving a good indication of the health benefits of garlic.

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a bulb and grows up to 0.6 m (2ft) in height. It is a species in the onion genus and a close relative of shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Garlic bulbs are divided into numerous fleshy sections called cloves.

The scientific classification of garlic is:

1. Kingdom: Plantae
2. Clade: Angiosperms
3. Clade: Monocots
4. Order: Asparagales
5. Family: Amaryllidaceae
6. Subfamily: Allioideae
7. Genus: Allium
8. Species: A. sativum

In this article we will explore briefly the cultivation methods of garlic, the use of garlic and the health benefits of garlic.

Cultivation of Garlic

The garlic plant is grown easily and you can grow it throughout the year in warm weather. Although garlic can be propagated by sexual means, it is mainly grown by planting the bulbs. You can also grow Garlic under temperate conditions by planting the bulbs during the the fall season, approximately six weeks prior freezing of the soil, so that harvesting can be done in late spring. The garlic plant is is usually strong and hardy and hardly affected by insects and disease.

The garlic bulb has a very hash taste when it is consumed raw. but there are other parts of the plant that you can eat. For example, the leaves and flowers are sometimes eaten. These are less hash to the taste than the bulbs, and are eaten when young and tender.

Uses of Garlic

You can use garlic both as food and medicine. As food, garlic is widely used for its pungent flavor as a seasoning or condiment. It is also used in bread and eaten as “garlic bread”. For medicinal purpose, garlic is a potent weapon against heart disease and dangerous blood clots. In addition garlic is a powerful antehelmintic and contributes to numerous therapeutics properties in the body.

Health Benefits of Garlic

Garlic contains different types of nutrients such as vitamins, enzymes, amino acids and sugars. It also consists of sulphur compounds which is responsible for the pungent flavour. This is an indication of that the garlic is of good quality.

Some of the health benefits of garlic are:

1. It is an antiseptic which heals the wounds very quickly.
2. It aids in the fight against different types infection and inflammation such as colds and coughs .
3. Garlic Contains chemicals that fight against cancer.
4. It is a good tool to fight hypertension (high blood pressure). I used it on a regular basis to control my hypertension.
5. Garlic helps prevent some cardiovascular problems.
6. Garlic helps to reduces harmful cholesterol in the blood hence keeping the arteries and heart in a healthy.condition
7. Helps to regulate blood sugar
8. Garlic helps to reduces clotting by thinning out the blood thereby reducing poor circulation.
9. Garlic improves the immune system of the body thereby aids in the fight against diseases.
10. Garlic is good in the prevention and relief of ailment such as chronic bronchitis, respiratory difficulties (nasal decongestant and expectorant), and catarrh.
11. Garlic is good against dropsy and scurvy.
12. Garlic cleans the digestive system, helps to cure flatulence, destroys intestinal parasites and is a very good internal antiseptic.

These medicinal properties definitely bring to the fore the health benefits of garlic.

Conclusion

Garlic, one of the great gifts from nature is very important in our diet. It is a simple plant and easy to grow. Garlic bulb is divided into small fleshy sections called cloves which are mainly consumed. However, the leaves and flowers are also consumed. Garlic has numerous medicinal uses hence the proverbs “Garlic is as good as 10 mothers” and “Garlic a day keeps sickness away”.