Heart Disease
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10.22 Notes: (i) To maximise garlic’s medicinal power, chop or crush cloves of garlic and leave for 10-15 minutes before taking or using it in cooking. This allows active molecules like allicin and its potent derivatives to be fully activated and are more easily assimilated if they are also dissolved in a little oil like olive or canola oil. (ii) Though acute toxicity of garlic is rare, its reported adverse effects include heartburn, abdominal pain, dermatitis, urticaria, skin blisters, fever and headache; but most of these side effects gradually disappear on their own once the use of garlic is stopped.
10.23 Ginger – The documented evidence of health benefits of ginger go back 2,500 years and are as prolific as its culinary uses. Pungent compounds known as gingerols, turpines, shogoals and zingerone in ginger have numerous medicinal values. Ginger acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent which makes it useful in heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Ginger is known to contain chemicals that work even better than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) like ibuprofen and aspirin. Additionally ginger is anti-bacterial, is anti-clotting as it reduces the stickiness of blood platelets, promotes circulation, helps lower cholesterol levels and prevents LDL cholesterol oxidation. Note: Those taking anti-clotting medicines should consult their health professional if they are taking more than 6 grams of ginger daily.
10.24 Green Tea – Both green and black teas are made from the leaves of the same bush – ”Camellia Sinensis” discovered about 5,000 years ago by a Chinese Emperor. Unlike black tea which is fermented, tender green tea leaves are steamed and dried soon after picking. Steaming preserves antioxidants like polyphenols and tannins while destroying enzymes so that other healthy chemicals are not oxidised. On the other hand, the fermentation process used in making black tea destroys most of the biologically active polyphenols and tannins of the fresh leaves. Scientists believe that green tea antioxidants are more powerful than those found in most fruits and vegetables – there is more than twice the antioxidant power in a cup of green tea than there is in an apple. Green tea contains B-vitamins and vitamin C, potassium, manganese, niacin and folic acid. Green Tea is so rich in vitamin C that the quantity of this precious nutrient in a cup of tea exceeds that contained in a cup of orange juice.
10.25 Polyphenols in green tea, like other antioxidants, help protect cells from the normal, but damaging, physiological process known as “oxidative stress”. Although oxygen is vital to life, it is also incorporated into reactive substances called “free radicals”. These can damage the cells in our body and have been implicated in the slow chain reaction of damage leading to many diseases.
10.26 Green tea can offer you protection against diseases like heart disease and strokes (amino acids, thiamine in green tea help keep blood less sticky, so it can move smoothly through the arteries), cancers, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, liver damage, high levels of blood pressure and cholesterol. Scientists have established that green tea contains a powerful antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), 3-4 times more powerful than in black tea that has the ability to neutralise free radicals. This is hundred times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times better than
