October 17, 2007

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Garlic's Malodorous Medicinal Magic

Garlic's cardiovascular benefits may be due to the chemical that smells like rotten eggs--hydrogen sulfide, which acts as a chemical messenger. Karen Hopkin reports.

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October 17, 2007 -- Garlic's Malodorous Medicinal Magic

Various studies have suggested that eating garlic can be good for you. It’s been credited with lowering blood pressure, protecting against heart disease, preventing blood clots, even fighting off colds. Now researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham think they have a better idea how garlic might work its medicinal magic.

The Alabama team exposed red blood cells to the juices pressed from a standard, supermarket-issue clove of garlic. And they found that the garlic-soaked cells started giving off hydrogen sulfide, which is the gas that gives rotten eggs their delightful bouquet.

Ok, I know you’re probably thinking that smelling like sewage seems even more odious than reeking of garlic. But on a molecular level, a pinch of hydrogen sulfide can be just what the doctor ordered. Because hydrogen sulfide serves as a chemical messenger that helps relax blood vessels and increase blood flow. Which could explain some of garlic’s cardiovascular benefits. Of course more studies are needed to show whether a clove a day really does keep the doctor away. In the meantime, enjoy your garlic bread. And don’t worry about the garlic breath. Just think what the insides of your arteries must smell like.

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Garlic's Malodorous Medicinal Magic