Is garlic a "meat" or a "vegetable"? The latest interpretation is here

Garlic is the collective name for plants of the Allium genus. It is a common seasoning for dishes and is very nutritious. It can warm the middle and strengthen the stomach, aid digestion and regulate qi, and remove toxins and kill parasites. There are different types, including single-clove garlic, multi-clove garlic, purple-skinned and white-skinned varieties, with single-clove purple garlic being the best. It also has extremely strong anti-cancer effects and is deeply loved by the public. Now let us take a look at whether garlic is a "meat" or a "vegetable"!

Is garlic a "meat" or a "vegetable"?

Garlic is called a “meat” mainly because in Buddhism, the five kinds of “garlic, small garlic, xingqu (coriander), cicong (winter onion), and gecong (mountain onion)” are listed as the “five pungent spices”, also called the “five meats”. It should be known that the original meaning of “meat” mentioned in Buddhism was not animal flesh, but the three things: scallion, ginger, and garlic. In addition, the “Compendium of Materia Medica” says, “Alchemists regard small garlic, garlic, chives, rapeseed, and coriander as the five meats.” But according to modern people's understanding, garlic is of course a vegetable, because it is no different from vegetables such as cabbage and radish.

Nutritional value of garlic

1. Garlic is rich in nutrients. Every 100 grams contains 69.8 grams of water, 4.4 grams of protein, 0.2 grams of fat, 23.6 grams of carbohydrates, 5 mg of calcium, 44 mg of phosphorus, 0.4 mg of iron, and 3 mg of vitamin C.

2. Garlic contains thiamine, riboflavin, nicotinic acid, allicin, citral, and trace elements such as selenium and germanium.

3. Garlic contains about 0.2% volatile oil. The main component of the oil is allicin, which has a bactericidal effect and is produced by the hydrolysis of alliin contained in garlic under the action of alliinase.

4. Garlic contains various sulfide compounds composed of allyl, propyl, and methyl groups.

5. Garlic contains “allithiamine”. This substance benefits the brain many times more than vitamin B. Letting children eat more scallions and garlic can make the growth and development of brain cells more active.

Efficacy and effects of garlic

1. Bactericidal effect: The sulfur compounds contained in garlic have extremely strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. They can inhibit and kill many kinds of cocci, bacilli, fungi, and viruses. It is currently the strongest antibacterial substance found among natural plants.

2. Prevention and treatment of tumors: Elements such as germanium and selenium in garlic can inhibit the growth of tumor cells and cancer cells. Experiments have found that the population with the lowest cancer incidence is the population with the highest selenium content in the blood. The U.S. National Cancer Institute believes that among the plants with the greatest anti-cancer potential in the world, garlic ranks first.

3. Detoxification and intestinal cleansing: Garlic can effectively inhibit and kill bacteria and viruses such as Helicobacter pylori that cause gastrointestinal diseases, remove toxic substances in the gastrointestinal tract, stimulate the gastrointestinal mucosa, promote appetite, and accelerate digestion.

4. Lowering blood sugar: Garlic can promote the secretion of insulin, increase the absorption of glucose by tissue cells, improve human glucose tolerance, rapidly lower blood sugar levels in the body, and kill various pathogens that induce diabetes due to infection, thereby effectively preventing and treating diabetes.

5. Prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases: Garlic can prevent fat deposition in the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems, induce fat metabolism within tissues, significantly increase fibrinolytic activity, lower cholesterol, inhibit platelet aggregation, reduce plasma concentration, increase the dilation of arterioles, promote vasodilation, regulate blood pressure, and increase vascular permeability, thereby inhibiting thrombus formation and preventing arteriosclerosis. Eating 2 to 3 cloves of garlic each day is the best and simplest way to lower blood pressure. It can help maintain an appropriate amount of an enzyme in the body and avoid high blood pressure.

6. Protecting the liver: The trace element selenium in garlic participates in the aerobic metabolism of blood, removes toxins, and reduces the liver's detoxification burden, thereby achieving the purpose of protecting the liver.

7. Boosting energy: Garlic can effectively supplement substances needed by the kidneys, improve the symptom of general weakness caused by insufficient kidney qi, and promote sperm production, greatly increasing sperm count.

8. Preventing colds: Garlic contains a pungent substance called “allyl sulfide”, which has a good killing effect on pathogenic bacteria and parasites. It can prevent colds and relieve cold symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, and nasal congestion.