When was garlic introduced to China?
Garlic is the collective name for plants of the garlic genus, also known as garlic bulb, single-clove garlic, hu garlic, etc. It is a half-year herbaceous plant of the genus Allium in the Liliaceae family. According to the different skin colors, it is divided into purple-skin varieties and white-skin varieties. It is flat-spherical or short-conical, with a grayish-white or light brown membranous scale skin on the outside, and has a pungent odor. It can be eaten or used as a seasoning, and can also be used as medicine. Let's take a look below at when garlic was introduced to China!
When was garlic introduced to China?
Garlic originated in regions such as West Asia and Central Asia. Since Zhang Qian was sent on a mission to the Western Regions during the Han Dynasty and brought garlic back to China, it has been cultivated here for more than two thousand years. In our country, garlic is an indispensable seasoning in people's daily lives. When cooking fish, meat, poultry and vegetables, it has the effect of removing fishiness and enhancing flavor. Especially in cold dishes, it can both enhance flavor and sterilize. By custom, what people usually call "garlic" refers to the garlic bulb.
Where are the garlic-producing areas in our country?
The main garlic-producing areas in our country include Jinxiang County, Caohe Town in Yanzhou, Lanling County, Laiwu City, Shanghe County, Guangrao County, Chiping County, Chengwu County, and Anqiu City in Shandong Province; the 50,000-hectare garlic demonstration zone in Pizhou City, Feng County, Sheyang County, and Taicang City in Jiangsu Province; Yongnian County and the northern part of Daming County in Hebei Province; Rendong Town in Yulin City of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; Fengying Township in Shenqiu County, Hebingma Village in Zhongmu County, and counties and districts in eastern Kaifeng in Henan Province; Jiading in Shanghai, Bozhou City in Anhui and Lai'an County in Chuzhou, Wenjiang District and Pengzhou City in Sichuan, Dali in Yunnan, Xingping City in Shaanxi, and ** are also major garlic-producing areas.
What are the benefits of eating garlic regularly?
1. Antibacterial effect: Garlic is currently one of the strongest antibacterial natural plants discovered. The sulfur compounds it contains have extremely strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, and have inhibitory and killing effects on many kinds of cocci, bacilli, fungi and viruses.
2. Cancer prevention and anti-cancer: 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 their blood. The U.S. National Cancer Organization believes that among the plants with the greatest anti-cancer potential in the world, garlic ranks first.
3. Lowering blood sugar: Garlic can promote the secretion of insulin, increase the absorption of glucose by tissue cells, improve the human body's glucose tolerance, rapidly lower blood sugar levels in the body, and can kill various bacteria that induce diabetes due to infection, thereby effectively preventing and treating diabetes.
4. Protecting blood vessels: 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, and promote blood vessel relaxation, thereby inhibiting the formation of blood clots and preventing arteriosclerosis.
5. Preventing colds: Garlic contains a pungent compound called "propylene sulfide," which has a good killing effect on pathogenic bacteria and parasites. It can prevent colds and reduce cold symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat and nasal congestion. At the same time, it can also prevent the occurrence of gastrointestinal diseases.
6. Slowing aging: Certain components in garlic have antioxidant and anti-aging properties similar to vitamin E and vitamin C. At the same time, some studies have found that pork is one of the foods rich in vitamin B1, and vitamin B1 combined with allicin contained in garlic can very well play a role in eliminating fatigue and restoring physical strength.
7. Boosting energy: Garlic does have an effect in treating impotence and is beneficial to blood circulation, which is very important for erectile function. The mechanism is unclear. A possible explanation is that garlic can stimulate the body to produce nitric oxide synthase, and this enzyme is necessary for male erection.