Scourge of Vampires?(Brief Article)

How garlic, a mild-mannered bulb, helps the heart but strikes fear into Nosferatu

I love garlic and anything garlic-related. I also love vampire movies. I'm not sure which came first, my love of Nosferatu-repelling garlic necklaces or of the pungent cloves, themselves. Although modern-day movie vampires scoff at garlic, crosses, holy water and mostly everything except fire and stakes, the vampire of yore showed a good deal of respect for Allium sativum, or garlic.

RESPECT FOR GARLIC--NOT A NEW PHENOMENON

Down through the ages, texts from Egypt, Greece, Rome, China and India all prescribed medical applications for garlic. In fact, according to New York Presbyterian Hospital's Dr. Richard Rivlin, "In many cultures, garlic was administered to provide strength and increase work capacity. In fact, garlic was given to the original Olympic athletes in Greece, as perhaps one of the earliest `performance enhancing' agents."

THE HEART OF THE MATTER

Cardiovascular health has always been one important indicator of "strength," and garlic's effects on circulation and blood fats (lipids) are part of this herb's best-researched areas.

In research on garlic and garlic-derived supplements and the heart, some of the factors looked at include: homocysteine levels, anti-atherosclerosis effects, "bad" cholesterol levels, blood-pressure-lowering effects, and general circulation.