Garlic Press or Pill Bottle?

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“Let your food be your medicine and medicine your food.” Any food that embodies this timeless saying by the father of medicine, Hippocrates, is something we generally like to include on the Kaufmann 1 Diet. The fact is that, in many instances, food is often just as useful as medicine at fighting disease. Furthermore, food has the added benefit of aiding in the prevention of disease in the first place. To use another health cliché, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

On The Kaufmann 1 Diet, you are trying to include an array of anti-fungal foods in your diet. Now, many foods contain anti-fungal nutrients; most vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients are anti-fungal or exhibit some sort of anti-fungal property. Herbs and spices are generally anti-fungal. Omega three fats are anti-fungal. Most foods on the Kaufmann 1 Diet have some sort of fungus-fighting capability, whether it is inherent nutrients in that particular food that fight fungus, or they, by the nature of their composition, starve internal, pathogenic fungi.

Among those foods is garlic. Garlic exhibits potent anti-fungal properties. This is largely due to the inherent nutrient, allicin. Allicin exhibits anti-fungal properties against species of Candida, Cryptococcus, and Dermatophytes (fungi that can live on the skin). (1) Furthermore, administration of allicin in conjunction with other anti-fungal drugs compounded the effects of those drugs in the lab. The great news about garlic is that you do not need a prescription for it, and if you take too much of it, it may just be a while before you find anyone who will kiss you! (Added benefit: Warding off vampires!)

Garlic has benefits beyond just its potent, anti-fungal capabilities. Garlic has known benefits for heart health. Consuming garlic can aid in maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. Garlic also acts as a vasodilator, allowing blood to flow more freely through veins. Garlic can also aid in maintaining healthy cholesterol levels.

Garlic also contains many nutrients and anti-oxidants, fights harmful microbes other than just fungus and may help detoxify heavy metals out of the body.

Last but, but certainly not least, garlic is delicious. It is a wonderful flavoring agent prevalent in many cuisines from around the world. It is readily available at almost any grocery store. That it has tremendous health benefits is simply a bonus. Look for organic varieties if possible, and it is always best to use freshly diced or crushed garlic when possible, as opposed to pre-processed or powdered varieties.