| Garlic has been used to treat and prevent illness dating | | | | 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. |
| back well over 5000 years. Ancient Egyptians and | | | | 2. Peel away the outer layers of the bulb skin, leaving |
| Greeks used it for heart problems and headache; the | | | | the skins of the individual cloves intact. Using a knife, |
| Chinese used it for a variety of common ailments and | | | | cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top, exposing the |
| to boost immunity. And modern scientific research | | | | individual cloves. |
| confirms its curative powers. National Cancer Institute | | | | 3. Place the garlic heads in a baking pan; muffin pans |
| studies show that a diet rich in garlic may reduce risk | | | | work well for this purpose. Drizzle a couple teaspoons |
| of colorectal, stomach and prostate cancer by as | | | | of olive oil over each head, using your fingers to make |
| much as half. Research also shows that garlic has | | | | sure the bulb is well coated. Cover with aluminum foil. |
| antiviral properties that protect against infection and | | | | Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, or until the |
| inflammation, may destroy certain flu viruses, and help | | | | cloves feel soft when pressed. |
| kill intestinal parasites. | | | | 4. Allow the garlic to cool enough so you can touch it |
| How can this little "rose" do so much? It contains a | | | | without burning yourself. Use a small small knife cut the |
| powerhouse of nutrients, including vitamins A and C; | | | | skin slightly around each clove. Use a cocktail fork or |
| the minerals potassium, selenium, phosphorus and zinc; | | | | your fingers to pull or squeeze the roasted cloves out |
| and amino acids. It also has an unusually high | | | | of their skins. |
| concentration of the sulfur compound allicin, which is a | | | | You can eat it as is or mash with a fork and use for |
| potent antibiotic and the compound primarily | | | | cooking. It also can be spread over warm French |
| responsible for its healing properties. | | | | bread, mixed with sour cream for a topping for baked |
| If a little garlic each day keeps the doctor away, | | | | potatoes, or mixed in with Parmesan and pasta. Fresh |
| what's the best way to get it? Cooked or raw, all | | | | garlic generally offers the best prevention against |
| forms have health benefits, but raw garlic has the | | | | disease, but eating more than three raw cloves a day |
| edge. It's simple to add it to a variety of dishes; for | | | | may cause gas or bloating in some people. Additionally, |
| example:o Top scrambled eggs with it.o Add it | | | | not everyone enjoys the pungent aroma. If you'd |
| chopped to cooked tomato sauce just before | | | | rather not eat it, try a nutritional supplement. Research |
| serving.o Sprinkle it minced on a baked potato.o | | | | recently has shown that supplements containing an |
| Spread it minced on buttered, crusty bread. | | | | extract often work as effectively as fresh -- without |
| And here's a classic with taste that's out of this world: | | | | the garlic breath. |
| Roasted Garlic | | | | |