Disease Proof

Chris Ramirez of The New York Times unlocks the health benefits of garlic. Check it out:

In a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers show that eating garlic appears to boost our natural supply of hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is actually poisonous at high concentrations — it’s the same noxious byproduct of oil refining that smells like rotten eggs. But the body makes its own supply of the stuff, which acts as an antioxidant and transmits cellular signals that relax blood vessels and increase blood flow.


In the latest study, performed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, researchers extracted juice from supermarket garlic and added small amounts to human red blood cells. The cells immediately began emitting hydrogen sulfide, the scientists found.

The power to boost hydrogen sulfide production may help explain why a garlic-rich diet appears to protect against various cancers, including breast, prostate and colon cancer, say the study authors. Higher hydrogen sulfide might also protect the heart, according to other experts. Although garlic has not consistently been shown to lower cholesterol levels, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine earlier this year found that injecting hydrogen sulfide into mice almost completely prevented the damage to heart muscle caused by a heart attack.

Dr. Fuhrman digs garlic. According to him garlic does wonders for diabetics. Here’s a quote:

The best diet for good health and longevity is also the best diet for diabetics. It is a diet with a high nutrient per calorie ratio, as carefully described in my book, Eat To Live. When you eat a diet consisting predominantly of nature's perfect foods—green vegetables, beans, eggplant, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, garlic, raw nuts and seeds, and limited amounts of fresh fruit, it becomes relatively easy to eat as much as you want and still lose your excess weight. In my experience, those who follow my nutritional recommendations find that their diabetes disappears astonishingly fast, even before most of their excess weight melts away…


…I have achieved marked success with diabetic patients and the success at becoming "non diabetic" or almost "non-diabetic" regularly occurs on the Eat To Live program whether the patient follows a strict vegan diet or not. I describe the diet-style as a "vegetable-based" diet because the base of the pyramid is vegetables, not grains. Even though most animal products are excluded, it is not necessary to adopt a completely vegan diet to achieve the goals.

I love garlic—it’s an Italian thing! Hey, you should give these garlicky recipes a try. Look:

Summer Fresh Tomato Avocado Soup

6 large fresh tomatoes, quartered and seeded
1 avocado
1 tablespoon Dr. Fuhrman’s VegiZest
1/2 teaspoon Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1 cup carrot juice
1/2 bunch fresh basil

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Serve topped with chopped fresh basil. Serves 2.

Creamy Vegetable Soup

4 ounces frozen chopped onions
8 ounces frozen broccoli florets
1 cup frozen edamame beans
3 tablespoons VegiZest or other no salt added seasoning
2 cups carrot juice
3 cups no-salt vegetable juice
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup raw cashews
16 ounces frozen chopped collard greens
1 15-ounce can white beans (navy or cannelloni), no salt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Simmer all ingredients, except for cashews, collard greens, white beans, and lime juice, about 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender. In blender, puree cooked ingredients and cashews with just enough soup liquid to liquefy. Simmer greens in remaining broth for 10 minutes. Add pureed mixture and beans to greens and broth. Mix thoroughly and serve. Serves 6.