Among the very latest gastronomic fashions is cooking with black garlic, which is obtained when conventional garlic is subjected to an aging treatment for several weeks, in special conditions of humidity and heat.
This technique of Asian origin not only gives the seasoning a slightly sweeter and acidic flavor and a softer texture, but also transforms its biochemical properties : the garlic thus manipulated contains more polyphenols , polyunsaturated fatty acids – such as linolenic acid – and sulfur compounds , especially S-allyl-cysteine (SAC). This gives it a greater antioxidant power.
Now, a team from the Faculty of Medicine of the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), in collaboration with the company Pharmactive Biotech SL, has assessed the cardiovascular properties of the aged vegetable, with very positive results.
After administering black garlic extract to the hearts of rats that had suffered a myocardial infarction, the researchers observed that it exerted a vasodilator effect on the coronary arteries and prevented the decrease in the ability of the heart muscle to contract as a result of the attack.
However, the analysis of inflammatory markers and oxidative stress in heart and arterial tissue surprised them. “Contrary to expectations, the administration of black garlic extract not only did not decrease the expression of these markers, but increased it slightly in some cases. This can be explained by the phenomenon called hormesis , by which exposure to low doses of a chemical or environmental agent – harmful at high doses – produces an adaptive response and a beneficial effect on the cell or organism “, explains Miriam Granado, director of the research.
“Therefore, it is possible that the fact of inducing a mild inflammatory and oxidative state causes the black garlic extract to simultaneously activate anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms that prevent, at least in part, the alterations produced by greater damage, such as heart attack. myocardium “, adds this expert from the Department of Physiology of the UAM.
