Chiara Cabrele and Oliver Reiser; translated by Sean R. Stevens
The search for potency and libido increasing substances is as old as man himself, and the miracle cures are manifold: oysters, caviar, truffles, cucumbers, asparagus, paprika, nutmeg, and so on, the list can be extended at will. One substance that has played a prominent role since time immemorial is garlic, which was already prised for its enhancement of potency and the libido by the ancient Chinese peoples and the roman poet Virgil. The white bulb was even recommended, until the end of medieval times, in the aid of birthing, suppression of menstruation, and easing of any illness involved with the female sexual organ.
Indeed, Garlic has a whole series of attributes that cause a positive effect on the human body. Its antibacterial properties were esteemed above all in the period of cholera and typhus outbreaks, as there were no modern antibiotics then. It also seems as though that garlic aids in the prevention of cancer, especially gastric cancers. The positive effect of garlic against high cholesterol has even been scientifically proven. Whether garlic actually has earned its nickname as ancient Viagra® is disputable, though. It has been shown in studies that fresh garlic can, in fact, hinder the contraction of smooth muscle by inhibiting the activity of so-called cyclooxygenase and related enzymes. It is not exactly clear if just one of the many substances contained in garlic can be held responsible for this activity. The unsaturated sulphur compound Ajoen (from the Spanish word for garlic: Ajo [pronounced Aho]) can be securely said to play an important role, though.
One kilogram of garlic contains approximately 2.4 g of alliin, the most predominant sulphur compound found in garlic. It is odourless and plays no biological role. Through the injury of garlic flesh, such as by chopping, alliin is transformed into allicin by alliinase, an enzyme that is found in a separate compartment of an intact garlic bulb. Allicin can then be transformed, by cooking, into ajoen, which has a significant antithrombotic function as well as the previously described attributes.
Although ajoen’s exact functional mechanism is unknown, it is quite plausible that the sulphur compounds contained here, as well as other similar sulphur compounds found elsewhere, react with, and can even block, the enzymes found in our bodies. Among other amino acids, cystein, which has a thiol group side chain, can be found in the protein sequence of enzymes. The key to enzymatic activity is the proper positioning of involved groups, thus these amino acids are particularly important, as they govern the convolution of protein groups through the coupling of the two thiol groups. It is imaginable that ajoen reacts analogously with the side chain of cystein found in proteins, thereby disabling proper folding.
Anyone who has eaten garlic knows the following: the sulphur compounds contained therein give off a long-lasting, unpleasant smell, which unquestionably nullifies its use as an aphrodisiac. In spite of this, the little stinker, as explained above, has many positive affects on your health. It is not as well known, though, that, through their interaction with enzymes, garlic compounds can increase the effectiveness of medications, especially that of heart medications, so much that, in extreme cases, a fatality may occur. When you take such medications, you should fully inform yourself about the possible interaction with sulphur compounds found in garlic, as well as in grapefruit.
Picture Source: Garlic (Donovan Govan; Wikimedia Commons)
