Allium sativum L. (Garlic)

Crop Type: Garden Crop

Breeding system: Predominantly allogamous

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is a species in the onion genus, Allium and belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family.

Garlic is native to Central Asia and north-eastern Iran, and has long been a common seasoning worldwide, with a history of several thousand years of human consumption and use. China produces some 80% of the world's supply of garlic.

While garlic ranks as an excellent source of manganese and vitamin B6, a very good source of vitamin C and copper, and a good source of selenium, phosphorus, vitamin B1, and calcium in our WHFoods rating system, it is the sulfur compounds in garlic that serve as its spotlight nutrients in terms of overall health benefits. The sulfur-containing compounds have been shown to provide us with health advantages in a wide landrace of body systems, including cardiovascular system, immune system, inflammatory system, digestive system, endocrine system, and detoxification system.

References

• Contribution by The Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (ÖMKi), Hungary.

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