Scientists have discovered that garlic contains a special ingredient that prevents certain lung diseases in experimental rats, thus adding a new dimension to the health food garlic. Garlic has long been considered a health food that can lower blood pressure and cholesterol and is useful in treating cancer. A study showed that garlic also accelerated blood circulation in the lungs of rats, helping them to breathe better. In the experiment, scientists first raised the blood pressure in the rats’ lungs, creating symptoms that approximated primary pulmonary hypertension in humans, a condition often seen in severe lung infections. In such cases, the heart tends to be under a lot of stress. Immediately afterwards the researchers had the rats take ground garlic and then observed it. They found that the allicin contained in the garlic was able to greatly reduce blood pressure in the lungs. Since garlic loses a lot of allicin when it is heated, cooked garlic basically does not do anything. Another result that garlic helps to enhance heart function was also published. Humans who want to achieve the same health benefits need to consume at least two heads of raw garlic per day. But the key is to keep the active ingredients in garlic to be released consistently and steadily in the human body.