The benefits of garlic are seemingly endless, with its unique health effects touching everything from the skin to the lungs, the heart, the immune system, and more. This article explores 10 of the incredible health benefits of garlic and will leave you wondering why you didn’t start eating it sooner!
Table of Contents
What is garlic
Garlic (Allium sativum) is a perennial herb that belongs to the Alliaceae family. It grows from clustered, fleshy underground bulbs and has thick, flat leaves and white, pink or purple flowers. Native to Central Asia and India, garlic widely cultivated in many parts since ancient times. Most of the world’s garlic production takes place in China, Mexico, India, Poland, and Hungary.
The health benefits of eating garlic
Eating garlic is regularly shown to help prevent disease and protect your health. Garlic reduces cholesterol levels, prevents heart disease, lowers blood pressure, reduces your risk of stroke, and helps boost your immune system. Not only that, but it offers some anti-cancer benefits as well. Garlic contains several antioxidants allicin anti-inflammatory shown to inhibit tumor growth in both animal and human studies.
Benefits of Garlic It promotes brain health
The sulfur compounds present in garlic enhance circulation and can improve blood flow to the brain. As a result, garlic delay or even prevent cognitive decline, especially when consumed early in life. So the idea that aged garlic is beneficial is accurate—but it’s aged allicin (another sulfur compound) that seems essential.
Therefore, it makes sense to eat whole garlic cloves instead of taking supplements if you want to get optimal brain benefits from garlic. However, if you’re looking for an easy way to add more healthful foods into your diet, try adding more fresh raw garlic—it won’t hurt and might help keep your brain young for longer!
Improving heart health Adequate Benefits of Garlic
According to a 2012 study published in PLoS One, those who ate garlic daily had a significantly lower risk of death from coronary heart disease, cancer, and all causes. A follow-up study published in 2014 concluded that garlic consumption leads to significantly decreased C-reactive protein levels, which is an inflammatory marker linked to increased heart disease risk. The authors found that those with high C-reactive protein concentrations were twice as likely to die from cardiovascular disease compared to those with low levels. Among individuals consuming garlic, concentrations dropped by 17 percent after three months and 25 percent after one year. Your best bet for enjoying these benefits? Add plenty of garlic (chopped or crushed) to sautéed dishes. Try adding it liberally to everything you cook!
Benefits of Garlic Lowers high blood pressure
In one study, researchers found that garlic can help lower blood pressure in people at high blood pressure risk. Participants took a daily dose of 900 milligrams (mg) of aged garlic extract for six months. Their systolic blood pressure was about 6 mm Hg lower than those who did not take garlic. Researchers aren’t exactly sure how garlic helps lower blood pressure. Still, they think it may be related to changes in nitric oxide levels in your body or reductions in your levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides. In another study, participants took a different preparation containing three grams (3,000 mg) daily for 12 weeks.
It helps in reducing cholesterol levels
Heart disease and high cholesterol are among the leading causes of death in America. The daily intake of garlic can significantly reduce cholesterol levels by around 20%! Regular intake also helps increase good cholesterol (HDL) by 10%. Make sure to include garlic in your diet daily for optimum benefits.
Fighting against cancer
As part of a healthy diet and exercise routine, garlic also helps prevent cancer, including breast cancer. Studies have also shown that eating garlic regularly lowers the risk of colon cancer by 35%. Along with prevention, garlic may help those who already have cancer by helping reduce side effects from chemotherapy. When you consume it regularly, it is thought that garlic can stimulate a patient’s immune system and enhance their white blood cell count. Having an increased number of white blood cells in your body can improve your overall health by reducing inflammation and lowering high cholesterol levels in your body.
It helps in treating colds and flu
Due to its antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties, garlic helps treat colds and flu. If you’re suffering from a common cold or want to avoid getting one, regularly include garlic in your diet. When used in cooking, raw garlic can also help treat infections of the ear, throat, nose, and some chest conditions like bronchitis. Remember that raw garlic is more effective for treating such ailments. So make sure you include it regularly in your meals if you want to keep infections at bay.
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Fighting against bacterial infections
One garlic clove a day will help keep colds at bay and fight against bacterial infections. If you are already fighting an infection, crush and rub raw garlic on your skin for its anti-fungal properties to battle fungal infections such as athlete’s foot. Additionally, one study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology states that raw garlic contains allicin, a sulfur compound that improves immunity. Consuming raw or cooked garlic daily can significantly improve lung function as well.
Benefits of Garlic Immune system booster
The healing properties of garlic are unique, and some people even include it in their asthma treatment routine. The sulfur in garlic helps clear up phlegm and reduce inflammation in the respiratory tract. Moreover, since garlic is a natural antihistamine, eating it daily can reduce allergy symptoms and keep your allergies at bay. In addition, experts at Harvard say that raw garlic is more used as an antibiotic because of its potent antimicrobial properties, which can help fight bacteria-related infections! Keep reading to learn more about how you can benefit from garlic! It helps to relieve kidney stones.
It prevents asthma attacks
Bad allergies can cause asthma attacks, especially in kids. But taking an allicin supplement daily can help stave off these harmful, even deadly, asthma attacks. Allicin is a compound present in garlic, and it helps prevent your body from releasing histamines and other chemicals that can lead to an attack. Some studies have found that allicin supplementation reduces the severity and frequency of asthma attacks for up to 40% of patients who try it. Plus, garlic reduces inflammation throughout your body; it can relieve other allergy symptoms like watery eyes or sinus pressure.
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It keeps away bad breath
Bad breath, or halitosis, is caused by bacteria in your mouth that have migrated to other parts of your body. So take a clove of garlic every day to protect yourself! The stench is sure to scare away those pesky little pests. To put it simply, if you can’t stomach eating garlic (or you take garlic supplements), try eating it with other foods that are known to overpower its intense flavors, such as apples and parsley. In addition, many food sources can aid in minimizing odors, such as bell peppers and spinach, as they offer vitamin C, which scavenges free radicals that break down cells in our bodies.
It promotes kidney health
Clinical research shows that garlic benefits the kidneys by encouraging them to remove waste products and fluids, helping prevent stones and infections. In addition, because it contains natural antibiotics and antibacterial agents, garlic protects against bladder infections and kidney inflammation.
Cooking with Garlic
If you like your food to taste better and have more aroma, then consider using some garlic in your next meal. Garlic used as a medicine for thousands of years because of its many health benefits. It’s well known for its antibiotic, antioxidant, antifungal, and antiviral properties that help protect against illness and disease. Studies have also shown that garlic can reduce cholesterol levels and blood pressure. If you want to know how to eat garlic, see our complete guide below.
Side effects of overeating garlic
Can use garlic in some foods and medicines. You should avoid eating large amounts of raw garlic because it may have specific side effects on your body. When you eat a lot of raw garlic, you may experience bad breath, indigestion, heartburn, bloating, and gas. These side effects don’t happen if you use a small amount of cooked or processed garlic. However, even when cooking or processing doesn’t eliminate these side effects.
Conclusion
Garlic is one of those foods that is universally loved. Most people can’t get enough of this pungent bulb, whether it’s sautéed in olive oil and served with pasta, caramelized into a homemade spread, or mixed into mashed potatoes. With so many ways to cook with garlic and so many health benefits, it’s no wonder it’s so widely enjoyed. For more information, visit.
I am Amit Kumar Singh I am a professional health and wellness blogger for 4 years I have expertise in nutrition and Fitness