Garlic is well known as a natural health remedy that has long been used to treat various ailments. It is extremely easy to source in most countries and can be consumed cooked or fresh. It is most easily included in your food or can be eaten on its own. You don’t need to limit yourself to fresh garlic either. Garlic powder or dried garlic flakes are just as effective and super easy to keep in the cupboard for everyday use.
It is recommended that adults consume no more than one clove two or three times a day and that children have one quarter to one half a clove, once or twice a day. As you will see from the list below, as well as being a tasty addition to almost every cooked dish, garlic has some amazing abilities to help in our everyday lives. When used for medicinal purposes, garlic can help to treat a wide variety of ailments as well as making your dinner taste amazing.
If you’re keen to find out how garlic can be used to assist in your health, sit back and read our 10 amazing health benefits of garlic!
- Garlic has been found to assist babies to gain weight while they are in the womb.
- Garlic strengthens the immune system as well as helps to fight chest infections, coughs and congestion.
- Garlic contains high levels of iodine which makes it a very effective treatment for hyperthyroid conditions.
- Scurvy is treated by vitamin C and garlic contains good levels of vitamin C too.
- Popular folklore says that garlic is good for more than scaring hungry vampires away!
- Cardiovascular disease can be reduced by ingesting garlic.
- Fungal and bacterial vaginal infections are toast when treated with garlic!
- Garlic is a great source of vitamin B6 which is needed for a healthy immune system and the efficient growth of new cells.
- Garlic can aid in the prevention of multiple types of cancer.
- Garlic regulates blood sugar as it enhances the level of insulin in the blood.
Health Benefits of Garlic
Garlic has a pungent smell, and is good in certain dishes, but is there more too it? Why is garlic so often considered a great, healthy herb? Well, for one, it has the vital chemical compound allicin, which is a wonderful therapeutic ingredient with many medicinal qualities. The allicin compound contains sulfur, which gives the garlic its pungent savor and peculiar smell. The health benefits of garlic are innumerable. It helps fight heart ailments, fight cold, cough, and lowers blood pressure.
Garlic is the oldest known medicinal plant variety or spice in existence. Mankind recognized the curative qualities of this magic herb over 3,000 years ago. Sir Louis Pasteur, the scientist who discovered pasteurization, effectively utilized the anti-bacterial qualities of garlic all the way back in 1858. World War I medical surgeons used the health benefits of garlic juice as an antiseptic for treating war wounds. Garlic contains useful minerals such as phosphorous, calcium and iron, as well as trace minerals like iodine, sulfur and chlorine, which are also present in the cloves. In terms of organic compounds, garlic is one of the rare sources of allicin, allisatin 1, and 2.
Some of the health benefits of garlic are explained in greater detail below:
- Diabetes
- High Cholesterol Levels
- Hypertension
- Eye Care
- Ear Aches
- Intestinal Problems
- Cold
- Infected Wounds
- Digestion
- Acne
- Asthma
- Sexual Problems
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11 Proven Health Benefits of Garlic
“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”Those are famous words from the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, often called the father of Western medicine. He actually used to prescribe garlic to treat a variety of medical conditions.
Well… modern science has recently confirmed many of these beneficial health effects.
Here are 11 health benefits of garlic that are supported by human research studies.
- Garlic Contains a Compound Called Allicin, Which Has Potent Medicinal Properties
- Garlic Is Highly Nutritious, But Has Very Few Calories
- Garlic Can Combat Sickness, Including the Common Cold
- The Active Compounds in Garlic Can Reduce Blood Pressure
- Garlic Improves Cholesterol Levels, Which May Lower The Risk of Heart Disease
- Garlic Contains Antioxidants That May Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
- Garlic May Help You Live Longer
- Athletic Performance Can be Improved With Garlic Supplementation
- Eating Garlic Can Help Detoxify Heavy Metals in the Body
- Garlic May Improve Bone Health
- Garlic Is Easy to Include In Your Diet and Tastes Absolutely Delicious
What's New and Beneficial About Garlic
Whole books have been written about garlic, an herb affectionately called "the stinking rose" in light of its numerous therapeutic benefits. A member of the lily or Allium family, which also includes onions and leeks, garlic is rich in a variety of powerful sulfur-containing compounds including thiosulfinates (of which the best known compound is allicin), sulfoxides (among which the best known compound is alliin), and dithiins (in which the most researched compound is ajoene). While these compounds are responsible for garlic's characteristically pungent odor, they are also the source of many of its health-promoting effects.
More recent research has identified additional sulfur-containing compounds that are responsible for garlic's star status as a health-supporting food. These sulfur compounds include 1,2-vinyldithiin (1,2-DT), and thiacremonone. The hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) that can be made from garlic's sulfides has also been the subject of great research interest. When produced and released from our red blood cells, this H2S gas can help dilate our blood vessels and help keep our blood pressure under control.
Finally, when thinking about the sulfur compounds in garlic, it is important to remember that sulfur itself is a key part of our health. Several research studies have noted that the average U.S. diet may be deficient in sulfur, and that foods rich in sulfur may be especially important for our health. In addition to all of the sulfur-related compounds listed above, garlic is an excellent source of manganese and vitamin B6, a very good source of vitamin C, and a good source of selenium.
- Cardiovascular Benefits
- Anti-Inflammatory Benefits Across Body Systems
- Antibacterial and Antiviral Benefits
- Cancer Prevention
- Garlic and Iron Metabolism
Garlic: Health Benefits, Therapeutic Benefits
According to a study, people who eat raw garlic at least twice a week have a 44% lower risk of developing lung cancer
What is the difference between scientific and anecdotal evidence? Anecdotal evidence refers to a person's personal experience - like the evidence from a witness. This type of evidence is crucial in a court of law when somebody (a witness) saw something happen with their own eyes. In medicine, however, anecdotal evidence, when compared to scientific evidence, is not compelling enough.
If I cross the road with my eyes closed and so does a friend of mine, and we do not get run over, it would be irresponsible to tell everybody around us, including our children that crossing the street with your eyes closed is safe. A scientific study using thousands of participants, comparing crossers with their eyes closed against others with their eyes open, would soon show that crossing the street with your eyes closed is extremely dangerous.
Below are examples of some scientific studies published in peer-reviewed academic journals about the therapeutic benefits (or not) of garlic.
- Lung cancer risk
- Brain cancer
- Hip osteoarthritis
- Potentially a powerful antibiotic
- Heart protection
- High cholesterol and high blood pressure
- Alcohol-induced liver injury
- Preterm (premature) delivery
- Garlic and the common cold
Garlic: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and warnings
Garlic is used for many conditions related to the heart and blood system. These conditions include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, heart attack, and “hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis). Some of these uses are supported by science. Garlic actually may be effective in slowing the development of atherosclerosis and seems to be able to modestly reduce blood pressure. Some people use garlic to prevent colon cancer, rectal cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and lung cancer. It is also used to treat prostate cancer and bladder cancer.
Garlic has been tried for treating an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia; BPH), diabetes, osteoarthritis, hayfever (allergic rhinitis), traveler's diarrhea, high blood pressure late in pregnancy (pre-eclampsia), cold and flu. It is also used for building the immune system, preventing tick bites, and preventing and treating bacterial and fungal infections. Other uses include treatment of fever, coughs, headache, stomach ache, sinus congestion, gout, rheumatism, hemorrhoids, asthma, bronchitis, shortness of breath, low blood pressure, low blood sugar, high blood sugar, and snakebites. It is also used for fighting stress and fatigue, and maintaining healthy liver function.
Some people apply garlic oil to their skin to treat fungal infections, warts, and corns. There is some evidence supporting the topical use of garlic for fungal infections like ringworm, jock itch, and athlete’s foot; but the effectiveness of garlic against warts and corns is still uncertain.
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Is Garlic Good For You? 7 Surprising Benefits Of Garlic For Optimal Health
The smelly superfood is more than just a spice; the natural medicinal ingredient can treat hair loss and the common cold. Victoria Rachitzky Hoch, CC BY 2.0
Garlic does more than just invigorate your palate and ward off vampires; it’s also a smelly superfood health aid. The spice is a highly nutritious vegetable with very few calories, containing trace amounts of other nutrients that contribute to its universal status of a powerful, beneficial healer. The natural medicinal ingredient, both as a fresh plant and supplement, can strengthen immune function and boost overall well-being.
Garlic’s delicious flavor and health benefits have led to a steady increase in demand. The average garlic consumption per capita per year is 2 pounds. A healthy adult can safely consume up to four cloves of garlic each day, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, with each one weighing about a gram.
The body-strengthening effects of this herb are thought to be due to its active ingredient allicin. This is what gives garlic its distinctive taste and smell. Whether you take your garlic powdered, salted, or minced or in supplement form, you can reap the surprising benefits of this multipurpose herb for optimal health.
- Treats Acne
- Treats Hair Loss
- Fights Common Cold
- Lowers Blood Pressure
- Lowers Heart Disease Risk
- Enhances Physical Performance
- Improves Bone Health
Garlic Facts Remedies and Health Benefits of Garlic
Today garlic is a widely recognized health enhancing supplement. Garlic promotes the well-being of the heart and immune systems with antioxidant properties and helps maintain healthy blood circulation. One of garlic's most potent health benefits includes the ability to enhance the body's immune cell activity.
The active component in garlic is the sulfur compound called allicin. Allicin is the chemical produced when garlic is chopped, chewed, or bruised. Allicin is quite powerful as an antibiotic and a potent agent that helps the body to inhibit the ability of germs to grow and reproduce. In fact, it's said that 1 milligram of allicin has a potency of 15 standard units of penicillin. There are now over 12 studies published around the world that confirm that garlic can reduce cholesterol.
- Garlic for Health
- Garlic and Cancer
- Garlic- and the Immune System
- Garlic-Promotes Weight Control
- Garlic Home Remedies
Health Benefits of Garlic – Anti-Cancer, Anti-Infection, Detoxify, and More
While a cooking favorite thanks to great taste, the health benefits of garlic have also been recognized and taken advantage of since the ancient times, showing countless individuals the compelling reasons to increase garlic consumption.
If you aren’t already a fan of garlic, you will likely load up your kitchen with the food after reading all it has to offer. Here are some of the health benefits of garlic:
- Boosting the Immune System, Anti-Infection
- Garlic is a Powerful Cancer Fighter
- Garlic Fights Inflammation, Protecting Against Numerous Conditions
- Garlic for Detoxification
- Toothache
- Repel mosquitoes
- Warts
- Earache
- Cough
- Stuffy nose or nasal congestion
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