Health Benefits of Garlic
Garlic is easy to incorporate into your diet and makes savory foods delicious. It also reduces the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, which lowers cholesterol levels and improves heart health.
A healthy dose of garlic is beneficial because it fights infections (fungal, bacterial, and parasitic), boosts immune system function, regulates blood sugar, and lowers blood pressure. It’s best to eat it as close to raw as possible for optimal nutrition.
Anti-inflammatory
Throughout history, people have used garlic for its health and medicinal properties. Many of these benefits are due to allicin—the compound that forms when a clove is chopped, crushed, or chewed.
Garlic has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties and it can reduce the risk of infection. It has also been shown to improve symptoms of osteoarthritis. In one study, a topical garlic gel at 400 mg/day reduced symptoms of cutaneous leishmaniasis in patients with active lesions.
A 2019 research review found that aged garlic extract lowers blood pressure and reduces cholesterol levels in people with high blood pressure, which can help decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Cancer-fighting
Garlic is packed with antioxidants that can help reduce free radical damage and prevent cancer. It is also antibacterial, and can kill a wide range of bacteria including gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus.
Several studies suggest that garlic extract and its components may be useful in cancer prevention by modulating carcinogen metabolism, induction of apoptosis, suppression of angiogenesis, and regulation of the cell cycle. The most important active compounds are the allylsulfides.
Garlic has a long history of use for medicinal purposes because of its antibacterial, antifungal and bactericidal properties. It also has been shown to have wound-healing and skin-protecting properties.
Liver-protecting
The allicin in garlic has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer properties. It also helps flush toxins out of the body.
Garlic reduces blood pressure, lowering your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. It also lowers cholesterol and triglycerides.
Research suggests that consuming garlic on a regular basis may help prevent nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. It has also been shown to decrease oxidative stress and increase glycogen in the liver.
Garlic can help prevent osteoporosis as it increases the levels of estrogen in the body, especially for women entering menopause. It can also slow down the development of bone-related ailments like osteoarthritis. This is due to the presence of diallyl disulfide that slows down the deterioration of bone tissue.
Boosts your immune system
Garlic contains cancer-fighting compounds called allyl sulfides. These have been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and reduce tumour size. They also act as a scavenger to remove free radicals from the body, which can damage cells and increase your risk of disease.
A study found that eating garlic could help prevent or delay osteoporosis. This is because it increases oestrogen levels in women during menopause when the bones are most at risk.
Garlic is low in calories and a rich source of vitamin C, B6 and manganese. It also contains dietary fibre and trace amounts of other nutrients. However, avoid eating raw garlic if you suffer from gastrointestinal problems like IBS or gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) or have a sensitivity to plants in the lily family, such as tulips and leeks.
Lowers blood pressure
Garlic’s active compound, allicin, helps to reduce blood pressure by widening the arteries. This allows blood to flow more easily and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects one in three adults and is a major risk factor for heart disease and strokes. By eating a clove of raw garlic daily, you can help lower your blood pressure naturally and prevent the long term effects of the condition. Adding garlic to your diet can also help to reduce your cholesterol levels. It can also decrease your body’s production of ACE enzymes, which cause blood pressure to increase.
Lowers cholesterol
Research shows that garlic is capable of lowering levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the blood. It has also been shown to reduce triglyceride levels, thus reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Garlic is packed full of nutrients, including vitamins B6, C, A and K, minerals such as potassium, calcium, iron and zinc. It contains allicin, which is a cardioprotective compound that reduces high blood pressure and cholesterol. It can help lower cholesterol by preventing the formation of adipose cells, increasing thermogenesis and increasing the excretion of cholesterol from fat tissues. Garlic can also prevent the development of osteoarthritis and improve exercise performance.
