Garlic is a plant that has been used for thousands of years for both culinary and medicinal purposes. While it adds amazing flavor to all kinds of foods, garlic also provides an impressive array of health benefits. This pungent bulb is packed with natural compounds that have antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Adding garlic to your diet on a regular basis can help fight illness, reduce the risk of disease, and support overall wellness. Here are some of the top science-backed benefits of consuming garlic:
1. Boosts Immunity
Garlic is well-known for its immune-boosting abilities and has been used as a natural remedy for colds and flu for centuries. This is because garlic contains allicin, a sulfuric compound that has potent antimicrobial, antiviral, and antibiotic effects.
Allicin can help fight infections by disabling enzymes that allow viruses, bacteria, and fungi to survive and spread. It can also enhance the functions of important immune cells like natural killer cells and T-cells.
During cold and flu season, adding more fresh garlic or aged garlic supplements to your diet may help prevent or reduce the severity of illnesses.
2. Improves Heart Health
Garlic can positively impact multiple factors related to heart disease, which is the leading cause of death worldwide. It has been shown to help regulate blood pressure, lower triglyceride levels, and prevent oxidized LDL cholesterol from clogging arteries.
The antioxidants in garlic activate enzymes that help relax blood vessels and increase nitric oxide levels. This improves blood flow and reduces the strain on the heart. Garlic’s anti-inflammatory effects also inhibit plaque buildup in arteries.
Overall, research shows that regularly consuming garlic is associated with a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, and strokes.
3. May Help Prevent Cancer
Population studies reveal that people who consume more garlic tend to have lower rates of certain cancers, particularly in the digestive system. Garlic’s sulfur compounds like allicin are believed to have anti-cancer effects by inducing apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells.
Lab studies demonstrate that garlic extract can inhibit the growth and spread of tumor cells in cancers of the breast, colon, prostate, and others. Components in garlic may work by increasing antioxidant enzymes, regulating cell cycle progression, and reducing inflammation.
While more research is still needed, adding garlic to your diet may potentially play a role in cancer prevention. However, it should not be considered a substitute for standard cancer treatments.
4. Lowers Blood Sugar Levels
Garlic shows promise as a dietary supplement to help manage diabetes and reduce the risk of complications. Multiple clinical trials have found that garlic can lower fasting blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
Garlic appears to increase insulin sensitivity by facilitating glucose uptake into tissues and enhancing insulin secretion from pancreatic cells. It also has antioxidant effects that protect cells from oxidative damage commonly seen in diabetes.
Furthermore, garlic may help decrease blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease among diabetics. Its antibacterial properties also aid in fighting infections that diabetics are more vulnerable to.
5. Supports Bone Health
While most people know calcium is essential for strong bones, garlic is another key nutrient for promoting bone integrity. It contains manganese, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and other minerals involved in building bone mass and strength.
Compounds in garlic like allicin may also play a role in stimulating bone formation and preventing bone loss as we age. Animal studies show garlic can increase estrogen levels in females, which helps protect against osteoporosis after menopause.
Garlic also exhibits anti-inflammatory effects that could be beneficial for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis which accelerate bone deterioration over time. Some experts recommend adding aged garlic supplements to help maintain strong, healthy bones. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
6. Improves Athletic Performance
Garlic may provide a natural way to boost exercise capacity and endurance. Several studies found that people with heart disease who took garlic oil supplements were able to exercise for longer periods before feeling fatigued or short of breath.
The compounds in garlic are thought to improve oxygen utilization and blood flow during physical activity. Garlic also has antioxidant properties that protect against exercise-induced oxidative stress which can hamper performance.
For athletes and active individuals, consuming garlic or aged garlic supplements may potentially increase energy levels, reduce fatigue, and improve exercise tolerance over time.
7. Supports Brain Health
The antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects of garlic may also benefit cognitive health and protect against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. Oxidative damage is a key factor in the brain changes associated with these conditions.
Research shows that the sulfur compounds in garlic appear to have neuroprotective properties that prevent oxidative damage in the brain. They may also inhibit the formation of amyloid peptides which contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.
Furthermore, garlic contains compounds that can help regulate important neurotransmitters involved in memory, learning, and cognition. This could potentially reduce the risk of brain function decline as we get older.
8. Provides Antimicrobial Benefits
In addition to boosting immunity against pathogens like viruses and bacteria, garlic’s antimicrobial effects can also help eliminate intestinal worms and other parasites from the body. It has been used historically as a natural way to treat intestinal infections.
Certain chemical compounds in garlic are toxic to parasites, fungi, and other microbes. These include allicin as well as ajoene, a compound that gets naturally created when garlic is crushed or chewed.
Consuming raw garlic or taking garlic supplements may be an effective alternative treatment for reducing the number of parasites and yeast infections in some cases.
9. Easy to Add to Your Diet
One of the best things about garlic is that it’s simple, affordable, and versatile to incorporate into your daily routine. Garlic goes well in a wide variety of dishes from soups and sauces to roasted veggies, meats, and more.
You can eat garlic raw by dicing it up and adding it to salad dressings or dips. You can also purchase odorless garlic supplements and aged garlic extract capsules/tablets if desired.
To get the most health benefits from garlic, it’s best to let it sit for about 10 minutes after chopping or crushing before cooking. This allows the alliinase enzymes to fully convert alliin into the beneficial allicin compound.
No matter how you choose to enjoy it, adding more garlic to your meals is an easy and delicious way to give your health a major boost!
Unless you have an allergy, garlic is safe for most people to consume in moderation as part of a balanced diet. In fact, countries where garlic consumption is very high tend to have lower rates of disease overall.
So don’t be afraid to get a little stinky and make this powerful herb part of your daily life. With all of its incredible nutritional benefits, garlic is truly a superfood sent from nature to nourish and protect our bodies.
