We all know about the importance of garlic in cooking. It is often considered a great, healthy herb. But do you know what exactly the health benefits of garlic? Let’s see further.
Did You Know!
- Garlic comes with various antiseptic, antiparasitic, antifungal and anti-viral features in it.
- The smell of garlic can be removed from the hands using a stainless-steel object and cold water.
- Garlic works best in health problems like cold and flu.
- Garlic gifts you 17 different types of amino acids.
- Toronto celebrates a festival known as Toronto Garlic Festival, which was started by Peter McClusky.
- Garlic also gives amazing health benefits when eaten raw.
- Garlic was used to cure the soldiers facing gangrene during the world wars.
- Garlic can also be used to kill the chemical aphid sprayed on the rose bushes when mixed with water.
- Brides in Greece used to carry bouquets of garlic with other herbs in their weddings anciently.
- Garlic has a great positive impact on blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Garlic – A Secret Health Spice
Want to have a spicy touch to your recipes! Why not add some garlic to it!
Yes, garlic is widely used to give the dishes a new zesty touch. Along with this, it is also used in the formation of various medicines to treat a number of diseases. Yes, according to famous civilizations like Greeks, Chinese, Romans, Babylonians and much more, garlic was popularly used due to the medicinal properties it comes with.
Also known as the stinking rose, the herb carries various nutrients with it, that has various health benefits. The herb contains an active element known as allicin which is also responsible for the strong smell and unique taste. No matter you use it by mincing it, dicing it, salted or in powdered form, health benefits of garlic would help you with mysterious for the best health.
Health Benefits Of Garlic
The cloves of garlic come with a magic box of nutrients like vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, Sulphur elements, amino acid allicin, antioxidants, manganese, fiber, selenium, iron, copper, potassium, calcium, and much more, that not only bring a powerful aroma to your recipes, but also fill it with various health benefits.
So, let’s check out some Health Benefits Of Garlic that might encourage you to have it in your meals.
1. Booster For Your Immune System
Garlic is gifted with various antioxidants that work magically on your immune system. The ingredient is widely used in winters to deal with cough and cold by increasing the immunity. Along with this, garlic also carries some anti-fungal features that help in protection against various infections from fungi, yeasts or worms even. Garlic contains an element named ajoene that is a powerful performer against infections from yeast.
2. Useful In Solving Acne Problems
Garlic comes with various antioxidants in it. This is the reason why it is used in various acne products. Garlic contains an element named allicin that is which comes with the features to eliminate the chances of damage to the radicals and bacteria. With the help of sulfonic acid, allicin mixes well with the radicals and reacts positively on the acne scars, skin allergies and skin diseases.
3. Stops Hair Loss
Have you heard the word keratin in various shampoo advertisements! Yes, that element is obtained from garlic which contains a rich amount of sulfur. This element helps in the growth and strengthening of the hair, and hence, garlic is also used in various hair treatment products. With the help of some research, it is also proved that garlic gel helps in the re-growth of lost hair effectively.
4. Good For Curing Common Cold
Garlic gifts you with allicin that is quite effective on regular illness. Fewer cloves on regular basis would be a good supplement for fighting against viruses that lead to cough and cold. It also contains antibacterial elements that help in getting rid of the irritating throats and reduce the infections in the upper respiratory tract. It is also beneficial for chronic bronchitis.
5. Reduced Your Blood Pressure
Garlic contains active compounds that are helpful in regulating your blood pressure. Garlic proves to be the best supplement when compared to other drugs prescribed by the doctors in reducing your blood pressure levels. Having garlic would activate the growth of endothelium in your body, that helps you in relaxing along with other elements like polysulfides and sulfur. This aids in soothing the muscles and relaxes them. It also widens the blood vessels that in return smoothens the muscles in vessel walls. Hence, it controls your blood pressure and also is effective in prevention against bad odor from mouth.
6. Reduces Chances Of Heart Disorders
Regular intake of garlic cloves is also helpful for reducing the risk of heart disorders. The cloves have a good impact on the LDL cholesterol levels, by reducing them slowly. Garlic has the ability to activate the enzymes that help in dissolving the cholesterol and the blood clots that increase the risk of having heart attacks as they close the arteries.
7. Improves Your Physical Performance
Feeling restless after your daily workout! Include garlic in your meals and increase your stamina of performing well physically. It helps in increasing your capacity while performing exercises that help in fighting against fatigue. It mostly advised to the laborers to increase their capacity to work. For the people having heart disorders, garlic oil has given amazing positive results while they perform exercises, especially the treadmill exercise.
8. Boosts Bone Health
Garlic is an alkalizing vegetable that gifts your nutrients like Vitamin B6, zinc, manganese and Vitamin C. All these elements are quite beneficial for maintaining the health of your bones. As garlic comes rich in manganese, it contains all the necessary enzymes compounds and anti-oxidants that help in the growth and development of bones, the connective tissues, absorption of calcium, bone metabolism, and much more. It has proved to be beneficial for increasing the estrogen levels in female avoiding bone loss.
9. Gives Protection From Food Poisoning
As mentioned above, garlic contains anti-bacterial features that help in reducing the effects of the harmful bacteria by killing them. Garlic is quite effective for bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Campylobacter, and much more that lead to food poisoning. Adding garlic to your meals is a great substitute for accurate sanitization, food handling and secure cooking.
10. A Mosquito Repellent
A research has proved that mosquitoes get driven away with the fragrance of garlic. Yes, this is true. Applying garlic oil on your body, or keeping the fragrance of garlic nearby would surely help to keep mosquitoes and other bugs naturally away from you. The natural way to get rid of mosquitoes is quite adopted by the people who allergenic to mosquito coils or sprays.
11. Helps In Fighting Against Cancer
Adding cancer to your meals help in prevention against cancer. The garlic cloves contain anti-cancer properties that boost in the production of hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is quite effective in the prevention of various cancers like prostate, colon cancer, breast cancer, stomach cancers, esophagus cancer, pancreas cancer, and other tumors too. It also helps in curing cancers that also damage the DNA.
12. Garlic Helps In Detoxification
Yes, garlic is also used in the process of detoxification. It helps in the cleaning of the body and the toxins. Garlic includes compounds that provide you with sulfur that help in the activation of liver enzymes which release the toxins from the body. Apart from this, it also helps in protecting the liver from any kind of damage through allicin and selenium obtained from garlic. Having few cloves of garlic would surely help your body in the removal process of toxins from the blood cells and enzymes.
13. Dental Problems
Have you ever heard your grandmother using garlic cloves to treat toothaches! Yes, this is a secret healing power of garlic. Garlic works as an antibiotic at the time of toothache. When the garlic is crushed for the treatment of toothache, it releases a compound allicin that reduces the bacterial activities in the area of ache. Simply apply the garlic powder or crushed garlic on the tooth and let the magic work.
14. Beneficial For Fungal And Bacterial Infections In The Vagina
Similar to toothache, the compounds released from garlic, allicin is also helpful in treating the vagina that is affected with bacterial and fungal infections. Garlic serves a natural anti-biotic to such infections. The compound also carries some healing powers that are used on wounds to stop the bacteria or fungal infections from spreading on the affected areas. However, make sure you don’t use the garlic tablets as they damage the presence of allicin in garlic.
15. Beneficial During Pregnancy
Is your baby week in the womb during your pregnancy months! Garlic can help them in gaining weight. A limited dose of garlic every day or as per suggested by your gynecologist would help your baby in developing while they are in your womb. However, it is highly recommended to inform your doctor before beginning this process.
16. Helpful In Fighting Against Anemia
Are you suffering from the deficiency of iron! Garlic can surely help you to a great extent. The garlic cloves serve you with diallyl sulphide that boosts the growth of ferroprotein, a type of protein that helps in the absorption of iron and its release in the body. It also helps in improving the metabolism of iron in the body that reduces the possibility of anemia or minor iron deficiencies.
17. For The Treatment Of Diabetes Type 2
Are you suffering from type 2 diabetes! This situation arises when you are facing oxidative stress. This may lead to serious problems like heart disorders, kidney damage, vision problems, nerve damages, and much more. Garlic comes with a good number of antioxidants that help you in reducing the oxidative stress due to the increase in the blood sugar levels. As a result, garlic has proved to be helpful in the prevention and treatment of diabetes.
The above Health Benefits Of Garlic bring us to a conclusion that garlic helps in adding some more days to your life when consumed on regular basis with a proper method of consumption. It helps in keeping your heart healthy and also helps in boosting your sexual life, that help you for a long lifestyle without any disorders.
Side Effects Of Using Garlic
Generally speaking, garlic is quite healthy for people of any age, if taken in your meals properly. It is safe to use the ingredient, widely found in the kitchens. However, while consuming it in a wrong pattern may lead to some minor problems like bad breath, acidity, stomach burns, gas, heart burns, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, body odor, and much more. Having garlic in raw form might also lead to bleeding conditions before and after surgeries.
Garlic oil is also widely adopted in various skin problems. There are the number of mouthwashes, pastes, gels, etc. available in the market that can be used in the treatment of various skin allergies. However, it should be used after consulting to a doctor, as it may lead to burning or severe damages to the skin if chosen randomly. Researches have also resulted into irritation on the skin when raw garlic is taken into use.
Garlic is good for the pregnant or breastfeeding women; however, the doses should be limited to avoid any unwanted condition. Make sure you avoid garlic in medicines during these phases, as it may lead to some severe side effects. Application of garlic oil on the breast during feeding is also not advisable. So, make a point to visit your doctor before you step ahead for any experimental intake of garlic.
Garlic, when taken in large quantities by children, can prove to be harmful and even dangerous for the health of the children. More than the required intake of garlic whether in raw or cooked state is harmful to the children as they may develop some adverse conditions. Applying garlic oil can also result in skin disorders.
When fresh garlic is selected, it may result to bleeding for some allergic people. In the same way, for few, it may lead to irritating gastrointestinal tracts, that can cause digestive problems or stomach disorders. More than required garlic cloves can also result to low blood pressure conditions, especially for those who are already dealing with low blood pressure levels. Garlic can also lead to long bleeding and interfere your blood pressure at the time of surgeries.
Garlic comes with an element named botulism with it, which spreads in the meals when it comes in contact with open oxygen. This can lead to serious problems like paralysis and even death in extreme conditions.
A Note Of Advice
Garlic is hence, a healthy ingredient that comes with bundles of benefits if consumed in the right way. To avail more Health Benefits Of Garlic clove, crush them or mince them well before you add them to your dishes. This would provide the allicin enzymes to spread their magic in the recipe. Change the temperature of the garlic while adding it to the food or heating it. This would keep garlic in a complete state with all the nourishing nutrients. The right method of cooking garlic would surely make wonders with your health.
So, are you having garlic in the right ways through your meals! If no, start immediately for availing the health benefits it provides you with.