what is garlic benefits
Have you ever heard that an typical user takes in 2 pounds of garlic every year?
For hundreds of years before the use of this spice to flavor your favorite meals it was used for medical purposes in the ancient times.
Garlic’s health benefits were a popular choice for Chinese, Egyptian, and Roman civilizations. There is ample evidence to support their use of garlic for its therapeutic properties.
Consuming garlic has proven to provide numerous advantages for your body. Let’s take a look at the most vital benefits of garlic for health.
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Why is Garlic Healthful for You?
While it was not widely recognized but experts are now aware that the sulfur compounds present contained in garlic is the principal reason for its positive impacts on the health.
Through cutting, slicing or crushing by chopping, slicing, or crushing bulbs thiosulfinite chemical in them is transformed into allicin. Allicin is a wonderful substance.
Although this may appear to be the case in principle but what are the real advantages of using garlic?
Garlic can help boost your body’s Immune System
The body’s immune system keeps it from being sick in the first place and it aids in fighting off disease when it calls for it. Garlic can provide an immune boost that can help fight influenza and colds.
Children are susceptible to six to eight colds throughout the year, while adults suffer from between two and four. Consuming raw garlic may aid in preventing fever, cough and cold ailments.
Consuming two garlic cloves chopped each day is the most effective method to reap the benefits. In some homes around the globe, families tie garlic cloves with a string around the necks of their children to alleviate congestion.
Garlic Can Help Lower Blood Pressure
Heart attacks and strokes are among the biggest health issues in the world. Blood pressure levels are an important risk cause of heart disease.
It is believed to be responsible for about 70 percent of strokes, heart attacks or chronic heart disease. The high blood pressure may be the reason in 13.5 percentage of the deaths in the world.
Since it is among the major causes of death, taking care to address one of their major reasons that is high blood pressure is vitally important.
Garlic is a wonderful spice to add to your diet for people who suffer from hypertension or high blood pressure.
But, even if do not like garlic, taking supplements with garlic can still provide health benefits, such as decreasing blood pressure and treating fever and many other.
Be aware that you should ensure that the amount of supplements you are taking is equal to 4 cloves of garlic a every day. It is important to consult your doctor prior to taking any supplements.
Garlic helps lower cholesterol levels.
Cholesterol is a fat-based part of blood. There are two types of cholesterol: “bad” LDL cholesterol and “good” HDL cholesterol.
Too much LDL cholesterol and insufficient HDL cholesterol can lead to serious health issues.
Garlic has been proven to reduce total cholesterol levels as well as the levels of LDL in the range of 10-15 percent.
Additionally, eating garlic does have no effect on the HDL or cholesterol levels.
If you’re a member of a family with a medical history with heart problems or have a heart disease, it is recommended to take into consideration including garlic in your diet.
Garlic is a great ingredient for Prevention of Cancer
Garlic’s health benefits don’t end at the heart. Here’s another reason your body could get a boost of this onion-related family member.
According to research, eating fresh garlic may reduce the chance of developing colon cancer.
Based on research from the Iowa Women’s Health Study, women who regularly consumed garlic together with other fruits and vegetables were found to have an 35% less chance of developing colon cancer.
But, the researchers believe that more research is required in this field.
Hip osteoarthritis
Women whose diets were rich in allium vegetables had lower levels of osteoarthritis Trusted Source, a team at King’s College London and the University of East Anglia,
both in England, reported in the journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. Some examples of allium veggies include garlic, leeks, shallots as well as onions and the rakkyo.
The authors of the study said that their findings did not just highlight the potential impact of diet on osteoarthritis results but also showed the potential for using the compounds in garlic to create treatment options for the condition.
The long-term study, that involved over 1,000 healthy female twins revealed that those whose diets included plenty of fruits and veggies “particularly the alliums like garlic”
showed fewer signs of osteoarthritis that was beginning to develop in the joint of their hips.
Potentially, a powerful anti-bacterial
Diallyl sulfide, the compound in garlic, proved to be 100x more effective than two common antibiotics to fight the Campylobacter bacteria in a report published by the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.
The Campylobacter bacteria is one of the most frequent causes of intestinal infections.
Senior author Dr. Xiaonan Lu, from Washington State University, said.
This work is very interesting to me since it demonstrates that this compound could be used to eliminate bacteria that cause illness found in the environment as well as our supply of food.”
High cholesterol and blood pressure
Researchers from Ankara University investigated the effects of supplementing with garlic extract on the blood cholesterol (fat) profiling of people with high blood cholesterol.
The study has been published in Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.
The study included 23 participants with high cholesterol. Thirteen of them also had high blood pressure. The participants were divided in two categories:
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- The high-cholesterol normotensive group (normal blood pressure).
- The hypertensive group with high cholesterol (high blood pressure).
They took supplements containing garlic extract for four months, and were regularly tested for blood lipids and the function of liver and kidneys.
At the end of the 4 months, the researchers concluded “garlic extract supplementation improves blood lipid profile,
strengthens blood antioxidant potential, and leads to significant decreases in systolic as well as diastolic blood pressures. This also results in lower levels of the oxidation products (MDA) in plasma samples.
This indicates less oxidation reactions inside your body.”
The extracts of garlic decreased cholesterol levels as well as blood pressure for patients suffering from hypertension. Researchers noted that this is a very small study, and more research is needed to be conducted.
Prostate cancer
Doctors from the Department of Urology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing, China, carried an investigation to determine the connection between Allium vegetables consumed and risk of prostate cancer.
They collected and analyzed published research up to May 2013 and published their conclusions in Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention.
The study’s authors concluded “Allium vegetables, particularly garlic consumption, are linked to a reduced chance of developing prostate cancer.”
The group also said that since there aren’t numerous studies that are relevant, additional research that is well-designed and designed must be conducted to confirm their findings.
Intoxication to the liver caused by alcohol
The liver damage caused by alcohol is result of the prolonged consumption of alcohol.
Researchers at the Institute of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Shandong University,
China, wanted to know if diallyl disulfide (DADS) which is an organosulfur compound derived from garlic could have protection effects against oxygenative stress.
The research is released in Biochimica and Biophysica Acta.
The study concluded that DADS may help to protect against liver injury caused by ethanol.
Protects Cancer as well as Peptic Ulcer
Due to a large amount of antioxidants in garlic, it shields your body from prostate, lung, bladder stomach, liver, as well as colon cancer.
The antibacterial effect is what prevents ulcers caused by peptic inflammation as it removes the bacteria that cause them from the digestive.
Great for Weight Loss
Garlic decreases the expression of genes involved in the creation of adipose cells that contain fat. It also enhances thermogenesis within the body, which results in the burning of fat and a decrease in LDL (bad cholesterol).
In addition to the fact that garlic is beneficial for the loss of weight, garlic also is also highly nutritious. Indeed, one clove of garlic that is raw, that weighs around 3 grams, is a good source of
- Manganese
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin C
- Selenium
- Fiber
- Calcium, copper as well as iron, potassium, etc.
Could improve athletic performance
Garlic is believed to be one of the top “performance improving” ingredients for enhancing performance.
In the past garlic was used to alleviate fatigue and boost the productivity of laborers. Studies on rodents have shown that eating garlic can improve fitness performance.
Heart disease sufferers consumed garlic for six weeks, which led to a 12% decrease in their heart rate as well as a better endurance.
Cleanses skin
Garlic’s antibacterial and antioxidant properties can help clear your complexion by killing bacteria that cause acne. A study suggests that rubbing raw garlic over pimples may remove them.
Be aware that garlic can cause a burning sensation to your skin. Check with your dermatologist prior to applying this method, particularly when you’re using other products for your skin.