Garlic is a common staple in the pantry as it is often used to lend flavour to various dishes. But did you know that garlic actually has plenty of health benefits to offer? Here are 10 of its best benefits that will make you glad that you are using it at home.
- Highly Nutritious, Low on Calories. An ounce of garlic contains manganese, vitamin C, fiber, vitamin B6, Selenium, potassium, calcium, iron, copper, and phosphorus just to name a few. All these nutrients are essential to the body so you can already imagine how much vitamins and minerals you are getting with just an ounce of it.
- Improves your heart’s health. Garlic is known to be good for your cardiovascular system as it helps improve the blood flowing in your body while at the same time, reduce your cholesterol levels. It also prevents the hardening of the arteries which prevents stroke and heart attacks.
- Lowers pain caused by arthritis. Those who are diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis will find garlic to be beneficial to them because of the anti-inflammatory and antioxidants present. The anti-inflammatories can help prevent flare ups.
- Prevents common sickness. If you are frequently suffering from common ailments such as colds and cough, adding garlic to your daily diet is highly recommended because it can help boost your immune system. You can either go with fresh garlic or garlic supplements to help combat these common issues to your health.
- Combats fungal infections. Another health benefit that you can gain from garlic is its ability to fight fungal infections like yeast infection, ringworms, jock itch, and athlete’s foot. You can apply it as gel or oil onto the affected area to help fight off existing bacteria.
- Promotes better cholesterol levels. Eating garlic can actually help reduce your LDL as well as total cholesterol levels. Those who are diagnosed with high cholesterol levels can take garlic supplements to bring their cholesterol down. However, the triglycerides don’t seem to be affected by garlic consumption.
- Detoxification of heavy metals. Our body is constantly bombarded with toxins and heavy metals that can affect our overall health. This is why you need to detoxify from time to time to help your organs function better. Garlic is a good choice because it contains sulfur compounds that can provide protection to your organs against damage caused by heavy metals.
- Fights allergies. If you are constantly suffering from allergies especially when the seasons change, you need to up your garlic intake because it contains anti-inflammatories and anti-viral properties that can help reduce inflammation in the nasal passages while at the same time prevent your allergies from being triggered.
- Better digestion. Another benefit to be gained from eating garlic is that it helps improve digestion. What it does is that it boosts production of gastric juices so that your stomach will be able to digest food properly. What’s more, garlic is found to help the liver get rid of the toxins in the body while at the same time protect this organ against damage from the same toxins that it is trying to get rid of.
- Helps prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s. Garlic is known to contain plenty of antioxidants that reduce oxidative damage. Studies show that those who took high dosages of garlic supplements have improved their antioxidant levels while lowering oxidative stress to those who are diagnosed with high blood pressure.
As you can see, garlic does pack quite a powerful punch in terms of health benefits. It’s no wonder why many are using it when cooking various dishes.
