Garlic | Top #10 Health Benefits To Body Health And Wellness

Generally speaking, the garlic benefits to our general health and overall wellness are limitless. Whereby, Garlic is a plant in the Allium (onion) family. And not forgetting, it is closely related to onions, shallots, and leeks. And so to say, it grows in many parts of the world and is a popular ingredient. Especially in cooking due to its strong smell and delicious taste.

Throughout ancient history, the main use of garlic was for its health and medicinal properties. In fact, its use was well documented by all the major civilizations. Including the Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, and the Chinese. “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” Those are famous words from the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates.

Thus, he is often called the father of Western medicine. He prescribed garlic to treat a variety of medical conditions — and modern science has confirmed many of these beneficial health effects. Current research shows that garlic may have some real health benefits, such as protection against the common cold and the ability to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

As a matter of fact, there is something irresistible about the aroma of roasted garlic. It is so captivating with its powerful notes, that it has long been used as a flavor booster. Especially, in curries, stir-fries, pizza toppings, pasta, meat preparations, dips – you name it! It has the power to instantly liven up any dish and treat some of the most common ailments.

Why Garlic Is Important: The Overall Health & Wellness Benefits

In the first place, Just like we stated above, Garlic is a plant in the Allium family, closely related to onions, shallots, and leeks. Throughout history, garlic was used by many cultures and communities as a key ingredient to treat a variety of medical conditions. And as of today, modern science has now confirmed the many beneficial health effects of garlic.

Technically, for thousands of years, before this spice was used to flavor your favorite dishes, it was employed as a medical treatment in ancient cultures. The health benefits of garlic were used by Chinese, Egyptian, and Roman civilizations. As a matter of fact, there is substantial documentation of their usage of garlic for its medicinal properties.

For your information, a segment of a garlic bulb is called a clove. There are about 10–20 cloves in a single bulb, give or take — there are about 10-20 cloves in a single bulb, give or take. Of course, we now know that most of the health effects are caused by sulfur compounds. Particularly, formed when a garlic clove is chopped, crushed, or chewed.

Not to mention, this compound is known as allicin and is also responsible for the distinct garlic smell. However, allicin is an unstable compound that is only briefly present in fresh garlic after it’s been cut or crushed. But, there are other compounds that may play a role in garlic’s health benefits — including diallyl disulfide and s-allyl cysteine.

A Health & Fitness Enthusiast Guide: Eat Garlic Every Day, And See What Happens To You

The sulfur compounds from garlic enter your body from the digestive tract. They then travel all over your body, exerting strong biological effects. Did you know that the average person consumes 2 pounds of garlic each year? Though it was not widely known, experts now understand that sulfur compounds in garlic are the primary cause of its beneficial effects on health.

Calorie for calorie? Well, Garlic is incredibly nutritious — a single clove (3 grams) of raw garlic contains highly nutritious compounds — and it has also very few calories (with 4.5 calories, 0.2 grams of protein, and 1 gram of carbs).

A 1-ounce (28 grams) contains:

Manganese: 23% of the RDA
Vitamin B6: 17% of the RDA
Vitamin C: 15% of the RDA
Selenium: 6% of the RDA
Fiber: 0.6 gram
Others: Decent amounts of calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamin B1

On the other hand, Garlic also contains trace amounts of various other nutrients. In fact, it contains a little bit of almost everything we need. This is coming with 42 calories, with 1.8 grams of protein and 9 grams of carbs. By slicing, chopping, or crushing garlic bulbs, the thio-Sulfinite chemicals in them are converted into allicin.

As we aforementioned, Garlic contains Allicin — a bioactive antibiotic that can help fight infections and bacteria in sliced, squashed, or diced cloves. Its extracts have been shown to suppress the growth of good body-building elements.

Such as follows:

fungi elements
Protozoa elements
viral infections
numerous bacteria, for example, Salmonella

Allicin is believed to be a viable antibiotic replacement. It also assists when used in conjunction with conventional prescribed antibiotics — it’s such a fantastic substance. However, while this appears to be true in theory, what are the actual health benefits of using garlic? Well, read on to unravel some key surprising garlic benefits below, including the following;

1. Compounds For Cancer Prevention

By all means, Garlic’s health benefits do not end with the heart. So, here is the topmost reason why your body can benefit from an extra dose of this onion family member. On one hand, according to research, consuming fresh garlic can help lessen the risk of colon cancer. On the other hand, several studies have indicated an association benefit to consider as well.

And, that’s between the daily consumption of garlic and the prevention of stomach and colorectal cancers. It is said to strengthen the immunity of the body against cancer. According to the Iowa Women’s Health Study, women who ate garlic regularly with other fruits and vegetables had a 35% lower chance of getting colon cancer.

However, researchers agree that more studies are still needed in this area. Thus, we’ll update you more on that with time.

2. Good For Skin And Hair Care

Tired of covering up those zits with concealer every morning? It’s time to tackle the root cause of acne by purifying your blood from the inside to get healthy skin on the outside. The invigorating properties of garlic protect the skin from the effect of free radicals — it will help to cleanse your system and flush out toxins.

And also, helps to slow down the depletion of collagen which leads to loss of elasticity in aging skin. Applied topically, garlic does wonders for skin infected with fungal infections and provides relief from skin ailments like eczema. It is also an effective remedy for fungal infections like athlete’s foot and ringworm.

As a beginner, to get started right, just take two cloves of raw garlic with some warm water every day, early in the morning, and consume a lot of water the entire day. For example, if you’re looking to shed some pounds, squeeze the juice of half a lemon in a glass of lukewarm water. And then again, have it with 2 cloves of garlic in the mornings.

3. Anti-Bacterial And Anti-Parasitic

Garlic is one of the best-kept medicinal treasures of the past era – it has quite often been used as an antibiotic. For example, to treat bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections for the last 7,000 years. In the end, studies suggest diluted garlic extract helps children with tapeworm infections. Equally, a garlic-based mouthwash may not sound like fresh, and minty breath.

But, a very small quantity of its extracts is sufficient to ward off cavity-causing bacteria. Chiefly, even if you are not a lover of garlic, taking garlic supplements will still give you all the intended benefits. Such as fighting disease-causing bacteria, preventing your living space from rodents, lowering high BP, treating fever, and many more.

4. Reduces The High Blood Pressure

In reality, cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes are the world’s biggest killers — responsible for more deaths than almost any other condition. As an example, High Blood Pressure (BP), or hypertension, is one of the most important drivers of these diseases. Human studies have found garlic supplementation to have a significant impact on this.

It’s thought to cause about 70% of strokes, heart attacks, and chronic heart failure. High blood pressure is the cause of 13.5 percent of deaths worldwide. Garlic is a fantastic spice to include in your diet for those suffering from high blood pressure or hypertension. In particular, its key elements help reduce blood pressure in people with high blood pressure.

What’s more, in one study, aged garlic extract at doses of 600-1,500 mg was just as effective as the drug Atenolol. In particular, reducing blood pressure over a 24-week period. However, supplementary doses must be fairly high to have these desired effects. So to say, the amount of allicin needed is equivalent to about four cloves of garlic per day.

In other words, the fact remains that high doses of garlic appear to improve blood pressure for those with known high blood pressure (hypertension). In some instances, some notable garlic facts for heart health support it as a supplement that’s as effective as regular medications.

5. Surpresses Common Cold & Fights Flu

Garlic is going to provide you relief from that stubborn common cold and flu (yes, they absolutely love you and never want to leave). Perse, its supplements are known to boost the function of the immune system. A large, 12-week study found that a daily garlic supplement reduced the number of colds by 63% compared with a placebo.

The average length of cold symptoms was also reduced by 70%, from 5 days in the placebo group to just 1.5 days in the garlic group. Another study found that a high dose of aged garlic extract (2.56 grams per day) reduced the number of days sick with a cold or flu by 61%. However, one review concluded that the evidence is insufficient, thus more research is needed.

But, all in all, despite the lack of strong evidence, adding garlic to your diet may be worth trying if you often get colds. For example, you can try taking 2-3 cloves of raw or cooked garlic a day or sipping some garlic tea. Of course, yes, it is not only going to relieve a stuffed nose and cure a cold but also build your immunity.

Especially, with a touch of honey or ginger to lift up the taste. Preventing yourself from these frequent visitors over time. Keep in mind, that you must make sure that the amount of the supplements you take is the same as four cloves of garlic each day. And then again, be sure to talk to your doctor before you start taking any flu or cold supplements.

6. A Great Supplement For Weight Loss

To enumerate, we can Cholesterol Levels as the fatty components running inside our body through the blood. Not forgetting, that there are two kinds of cholesterol: “Bad” LDL Cholesterol and “Good” HDL Cholesterol. Far too much LDL cholesterol and not enough HDL cholesterol can cause serious health issues.

Essentially, Garlic has been shown to lower total cholesterol and LDL levels by 10 to 15 percent. This means, that Garlic supplements can reduce LDL and total cholesterol by 10-15%. Whilst, keeping in mind, that High LDL levels are a known risk factor for heart disease. Furthermore, eating garlic does not influence your HDL or good cholesterol levels.

Its main usefulness is because it’s fully packed with good amounts of Calcium, Copper, Phosphorous, Vitamin B1, Potassium, and Iron. As well as Manganese, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Fiber, Selenium, and much more key elements. Obviously, if you have a family history of heart disease or suffer from heart disease, you should consider adding garlic to your diet.

7. Preventing Alzheimer & Dementia Cases

Oxidative damage from free radicals contributes to the aging process. Garlic contains antioxidants that support the body’s protective mechanisms against oxidative damage. High doses of garlic supplements have been shown to increase antioxidant enzymes in humans. As well as, significantly reducing oxidative stress in those with high blood pressure.

Overall, this may help prevent any oxidative damage from occurring in your body. Typically, it’s these antioxidant properties that help prevent certain cognitive diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s. However, take this one with a pinch of garlic. Taking high doses of garlic supplements, however, does not mean that you will be immune to the disease.

The medicinal properties of garlic can only improve health to a certain point. Generally, it has combined effects on reducing cholesterol and blood pressure. As well as other key and useful natural antioxidant properties, which may help prevent common brain diseases. Like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

8. It Has Benefited So Many Splinters

Many of garlic’s astounding uses were forgotten in the folds of time but users (and believers) still vouch for the lesser-known benefits. One of them is against stubborn splinters. This ingredient is one of the earliest performance enhancers available. Garlic was used in the olden days to alleviate weariness and boost laborers’ working hours and endurance.

It was also fed to Greek Olympic athletes to boost their athletic performance. As discussed above, garlic can help active physical fitness, especially, splinters in many more ways than you can ever imagine — the same case applies to all.

It helps fitness enthusiasts in these ways:

Lowering the cholesterol levels
Maintaining and lowering the chances of high blood pressure
Reducing the likeliness of diseases and length of illness
Helping in boosting your overall body immunity
Providing a healing power after illness or injury

A healthy heart and body are key to keeping you fit. Ultimately, eating garlic plays an excellent role in minimizing, even if subtly, how soon you get weary when physically exerting yourself. That said, as a beginner, in order to do things right, just place a piece of cut garlic over the splinter cut and cover it with a bandage- and voila! Bye-bye splinter.

9. Take It If You Want To Live Longer (Detox)

In reality, effects on longevity are basically impossible to prove in humans. However, given the beneficial effects on important risk factors like blood pressure, it makes sense that garlic could help you live longer. The fact that it can fight infectious diseases is also an important factor because these are common causes of uncertain death.

Especially, in the elderly or people with dysfunctional immune systems. That being said, Garlic is a very important ingredient as far as detoxification is concerned — the process of getting rid of things that don’t belong in the body. It is an important part of good health and long life. In the world we are living, we are exposed to a wide range of chemicals and compounds daily.

Many of these compounds (environmental, water, and food factors) are not healthy and may even be detrimental to the body.

Consider the following key factors:

Pesticides and chemicals used in agriculture
Radiation etc from nuclear plants
Personal care products containing chemicals
Household cleaners and other household products

As such, Garlic is a very powerful detox food that promotes glutathione production by various liver enzymes. It also provides other important detoxifying components, including multiple bioactive selenium and sulfur compounds.

10. Ultimate Support For Arthritis And Bones

Finally, no human trials have measured the effects of garlic on bone loss. Garlic has high antioxidants, which help prevent any oxidative damage from occurring in your body. Remarkably, rodent studies have shown that it can minimize bone loss by increasing estrogen in females. Further, one study was also conducted in menopausal women as well.

Whereby, as a result, the research found that a daily dose of dry garlic extract (equal to 2 grams of raw garlic) significantly decreased a marker of estrogen deficiency. This suggests that this garlic may have beneficial effects on bone health in women. Foods like garlic and onions have also been shown to have beneficial effects on osteoarthritis.

A Useful Beginner Guide: Take Garlic But Don’t Make This Same Mistake Many People Do

Here is what we have learned:

High doses of garlic improve blood pressure for those with hypertension
Garlic supplements can reduce LDL and total cholesterol by 10-15%
In one large 12-week study, taking a daily garlic supplement reduced the number of colds by 63%
In some cases, supplements may be as effective as prescription medications
Garlic may benefit bone health by increasing progesterone levels in males and estrogen levels in females

In addition, the sulfur compounds in garlic can protect against organ damage from heavy metal toxicity. Suffice it to say, it’s fully packed with good amounts of Calcium, Copper, Phosphorous, Vitamin B1, Potassium, and Iron compounds. As well as Manganese, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Fiber, Selenium, and much more key elements yet to be discovered.

Once in a while, you can take your main meals with a pinch of garlic added to them. But, it’s also, important to realize, that taking high doses of garlic supplements, however, does not mean that you will be immune to the disease. For one thing, the medicinal properties of garlic can only improve your overall body health and wellness to a certain point.

Takeaway Notes:

In a nutshell, Garlic is a plant in the onion family that’s grown for its distinctive taste and health benefits. It contains sulfur compounds, which are believed to be responsible for some of those health benefits. For sure, Garlic is an important ingredient when it comes to strokes and heart attacks — the two of the most significant health concerns worldwide.

On that note, high blood pressure is a considerable risk factor for heart disease. It’s thought to cause about 70% of strokes, heart attacks, and chronic heart failure. High blood pressure is the cause of 13.5 percent of deaths worldwide. Because they are among the significant causes of death, addressing one of their primary causes, high blood pressure, is extremely important.

Useful Reference: Just Keep Calm And Garlic On! Learn Where To Buy Garlic Online

Garlic is a fantastic spice to include in your diet for those suffering from high blood pressure or hypertension. However, even if you are not a lover of garlic, taking garlic supplements will still give you the health benefits such as lowering high blood pressure, treating fever, and many more. Garlic also contains trace amounts of other nutrients.

And, as a result, giving you a little bit of almost everything your body needs. So, next time you’re grocery shopping, grab this ultimate pack full of body health and wellness benefits — that’s if you go ahead and buy some fresh garlic to add to your daily diet. Moreover, if you don’t consume enough garlic in your food, you may choose a high-quality natural supplement too.

Garlic | Top #10 Health Benefits To Body Health And Wellness