Top 6 health benefits of eating garlic

Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers

Have you heard this phrase before? This is a 1980 documentary film about garlic directed by Les Blank. It is a very good documentary about garlic with shots from the Gilroy Garlic Festival and lots of good information about cooking with garlic from some of the best cooks in the SF Bay Area.

Garlic (Allium sativum), is widely used as a flavoring in cooking, but it has also been used as a medicine throughout ancient and modern history; it has been taken to prevent and treat a wide range of conditions and diseases. Let's check out the health benefits of eating garlic.

1. It boosts your immune system

Historically, garlic has been used to ward off illnesses, fight infections, and treat wounds. Garlic can be crushed, chewed, or sliced to produce allicin, which is thought to give garlic its immune-boosting properties. It is found that the regular use of raw garlic or aged garlic extract helps reduce the frequency of common illnesses like the flu and common cold by 63%.

2. It can control high blood pressure

Garlic has anti-inflammatory properties that help regulate the blood flow more easily through the body. It is found that the intake of four cloves of garlic a day has a significant impact on reducing high blood pressure (hypertension). In some instances, supplements may be as effective as regular medications.

3. It can lower the risk of heart disease

It is found that consuming 4 grams of raw garlic daily helps to lower the cholesterol levels because of the anti-oxidant properties of Allicin (a compound obtained from garlic when it is crushed). Garlic can also reduce heart disease risk by relaxing your hardened blood vessels. 

4. It can protect from cancer

People who ate raw garlic on a regular basis have been found to lower the risk of several types of cancer, including the lung, stomach, throat, and prostate. The sulfur compounds in garlic are known to selectively kill off cancer cells, and prevent cancer from growing and spreading.

5. It makes your bone stronger

It is found that the intake of garlic increases the level of estrogen in females. Estrogen is a female sex hormone that is essential to female bone health because it promotes the activity of osteoblasts, which are cells that produce bone. 

6. It keeps your skin and hair healthy

Garlic is a superfood because it has so many beneficial properties: antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal which helps in clear up your skin by killing acne-causing bacteria. It is also effective against fungal infections. It is found that rubbing crushed garlic extract on your scalp or massaging with garlic-infused oil is known to prevent and even reverse hair loss.

Conclusion

Garlic has a history of about several thousand years of human consumption and is often used as a medicine in some civilizations. It will continue to provide its benefits to future generations as well. So, now you are aware of the various health benefits of garlic, why not start including it in your food habits?
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