What is Garlic?
Garlic is a Bulbous herb vegetable, and it belongs to the Allium family, scientifically named Allium sativum. The cloves of garlic are firm and are covered in a thick paper-like case. You need to detach the cloves from the bulb and peel them to use garlic with various food. Garlic has a pungent taste and gets mellow when cooked, and adds an excellent flavor to the food. Since garlic contains an organic sulfur compound called allicin, gives a pungent smell and makes it a healthy addition to your diet. There are also different types of garlic, like silverskin garlic, artichoke garlic, softneck, and hardneck garlic.
Numerous health benefits of Garlic include treating colds & cough, joint pain, reversing heart disease, improving diabetics’ condition, improving skin and hair health, and also fighting various forms of cancer.
Here are Interesting health benefits of Garlic
-
Garlic Maintains Blood Pressure
The presence of S-allyl cysteine, a bioactive sulfur compound present in the garlic extract, helps in lowering blood pressure. Lack of sulfur is also one of the reasons that most people have high blood pressure. So taking garlic into your diet can help to stabilize blood pressure.
-
Garlic Reduces Bad Cholesterol
It has been found that the garlic extract supplement helps to reduce LDL cholesterol i.e bad cholesterol, by around 6mg/dL. Many studies show that regular intake of garlic can reduce LDL cholesterol, but the cholesterol-reducing effect may be temporary.
-
Garlic Prevents Cardiovascular diseases
Many studies say that garlic helps to prevent almost all cardiovascular diseases. It lowers the risk as well as helps to prevent cardiovascular disease by reducing the LDL cholesterol, serum triglyceride, and lipid. They also have a positive impact on your arteries and blood pressure.
-
Garlic Helps in Relieving Intestinal Ailments
An improper digestive system or an upset stomach can make your daily life dull. Taking garlic into your diet provides great relief and fights against intestinal problems. Garlic has an antibacterial effect and the ability to differentiate good and bad bacteria in the intestine. It can also be effective against stomach infections.
-
Garlic Helps to Fight Diabetes
Due to the unhealthy lifestyle, many people are having diabetes. A study shows that consuming garlic could help to reduce the levels of blood sugar in people who are suffering from type 2 diabetes and also offers other benefits in the treatment of metabolic condition. It is also found that garlic supplements or extracts offer more benefits to diabetic patients and regulate blood glucose.
-
Garlic Helps to treat Asthma, Cold and Flu
Many people have used garlic to treat the common cold, flu, and asthma. It is found that it has the ability to delay hypersensitivity associated with asthma and can help to treat cold. Garlic provides great relief from cold and flu. Taking 2-3 raw garlic a day will help you to relieve from a stuffed nose and cures cold and builds the immunity of your body.
-
Garlic is Good for Eye Care
Interestingly, many of the studies show garlic is helpful in improving eye health. The presence of antimicrobial properties of garlic helps in fighting against the microbes that are responsible for causing eyesight-threatening keratitis. Consuming 3-4 garlic a day can help to protect your eyes.
-
Garlic Contains Anti-parasitic and Anti-bacterial properties
Garlic is one of the best vegetables that has incredible medicinal properties. It contains an anti-bacterial and anti-parasitic property that helps your children with tapeworm infections, and garlic extracts help to obviate cavity-causing bacteria.
-
Garlic Helps to Fight Cancer
Diallyl sulfide present in the garlic helps to inhibit oxidative stress and the presence of selenium contains cancer-fighting properties. The intake of garlic regularly in your food prevents DNA mutation, metastasis and rapid growth of uncontrolled cells. Studies show that garlic lowered the tumor formation by 33% and stomach cancer by 52%. So along with a good healthy lifestyle, make a habit to consume garlic with your foods to prevent the risk of cancer.
-
Garlic is Best For Healthy Skin and Hair
The stimulating properties of garlic help to protect your skin from the impact of free radicals. It also slows down collagen depletion, which results in loss of elasticity in aging skin. When garlic is applied topically over the skin really helps with fungal infections and provides relief from eczema. It also helps you with ringworms and athlete’s foot. The antioxidants and anti-bacterial properties of garlic help you to get rid of acne-causing bacteria. It is a surprise that applying or massaging garlic extract on your scalp will help you to stay away from scalp infection, prevent hair loss and even reverse hair loss.
Note: We have seen the health benefits of garlic, but you also need to take note of the use of garlic, as it can also cause discomfort.
Overdoing garlic can cause upset stomach, diarrhea, body odor, bloating, feeling of fullness, bad breath, etc. It also causes a stinging feeling on the skin, and to some people, garlic extract or garlic supplements can cause fatigue, muscle aches, appetite loss, dizziness, and skin rashes.
Disclaimer: The article is solely for informational purposes. It cannot be used for the purpose of diagnosis or treatment of any medical conditions. The content is not meant to be used as a substitute for advice from a certified medical professional.
Ayush Henry is a prolific copywriter. He is a professional soft skills trainer known for his boundless energy and enthusiasm. Ayush holds MBA in hospitality and a Master of Arts in English. He indulged himself in creative writing and has been crafting online and print educational materials since 2010.
Leave a Reply