The uses for garlic extend far beyond fending off vampires and I’ve got 4 reasons to love Garlic! Known for its strong, unmistakable flavor and aroma it is also abundant in a variety of health benefits. Sure, there are garlic supplements available that provide some real benefits, but one of the wonderful things about garlic is that it is infinitely useable in cooking; gleaning the health benefits of garlic is as easy as adding it into your food! (I use a nearly offensive amount in most of my cooking; I like using enough in guacamole to make it spicy.) Fresh garlic is likely better than powdered garlic to use in food, as far as health benefits are concerned. It is also beneficial to crush garlic when using it in food to release its active sulfer components, such as allicin, which are thought to be responsible for the majority of garlic’s health benefits. You don’t have to love garlic but you might consider it more.
These are but a few of the health benefits of garlic:
Antimicrobial Effects
Garlic is one of the best, natural antibiotics around. Garlic is known to be effective against certain bacteria and is a powerful anti-fungal. In fact, if you are on the Kaufmann Kaufmann 1 Diet, garlic is one of the most powerful food-as-medicine tools you can keep in your pantry or medicine cabinet.
Adding garlic into your regimen is known to assist in fighting off cold and flu, both as a preventative measure and as a remedy for when you do get sick. This may make it a good, first line-of-defense tool when prescription antibiotics would be used, otherwise.
Heart Health
Garlic has a variety of properties making it beneficial for heart health. Active comments in garlic act as vasodilators, meaning they allows blood vessels to expand, promoting blood flow.Garlic has tremendous efficacy in lowering blood pressure and lowering bad cholesterol, two key factors in preventing heart disease, including heart attacks.
BrainHealth
Garlic has shown some benefit in preventing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Anti-oxidants in garlic are known to combat the oxidative damage that might be responsible for these common brain diseases.
Detoxify
We are exposed to toxic chemicals every day in our air, water and other other forms of exposure. Among these toxic chemicals are heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium and lead. Garlic, however, can help rid these toxic components from our blood. One study showed a 19% reduction in blood levels of lead for car battery factory workers.