Garlic aka the white angel is one of the most commonly used cooking ingredients. As most of you already know, garlic has a natural treasure of nutrients, but there is ample information on garlic that you probably may not know. This article is to discuss benefits for garlic for health in detail.
Let’s quickly understand its basic botany: garlic belongs to the family of onion genus Allium. Its biological name is Allium sativum. Garlic has its origin in Central Asia and Iran. Nevertheless, it is being widely used in cuisines across the world. And you ought to believe me saying there are over 450 other varieties of garlic available in the world today of which most of them are used as flavoring agents for seasonings.
Poking its history, humans have been consuming garlic for over several centuries which is evident in Egyptian and Chinese history. Chinese are notably the largest producers of garlic as they account for over 80% of global garlic production. The benefits of garlic are humongous. Let’s quickly get into the same in detail:
Do you know? April 19 is celebrated as national garlic day.
Table of Contents
12 Benefits Of Garlic For Health
1. Rich nutritive values
As obvious, garlic bulbs are very high in nutrition. These small white bulbs are packed with sulfur compounds that enter our body through our digestive tract. Diallyl disulfide and S-Allyl cysteine are also found in the same. Garlic also contains a reasonable amount of calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamin B12. In addition, garlic has an ample amount of allicin which is released as we cut, grind, or chew the garlic. Allicin is the reason for its strong flavor, and it is the main component that protects your heart.
Fact
One clove i.e. 3grams of garlic contains 2% of manganese of daily value, 2% of vitamin B6 of the daily value, vitamin C 1%, Selenium 1%, fiber 0.06 grams, 0.2 grams of protein and finally, 1 gram of carbs.
All the nutrients found in garlic totally account for 4.5 calories! Garlic is highly nutritive with the low-calorie count. At this juncture, you need to know that consuming raw, well-chopped garlic with boiled water helps the body in easily assimilating its nutrients.
2. Bye, bye common cold
As you probably know, garlic is used in treating common cold. Researches show that people who ate garlic regularly are less prone to the common cold. While the average symptoms of cold lasted only for 1.5 days in people who eat garlic, the duration may extend up to 5 days in case of people who don’t regularly consume the same.
In India, a mixture of raw Garlic is ground with pepper, and the two are boiled with salt and coriander leaves. This decoction is fed to patients who suffer from severe symptoms of a cold to which there are miraculous benefits.
3. Keeps BP and cholesterol levels under control
Studies have shown that 600 to 1500 mg of garlic juice is equivalent to the drug called Atenolol. Scientifically, the polysulfide found in the garlic plays a vital role in controlling your blood pressure levels. Garlic also helps in maintaining cellular health which is one of the benefits of garlic for health. This is one of the main benefits of Garlic for health.
Garlic is a good cholesterol controller. The active components in Garlic help you to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood and lower the risk of heart attacks. It shows specific reactions to LDL cholesterol which is termed as bad cholesterol while at the same time, garlic doesn’t have any adverse effect on HDL cholesterol which is touted to be the good cholesterol.
Note: Studies reaffirm that garlic helps in reducing LDL cholesterol considerably up to 10% to 15% and also states that it boosts heart health. It is considered as one of the most important benefits of garlic
4. Excellent antioxidant and detox properties
Garlic is high in antioxidants which helps in supporting the body to fight against oxidative damage. It also used to reduce the oxidative stress on high blood pressure patients. Garlic is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal and above all, it is an excellent detoxifier. Garlic primarily helps in detoxifying the body and intestines effectively.
5. Improves digestion and maintains healthy thyroid gland
Garlic is used to improve overall digestion. For people with digestive troubles, it is often suggested to eat raw garlic which has a natural tendency of resolving gut-related issues.
Garlic largely helps in killing intestinal worms and benefits intestinal tracts by weeding out bad bacteria from the gut. It however doesn’t hinder the performance of good bacteria.
As far as its anti-inflammatory properties are concerned, garlic enhances overall gut health. It is one of the important benefits of garlic for health.
6. Maintains healthy levels of blood sugar and body weight
Garlic helps in altering the expression of genes that are responsible for the formation of adipose cells that store fat. Garlic also aids in improving thermogenesis in our bodies. Can’t you understand? Well, let me put it in simple words: it helps it increases the body heat and burns the body’s unwanted fat. One more answer to what are the benefits of garlic for health is that it is used in the maintenance of healthy blood sugar levels.
Do you know? As per various survey reports, diabetic people had much-regulated blood sugar levels when they regularly consume garlic.
7. Good for hair and skin
Garlic is very helpful in treating acne and it also helps in lightening acne scars. Other serious skin issues like psoriasis, blisters are also cured by applying garlic juice. Garlic has antioxidant properties and in fact, studies have shown that the garlic juice has the ability to protect our skin from UV rays. It is also used to treat hair-related issues like dandruff, itchy scalp, among others. When used along with sesame oil, it can cure a host of hair-related problems and also promotes hair re-growth.
One of the important benefits of garlic for health is it’s used to right renal problems. Freshly prepared garlic juice has the power to kill E Coli bacteria which is the main causative agent for urinary tract infection or UTI. It also helps in preventing kidney infections.
8. Helps in retrieving liver from alcohol injury
One of the other outstanding benefits of garlic for health is that it helps in preventing and curing ulcers and cancer. The antibacterial properties of garlic help in destroying the bacteria causing peptic ulcers and helps in maintaining the Gut health. Garlic furthermore helps in curing prostate cancer. This is evident with the test results by doctors in China and Japan.
It is also important to note that garlic has the ability to treat colon, lung, liver, bladder cancer. One of the important benefits of garlic for health is that it helps in rejuvenating the liver and cures it off the injury that occurred as a result of excessive alcohol consumption.
Do you know? Diallyl disulfide (DADS) present in the garlic aids in repairing the liver cells from oxidative stress caused by the alcohol.
9. Treats athlete’s foot
Apart from the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of garlic, it also acts as a powerful fungicide. Garlic helps in the treatment of Athlete’s foot. If you’re wondering what it is, athlete’s foot is a condition where patients suffer itchy fungal infection in the foot. For this condition, it is advised to apply fresh garlic juice on the foot for cure.
10. Enhanced athletic performance and stronger bones
Garlic can reduce bone loss by increasing estrogen levels in females. It also helps in reducing the risk of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Besides, garlic helps in increasing bone health for women after menopause. Garlic is used to enhance performance and reduce fatigue during physical labor. Athletes and common people use garlic to reduce exercise-induced fatigue.
Suggested Read: What are the Benefits Of Papaya? 10 Powerful Benefits
11. Protects brain and heart health
Garlic helps in improving memory. There is a powerful antioxidant present in garlic which helps in preventing brain damage that is often caused due to free radicals. Garlic also increases blood flow to the brain by reducing cholesterol levels in the body. Due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, garlic is used to treat neurodegenerative diseases. Dementia and Alzheimer’s can be treated as well.
With ageing, the arteries lose their natural tendency of stretching. To this condition, often garlic is suggested. This can be taken as a garlic powder supplement twice a daily for 24 months and it shall gradually reduce the hardening process. People with heart disease are advised to take garlic oil for 6 weeks after which you will observe fabulous results that shows up to 12% and such people can also exercise longer without feeling tired.
Ultimately, garlic helps in protecting your heart and overall health.
12. Integral part of every cuisine
Apart from the benefits of garlic for health, it is also much used in cooking. All over the world, the Egyptians have been using garlic since ages. Garlic is also widely used in Central Asian and northeastern cuisines in the making of soups and breads, and in India for making curries, gravies, Briyani and more.
Agliata an Italian sauce is made of Garlic. It tastes excellently well with savory and pungent tastes. In Romania, spicy sauce made from garlic cloves ground into a paste is mixed with saltwater and vegetable oil which is very famous called mujdei.
Garlic is furthermore used is a preservative. It is an antioxidant that protects our body and also the food. This is why garlic is often used in the making of pickles. Ginger garlic paste is a mixture of raw Ginger and garlic cloves. This mixture is frequently used in India in the making of a variety of dishes to enhance its taste. Garlic chutney is also a common dis prepared using fresh garlic, coconut, red chillies, and salt. This is a common side dish for breakfast recipes like Idli or Dosa.
Do you know? Alliumphobia is the fear fear of garlic.
Wind Up Note
Ever heard of the Gilroy garlic festival is a food festival in the United States of America. It is held annually in Gil Gilroy California. It’s a three-day event that happens between 26th July and 28 July it’s one of the biggest and festivals in the country. It receives a large number of visitors who come and enjoy the festival to taste different garlic-based dishes. Garlic is literally a gift from the god and answers to what are the benefits for garlic for health are too many to avoid the cloves!
