Garlic is known as Allium sativum, commonly used as a seasoning in cooking, but it has also been used as a medicine in classical and contemporary times to prevent and treat a variety of ailments and disorders.
Garlic is a member of the Allium genus, which is an Asian onion. It has been utilized for centuries, and in Ancient Egypt, it was employed for both culinary, and health reasons.
Hippocrates, the inventor of Western medicine, famously said: He used to recommend garlic as a treatment for several ailments. Many of these health benefits have lately been validated by modern science. Here are human research-backed garlic health advantages.
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1. Garlic can help with a variety of ailments, especially colds
Garlic supplements have been shown to improve immune system performance. When compared to a placebo, a daily garlic pill reduced the number of colds by 63 percent in a 12-week study.
Cold symptoms were also decreased by 70% in the garlic group, going from 5 days in the placebo group to only 1.5 days in the garlic group. Another research found that taking a high dose of aged garlic extract (2.56 grams per day) reduced the number of days spent unwell with a cold or flu by 61%.
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2. Garlic lowers cholesterol levels, possibly reducing the risk of heart disease
Garlic can reduce both total and LDL cholesterol levels. Garlic supplements appear to lower total and/or LDL cholesterol by 10–15 percent in people with high cholesterol levels.
Garlic appears to have no effect on triglyceride levels, which is another established risk factor for heart disease.
3. Garlic is high in compounds that have medicinal properties
Garlic belongs to the Allium (onion) family of plants. Onions, shallots, and leeks are all close relatives. Clove is a name for each section of a garlic bulb. A single bulb has approximately 10–20 cloves, give or take.
Garlic is grown in many places of the world and is a popular cooking ingredient because of its strong aroma and flavor. However, garlic’s main use in ancient history was for its health and medical virtues.
Many important civilizations, including the Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, and Chinese, used it. Sulfur chemicals generated when a garlic clove is chopped, mashed, or chewed are now known to be responsible for the majority of its health advantages.
Allicin is one of the most well-known of these compounds. Allicin, on the other hand, is a volatile component that is only present for a short time after cutting or crushing raw garlic.
Diallyl disulfide and s-allyl cysteine are two more chemicals that may contribute to garlic’s health advantages. Garlic’s sulfur components enter the body through the digestive system and move throughout the body, where they exert their powerful bioactivities.
4. Garlic has been shown to help healthier lives
In humans, it’s virtually impossible to verify garlic’s potential longevity effects. Garlic, on the other hand, may help you live longer because of its favorable impact on crucial risk factors like blood pressure.
Its ability to combat infectious disease is also a significant issue, as infections are prevalent causes of death, particularly in the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.
5. Garlic Could Help Your Bones
The impact of garlic on bone loss has not been studied in humans. However, it has been demonstrated in rodent experiments that boosting estrogen in females can help to prevent bone loss.
A daily dose of dry garlic extract (equivalent to 2 grams of raw garlic) reduced a marker of estrogen insufficiency considerably in menopausal women, according to one research.
This indicates that this supplement could help women’s bones. Garlic and onions, for example, may have anti-arthritic properties.
6. Garlic’s Active Compounds Have Blood pressure-lowering Potential
The leading causes of death worldwide are cardiovascular disorders such as heart attacks and strokes. One of the main causes of these disorders is high blood pressure, sometimes known as hypertension.
Garlic supplements have been shown in human studies to help persons with high blood pressure lower their blood pressure.
Throughout 24 weeks, 600–1,500 mg of aged garlic extract was just as beneficial as the medicine Atenolol in lowering blood pressure. To obtain the intended benefits, supplement doses must be fairly high. The amount required per day is approximately four garlic cloves.
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7. Garlic Supplements Could Help You Perform Better in Sports
One of the first performance-enhancing drugs was garlic. It was commonly utilized in ancient cultures to alleviate weariness and increase laborers’ workability.
It was most famously awarded to Olympic competitors in ancient Greece.
Garlic has been demonstrated to improve exercise performance in rodents, but there has been little human research.
Garlic oil reduced peak heart rate by 12% and improved exercise capacity in people with heart disease who took it for 6 weeks. However, no performance improvements were discovered in a study of nine competitive cyclists. According to other research, garlic may help to minimize exercise-induced weariness.
8. Garlic is high in antioxidants, which may aid in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
The aging process is aided by oxidative damage from free radicals. Garlic is high in antioxidants, which help the body’s antioxidant defenses. Garlic supplements at high doses have been found to boost antioxidant enzymes and lower oxidative stress in people with high blood pressure.
The antioxidant qualities, as well as the combined impact on lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, may lower the risk of prevalent brain illnesses including Alzheimer’s and dementia.
9. Garlic Is High In Nutrients But Low In Calories
Garlic is extremely healthy, calorie for calorie. A raw garlic clove (3 g) has the following ingredients:
Manganese has a daily value of 2%, 1% of the daily value (DV) in vitamin C, 0.06 grams of fiber, 2% of the daily value for vitamin B6, 0.06 grams of fiber, and 1% of the DV in selenium. Calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamin B1 are all present in sufficient proportions.
There are 4.5 calories, 0.2 grams of protein, and 1 gram of carbohydrates in this serving. Garlic also has trace levels of a number of different nutrients. It actually has a little bit of practically everything you require.
10. Garlic consumption may help the body detox heavy metals.
Garlic’s sulfur components have been demonstrated to protect organs from heavy metal poisoning when consumed in large concentrations.
Garlic lowered lead levels in the blood by 19% in a four-week trial of personnel at a car battery plant (who had been exposed to too much lead). Many toxicity symptoms, such as headaches and high blood pressure, were also reduced.
Garlic at three dosages per day reduced symptoms better than the medication D-penicillamine.
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Conclusion
The final point isn’t directly related to health, but it’s still significant. Garlic is simple to incorporate into your current diet (and tasty to eat). Most savory meals, especially soups and sauces, are enhanced by it. Garlic’s pungent flavor can liven up even the blandest of dishes.
Garlic is available in a variety of forms, including whole cloves, smooth pastes, powders, and supplements like garlic extract and garlic oil. Garlic, however, has certain drawbacks, including foul breath. It also causes allergic reactions in certain persons.
Before increasing your garlic consumption, consult your doctor if you have a bleeding disorder or are using blood-thinning drugs. Using garlic to press a few cloves of fresh garlic, then mixing it with extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt is a common technique to use garlic. This dressing is both nutritious and filling.
