Do you know how much garlic a typical person eats in a year? A whopping 2 pounds! This spice has been used as a medicine for thousands of years before it was ever utilized to flavor your favorite recipes.

Asian cultures as diverse as China, Egypt, and the Romans all took advantage of garlic’s medicinal properties. Many reports describe how they put garlic to use as a remedy. Ingesting garlic has been linked to a wide variety of positive health effects.

Let’s uncover the health benefits of garlic that you should know about.

What is Garlic?

The plant from which garlic is derived, Allium sativum, is also related to the onion, leek, and chive. Its most prevalent uses deal with the circulatory system and the heart.

The plant that we know as garlic is a bulbous, glabrous herb that reaches a maximum height of around 30 centimeters. The leaves are long and thin and very flat. Multiple smaller bulbs, or cloves, are contained within the bulb’s white skin. In the gardening world, it is a well-known herb. Culinary and medical uses of garlic inspire its cultivation.

Health Benefits of Garlic

1. Garlic Has Been Shown To Increase The Body’s Resistance To Illness

Your immunity is what prevents illness in the first place and what helps in the fight against illness when necessary. Preventing colds and flu with the help of garlic’s immune system boosts. Six to eight colds are common in kids, but just two to four in adults. 

Raw garlic has been shown to prevent respiratory infections like the common cold, flu, and persistent cough. The most effective method is to consume two chopped garlic cloves daily. Garlic cloves on a string are hung around the necks of youngsters in various cultures to alleviate congestion.

Garlic cloves on a string are hung around the necks of youngsters in various cultures to alleviate congestion.

2. To Lower Blood Pressure, Eat Garlic

Illnesses related to the cardiovascular system, specifically strokes and heart attacks, rank among the world’s top health issues. One major contributor to the development of cardiovascular disease is hypertension. It’s believed to be the root cause of around 70% of all cardiovascular problems. 

13% and a half of all deaths are attributed to hypertension. Due to their prevalence as a leading cause of death, it is crucial to tackling one of their root causes: hypertension. To lower blood pressure, eating garlic is a great spice to incorporate into your diet.

However, if you want the health advantages of garlic without the garlic flavor, you can take garlic supplement pills. Just remember that you should take as many of these supplements as would equal four cloves of garlic. Before beginning any supplement regimen, it is recommended that you consult your doctor.

Before beginning any supplement regimen, it is recommended that you consult your doctor.

3. Garlic Has Been Shown To Lower Blood Cholesterol

In the blood, you’ll find a fatty substance called cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is the “bad” variety, while HDL cholesterol is the “good” kind. Health problems might arise from having too much LDL cholesterol and not enough HDL cholesterol. 

Studies have indicated that eating garlic can reduce both total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol by 10–15%. In addition, the HDL, or good, cholesterol in your body is unaffected by eating garlic. Garlic may help those who have heart disease or who have a family history of the condition.

4. Garlic Aids In Cancer Prevention

However, garlic’s positive effects on health are not limited to the cardiovascular system. And here’s yet another argument for loading up on this member of the onion family: it helps reduce inflammation. Consumption of fresh garlic has been linked to a reduced risk of colon cancer. 

The Iowa Women’s Health Study found that among women who frequently consumed garlic in combination with other vegetables and fruits, those with the lowest risk of developing colon cancer were those who consumed the greatest quantities of garlic. Even Nevertheless, experts concur that further research is necessary to fully understand this phenomenon.

5. Certain Components Of Garlic Have Antibacterial Effects

The active ingredient in allicin is found in garlic. Cloves contain the bioactive antibiotic allicin, which is activated when the cloves are cut, crushed, or diced. Extraction of garlic has been found to inhibit the development of: 

• fungal elements
• Parts of a Protozoa
• Influenza and other viral illnesses
• many types of bacteria, including Salmonella

Allicin has shown promise as a potential alternative to conventional antibiotics. When used with standard antibiotic treatment, it provides much more benefit.

6. Consuming Garlic May Lower Your Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia

Antioxidants found in abundance in garlic help keep your body safe from oxidative stress. Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are two forms of brain illness that can be avoided because of their antioxidant qualities. On the other hand, this one should be taken with a dash of garlic. Even if you take a lot of garlic pills, you still can get sick. Garlic’s healing powers can boost health, but only so much.

7. Eating Garlic Can Boost Your Athletic Abilities

An early available performance enhancer, this component has been around for quite some time. It was common practice in the past to give tired workers a dose of garlic to help them get back into working shape. Greek Olympic athletes also benefited from its use as a performance enhancer. Previously, we established that garlic has the potential to:

• LDL cholesterol
• Bring down the blood pressure
• Improves resistance
• decreases the duration of an illness

It’s impossible to stay in shape without a healthy heart and body. In conclusion, consuming garlic plays a great influence in slowing down, albeit modestly, how quickly you tire from physical exertion.

8. Garlic Detoxifies Your Body

During detoxification, the body eliminates toxins and other foreign substances. It plays a crucial role in maintaining health and living a long life. Each day, as we go about our lives, we are subjected to a barrage of different chemicals and substances. 

Numerous of these chemicals are harmful and should be avoided. To name a few aspects of nature, water, and nourishment:

• Agriculture-related pesticides and chemical fertilizers
• Contamination from nuclear power plants
• Products for use on one’s body that include chemicals
• Cleaners for the Home
• Various Utilitarian Goods

Detoxifying foods like garlic stimulate the formation of the antioxidant glutathione in the liver. It also provides various bioactive selenium and sulfur compounds, both of which play a key role in detoxification.

Final Thoughts

Since we’ve covered the many ways in which garlic can improve your health, whether eaten raw or as a supplement, you can now take the first step toward a new and improved you. Do you have anything to add to our list? Leave a comment below.

Also check out the 13 medicinal benefits of garlic here:

Disclaimer: The following information is provided solely for informational purposes and should not be considered professional advice or a substitute for professional consultation. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information presented, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, regarding the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability of the information provided. Any reliance you place on such details is strictly at your own risk.