The notable quote, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” is from the ancient Greek philosopher and physician Hippocrates.
Known as the father of Western medicine, he recommended using garlic to treat different ailments. Modern science today supports many of the health benefits of garlic.
Here are 11 health benefits of garlic backed by human research.
Garlic Contains Compounds With Powerful Medicinal Properties
All through ancient history, people used garlic mainly for its health and medicinal properties.
Major civilizations, including the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Chinese, documented using garlic.
Scientists discovered that most of its health benefits are from sulfur compounds produced when a garlic clove is chopped, crushed, or chewed.
The most famous one is known as allicin. Although, it is an unstable compound only shortly present in freshly chopped or crushed garlic.
Diallyl disulfide and s-allyl cysteine are some other compounds that may contribute to garlic’s health benefits.
The sulfur compounds from garlic get into the digestive tract and move all over the body to apply its potent natural effects.
Garlic Is Highly Nutritious With Low Calories
Garlic is rich in nutrients, with very few calories
One clove (3 grams) of raw garlic has 4.5 calories, 0.2 grams of protein, and 1 gram of carbs.
It is full of:
Vitamin B6: 2% of the Daily Value (DV)
Manganese: 2% DV
Selenium: 1% DV
Vitamin C: 1% DV
Fiber: 0.06 grams
Proper amounts of vitamin B1, calcium, potassium, copper, phosphorus, and iron
Garlic Can Fight Sickness Like the Common Cold
We know garlic supplements are excellent in boosting the immune system. They help prevent and reduce the severity of frequent illnesses like the flu and common cold.
One large, 12-week study discovered that a daily garlic supplement lowered the number of colds by 63%.
The average time of cold symptoms was also cut by 70%, from 5 days to 1.5 days.
The Active Compounds in Garlic Can Lower Your Blood Pressure
The world’s biggest killers are cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks and strokes.
These diseases happen because of high blood pressure or hypertension.
Research has shown that garlic supplements have a major impact on reducing high blood pressure.
One study showed 600–1,500 mg of aged garlic extract was just as effective at reducing blood pressure as the drug Atenolol in over 6 months.
High supplement doses may be effective in creating the desired effects. The amount you need is the same as four cloves of garlic daily.
Garlic Improves Cholesterol Levels, Which May Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease
Garlic is powerful enough to lower total and LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol).
Garlic supplements appear to reduce total and/or LDL cholesterol by 10–15% for people with high cholesterol.
However, it doesn’t appear to have a reliable effect on HDL (the “good”) cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which is another risk factor identified for heart disease.
Garlic Has Antioxidants That May Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
Garlic contains antioxidants that boost our body’s protective mechanisms against cell damage. This damage from free radicals leads to aging.
High doses of garlic supplements increase our body’s antioxidant enzymes and reduce oxidative stress in those with high blood pressure.
All of these may reduce the risk of common brain diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Garlic May Help You Live Longer
Even though we cannot prove that garlic leads to longer life, it has major benefits. It helps to reduce important risk factors like blood pressure.
So, it only makes sense that garlic could potentially help you live longer.
It can fight chronic diseases that commonly cause death, especially in the aged or people with dysfunctional immune systems.
Garlic Supplements May Improve Athletic Performance
Garlic was one of the “performance-enhancing” substance ancient cultures used to reduce fatigue and increase laborers’ work capacity.
It was given especially to ancient Greek Olympic athletes.
Some studies have even found that garlic improves physical performance in lab animals. However, there are no conclusive benefits for healthy people.
Others suggest that we may reduce exercise-induced fatigue with garlic.
People suffering from heart disease who took garlic oil for 6 weeks could exercise better and had a 12% reduction in peak heart rate.
Eating Garlic May Detoxify Heavy Metals in the Body
Research shows that, at high doses, the sulfur compounds in garlic protect against organ damage caused by heavy metal toxicity.
A four-week study on car battery plant employees (exposed to too much lead) found that garlic reduced the blood’s lead levels by 19%.
It also reduced many symptoms of toxicity, such as headaches and blood pressure.
Three doses of garlic daily even outdid the drug D-penicillamine in reducing symptoms.
Garlic May Improve Bone Health
There is no research on how garlic affects bone loss in humans.
However, rodent studies have shown that by increasing estrogen in females, it can lessen bone loss.
One study in menopausal women stated that a dose of dry garlic extract each day (about 2 grams of raw garlic) reduced a marker of estrogen deficiency.
This means the supplement could have beneficial effects on bone health in women.
Garlic and onions may also have some benefits on osteoarthritis.
Garlic Is Tasty and Easy to Add to Your Diet
While it is not a health benefit, this is important. Garlic tastes great, and you can easily add it to your current diet.
It goes with zesty dishes, especially dressings, soups, and sauces. Its strong flavor can also add a punch to bland recipes.
The good thing is that garlic comes in several forms—whole cloves, powders, smooth pastes, and supplements like garlic extract and garlic oil.
But remember that the downside to garlic is that it causes bad breath, and some people are allergic to it.
Consult your doctor before increasing your garlic intake if you’re taking blood-thinning medications or have a bleeding disorder.
Final Thoughts
Although many people believed garlic has medicinal properties with great benefits for thousands of years, there is no significant scientific evidence to confirm this belief.
For more natural remedies and content go here >>>> Natural Remedies For Common Diseases
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