By RJ LaPanta
Garlic has a very divided fan base. On one side there are people who hate its pungent taste and smell, while on the other people can’t stop loving it for its numerous benefits to health.
Garlic is a miracle herb which despite having a bad taste, has been used for decades as a medicine to prevent minor and life-threatening diseases. It has various sulfur-containing compounds that give its unique taste and odor.
One of the most important compounds of Garlic is Allicin which is known to have potent antiviral, antibacterial, anti-oxidant, and anti-fungal properties. The benefits you get from Allicin are numerous, especially when you consume the garlic by turning it into a puree.
Garlic is also a good source of selenium that has a positive effect on the digestive, circulatory, and immunological systems of the human body. In simple words, garlic can help in healing, controlling high blood pressure, and detoxification of the body.
What benefits you obtain from garlic depends on the garlic dosages, but here are the most popular health benefits of this miraculous herb.
Treats skin infections
Garlic is rich in ajoene that is proven to help treat fungal skin infections. So if you suffer from annoying fungal problems like athlete’s foot, use garlic-infused topical treatment and see the results for yourself.
Protects the heart
Cardiovascular problems like atherosclerosis or heart attacks can be prevented by consuming controlled garlic dosages. Heart attack and other heart diseases occur usually due to a problem in arteries, especially when they start to lose their ability to stretch. Garlic helps arteries by keeping their elasticity in check. At the same time, it protects your heart from free oxygen radicals.
Since garlic has sulfur-containing compounds, it can also prevent the blood vessels from being blocked. Ajoene, one of the compounds in garlic is also known to help prevent clots from forming in blood vessels.
Naturally fights allergies
As mentioned earlier, many of the compounds of garlic have anti-inflammatory properties. These compounds effectively fight against common allergies. Fresh garlic juice is actually also an immediate cure to many common allergies like rashes and bug bites.
Prevents cancer
Controlled garlic dosages can also help in lowering the risk of the most type of cancers. The anti-cancer properties of garlic are found in the allyl sulfides. This compound helps in reducing the transformation of PhiP into carcinogens.
Reduces blood pressure
High blood pressure or hypertension are known to cause life-threatening diseases of the heart, including a heart attack. The many compounds of Garlic have shown to significantly impact the blood pressure of the body, reducing it to normal when taking in controlled dosages.
Prevents Alzheimer’s disease
It is known that oxidative damage is one of the primary causes of aging in human beings. Garlic has antioxidant properties that help the body protect itself against oxidative damage. Higher garlic dosages can help increase antioxidant enzymes in the body which significantly reduces the stress of oxidative damage, especially in those who suffer from high blood pressure.
Garlic can help increase athletic performance
Before performance enhancing supplements were popular, garlic was used to increase athletic performance. Many research studies have proven that garlic can help control peak heart rate by reducing it by 12%, consequently giving you more exercise capacity. That’s why it is no surprise that many performance boosting supplements have garlic as a key ingredient.
Helps with hair loss
Garlic is very commonly used in hair products to help treat patients suffering from alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss due to immune cells persistently attacking the hair follicles. Garlic contains Diallyl disulfide which reduces the autoimmune response and induces hair re-growth.
Conclusion
Garlic may not be the best when it comes to taste and smell, but the medicinal properties of the herb can help improve your life on so many levels. With controlled garlic dosages, you can pretty much prevent any life-threatening disease to enter your body.
For best results, eat garlic raw, in pureed form, or make juice! Just be sure not go overboard with your love for garlic and try using it early morning for best results.
Author RJ LaPanta
Most of my life is spent focusing on health and wellness. I’m a big advocate of eating a plant-based diet, and I work out an average of five times per week. I’m in the middle of a major career change and while I finish some advanced education, I figured I’d write to stimulate my mind. Most of my musings are about health topics, but I will go off the grid from time to time. As someone who always likes to joke around, you’ll find that a lot of my content is straight up satire, or simply for entertainment purposes. Laughter is the cheapest medicine you can buy.
Feature Photo by Mike Kenneally on Unsplash
