Millions of people around the world eat garlic every day, but not many of them know that it actually has very strong medicinal properties. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Babylonians and Chinese knew about the health benefits of garlic and used it extensively. According to Ayurveda in India, it is also a potent remedy for various diseases and conditions, although it also has some side effects. So you can continue to use garlic in your pizza and pasta, but you can also use garlic as an actual medicine when you’re sick. Here are 7 reasons to use garlic for your health.
Anti-Parasitic
For thousands of years, our predecessors used garlic to fight various infections, ward off parasites, and flush out toxins. You can also say goodbye to bad bacteria and yeast infections. A garlic-based mouthwash will remove all decay-causing bacteria from your mouth, although it’s not the most refreshing method. Eating garlic and some herbal mixtures for a long time will free the body from all kinds of parasites.
Normalize Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is the cause of various heart diseases. Garlic not only helps regulate blood pressure, but also balances cholesterol and lowers blood sugar. All of this happens with the sulfuric compound Allicin found in freshly cut, crushed or pressed garlic. This means that you will get the most benefit from consuming uncooked garlic as it loses most of its medicinal properties when you add it as an ingredient in your meals.
Nutrients
Garlic contains many essential vitamins and minerals for your overall health. It has high levels of Vitamin C, copper, iron, selenium, magnesium and vitamin B6. The latter two are known to be responsible for cognitive functions, brain health, and good mood. Garlic is low in calories, making it a perfect supplement to boost your health.
Cold And Flu
Garlic is a powerful immune booster and will help your body deal with a cold or flu immediately due to the sulfur compounds that form when you crush, cut or chew a fresh garlic clove. This means that you can reap the most benefits from consuming raw garlic. To combat the seasonal flu, take a few cloves of raw garlic or make garlic tea with some ginger and honey for a more pleasant taste. This will boost your immunity and reduce cold symptoms
Healthy Hair
You may have heard that onions can restore some of your damaged hair – well, garlic can also provide some beauty benefits. If you have thin hair and feel like it’s falling out too much, take some garlic extract (from crushed garlic) and gently massage it into your scalp. As you probably know, all hair problems are caused by your diet or your scalp. You need to keep both healthy! You can also try some garlic-infused oils and massage your head at least once a week. Your hair will become much stronger.
Youthful Skin
One of the main reasons our skin looks tired and aged is a lack of collagen, which occurs due to improper diet, inadequate sleep cycles and stress. All of these factors lead to more wrinkles, making you look older than you care to be. Garlic helps retain collagen and it can also be used topically to treat various skin conditions and fungal infections.
How to use it
Now that you know that garlic is pretty amazing, especially when eaten raw, you may want to include it in your diet. Make a salad dressing by crushing a clove of garlic and mixing it with some olive or sunflower oil. You can also make a healthy, albeit slightly pungent, spread on toast – just crush a clove of garlic and mix it with some buffalo butter for a better taste. If it’s not raw garlic, you can simply use it to spice up your veggies, soups, and smoothies. There are also supplements that you can take without the smell!
