HEALTH BENEFIT OF GARLIC

Garlic has been heralded as a wonder drug for thousands of years and has been used for medicinal purposes by the Babylonians, Greeks, Egyptians, Romans and Chinese. It has been used to combat the plague, prevent gangrene, treat hypertension and ward off evil spirits. But is it the dietary equivalent of Viagra? “Having a problem maintaining an erection can be socially embarrassing” Having a problem maintaining an erection can be socially embarrassing – 2.3 million men in the UK are predicted to have erectile dysfunction but most are too embarrassed to admit it.

For most men erectile dysfunction is physiological and not psychological. In order to maintain an erection the arteries need to have an efficient blood flow. Erectile dysfunction indicates a hardening of the arteries, which means it could be an early biomarker of impending cardiovascular disease.*

Eating garlic regularly is not only good for us; it has been linked to reducing or even helping to prevent four of the major causes of death worldwide, including heart disease, stroke, cancer and infections. The National Cancer Institute does not recommend any dietary supplement for cancer prevention, but it does recognize the spice as one of several vegetables with potential anticancer properties.

Other than the most extreme, rare situations, I believe every person on the planet should consume this spice. It’s extremely cost-effective, super easy to grow and tastes absolutely fantastic. So find out more about garlic benefits, uses, research, how to grow your own and some great-tasting recipes. Garlic contains allicin, which improves blood flow. We took eight willing volunteers with erectile dysfunction and fed them four cloves of raw garlic every day for three months to see if we could improve their chances of maintaining an erection, and, in the long-term prevent more serious risks of disease.

Medicinal Raw Garlic Benefits

1. Prevention of Heart Disease

Consuming garlic on a daily basis (in food or raw) helps to lower cholesterol levels because of the anti-oxidant properties of Allicin. It is also immensely beneficial to regulate blood pressure and blood sugar levels. It is essential to remember that the sulphur-containing compound Allicin tends to lose its medicinal properties when garlic is cooked whole. It is imperative to consume garlic raw or semi-cooked to derive any of its benefits.

2. For Skin and Hair

The invigorating properties of garlic protect the skin from the effect of free radicals and slow down the depletion of collagen which leads to loss of elasticity in aging skin. Applied topically, garlic does wonders to skin infected with fungal infections and  provides relief from skin ailments like eczema. It is also an effective remedy for fungal infections like athlete’s foot and ringworms. All of us know about the wonders of onion for hair but its brother, garlic is no less of a hero for your thinning mane. Well, its surprise time. Rubbing crushed garlic extract on your scalp or massaging with garlic-infused oil is known to prevent and even reverse hair loss.

3. Anti-bacterial and Anti-parasitic

Garlic is one of the best kept medicinal treasures of the past era – it has been used as an antibiotic to treat bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections for the last 7,000 years. Studies suggest diluted garlic extract helps children with tapeworm infections. A garlic-based mouthwash may not sound like fresh, minty breath but a very small quantity of its extracts is sufficient to ward off cavity-causing bacteria.

4. High Blood Pressure

An interesting phenomenon of garlic is that has been shown to help control high blood pressure. One study looked at the effect of aged garlic extract as an adjunct treatment for people already taking antihypertensive medication yet still having uncontrolled hypertension. The study, published in the scientific journal Maturitas, evaluated 50 people with “uncontrollable” blood pressure. It was uncovered that simply taking four capsules of aged garlic extract (960 milligrams) daily for three months caused blood pressure to drop by an average of 10 points. Another study published in 2014 found that garlic has “the potential to lower BP in hypertensive individuals similarly to standard BP medication.” So garlic, specifically in the form of the standardizable and highly tolerable aged extract for this study, could work just as well as prescription hypertension medications. This study further explains that the spice’s polysulfides promote the opening or widening of blood vessels and, hence, blood pressure reduction.

5. Diabetes

Eating garlic has been shown to help regulate blood sugar levels, potentially stop or decrease the effects of some diabetes complications, as well as fight infections, reduce LDL cholesterol and encourage circulation. A study of diabetic rats showed that this spice may be very helpful at improving the overall health of diabetics, including the mitigation of common diabetic complications like atherosclerosis and nephropathy. These rats, which received a daily extract of raw garlic for seven weeks, significantly had lowered serum glucose (blood sugar level), cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Compared to the control group, the rats receiving raw garlic had 57 percent less serum glucose, 40 percent lower serum cholesterol levels and 35 percent lower triglycerides. In addition, urinary protein levels in spice-treated rats were 50 percent lower. Another study also showed that for type II diabetes patients, garlic significantly improved blood cholesterol levels. Specifically, its consumption reduced total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol and moderately raised HDL cholesterol compared to placebo.

6. Cold and Flu

Garlic is going to provide you relief from that stubborn cold and flu (yes, they absolutely love you and never want to leave). Taking 2-3 cloves of raw or cooked garlic a day or sipping some garlic tea (with a touch of honey or ginger to lift up the taste) is not only going to relieve a stuffed nose and cure the cold but also build your immunity against these frequent visitors over time. According to Dr. Shikha Sharma, Delhi-based Health and Wellness Expert, and founder of Nutrihealth says,” One of the earliest uses of garlic was by meat-eaters because it was believed that meat could cause infection which garlic could fight off from the body. More commonly used by labourers who are exposed to infections and disease-friendly environments till recently, its plethora of health benefits has made white-collar workers also take to it.” She added, “Garlic can be added to hot stews, broths and soups to fight sinusitis, cold and flu. And garlic is best had in its raw state

7. Garlic May Help You Live Longer

The potential effects of garlic on longevity are basically impossible to prove in humans. But given the beneficial effects on important risk factors like blood pressure, it makes sense that garlic could help you live longer. The fact that it can fight infectious disease is also an important factor, because these are common causes of death, especially in the elderly or people with dysfunctional immune systems.

8. Garlic May Improve Bone Health

No human studies have measured the effects of garlic on bone loss. However, rodent studies have shown that it can minimize bone loss by increasing estrogen in females. One study in menopausal women found that a daily dose of dry garlic extract (equal to 2 grams of raw garlic) significantly decreased a marker of estrogen deficiency. This suggests that this supplement may have beneficial effects on bone health in women. Foods like garlic and onions may also have beneficial effects on osteoarthritis.

 9. Garlic Is a Powerful Antioxidant

Free radicals are unstable molecules that damage DNA and lead to poor health. Garlic contains potent antioxidants that fight these free radicals. When allicin breaks down, it produces an acid that reacts with and traps the free radicals. Researchers at Queens University in Ontario believe this may be the most powerful dietary antioxidant ever discovered.

10. Garlic Offers Liver Protection

Garlic is one of the best foods to help cleanse your liver. It can help mitigate the effects of fatty liver disease and provides hepatoprotective effects from certain toxic agents. Studies have found that garlic can protect liver cells from acetaminophen, gentamycin, and nitrates.