I once heard an interesting theory about garlic, about why folklore suggests that it can be used to ward off monsters like vampires, werewolves, etc. It said that these monsters were a metaphor for the very real threats in our life such as infections and illnesses. Since garlic is so good for you, it can, therefore, be used to ward of said metaphorical monsters and that’s how the old belief came along.
I don’t how true that theory is, but I do know that garlic is a superfood that can turn anyone into superman (or woman). The miraculous healing powers of garlic can be seen through history from ancient civilizations right up to modern day.
But are you fully aware of all of the benefits and healing powers of garlic? Read on to find out why it’s good for more than just staving off attacks from the undead!
1. Garlic is the Food of Champions
From ancient Egyptians that built the pyramid to Romans and Greeks that fed garlic to Olympic athletes, soldiers, and sailors, there is a wide held belief that garlic is a performance enhancer. As for modern science, it seems to be still catching up with these powerful people as only recently have studies started finding out that garlic improves exercise performance and exercise-induced fatigue.
Furthermore, these studies found that garlic was a great aid to people with heart disease. A six-week course of garlic oil resulted in a decrease of peak heart rate and an increase in exercise capacity.
2. Garlic is an Infection Fighter
As we’d already mentioned above, garlic contains an abundance of medicinal properties, some of which have yet to be discovered by modern medicine as to why it even works. Garlic is rich in nutrients and is known to boost your immune system in general, but it can also help you fight off a cold or an infection stemming from virus, bacteria, or parasites.
Garlic can help the immune system prevent or fight against colds by about 63% In fact, garlic might be the only way to cut down the well-known customary seven days it takes for a cold to go away!
3. Garlic Fights the Effects of Heavy Metal
We don’t mean a person’s affinity to listen to heart-thumping, loud, nonsensical music, but actual heavy metals like lead and mercury. These have been found to cause several health issues like organ and brain damage or even death in the most extreme cases.
The people who live and work around places with heavy metals, like a car battery plant worker, or someone that lives in an old house are the ones at most risk. A study conducted on the former found that such workers were able to reduce the lead levels as well as side effects like headaches by up to 19%.
4. Garlic Busts Fat
Garlic is also a well-known enemy of blood fats; you know, that thing that contributes to someone getting high cholesterol? Regular garlic supplements have been found to be effective reducing levels of LDL cholesterol – a.k.a. “bad cholesterol” – by about 10-15%. While it doesn’t really affect your “good” HDL cholesterol levels, that’s still a win in our book!
And did you know that physicians in the ancient days used to recommend garlic as a means to “cleanse the arteries” even before science had fully understood the function of said arteries?
5. Garlic for Heart Health
If you’ve got a family history of heart disease or in any way worried about heart attacks, strokes, or any other cardiovascular issues, garlic is one of your best options. In fact, garlic is as effective as prescription drugs when it comes to lowering blood pressure.
But for that, you’ll need to eat about 4 cloves of the potent power a day – which is a lot, so build up to it slowly lest you upset your stomach. If you don’t really want to be called a “fire-breather”, you may opt for powdered or supplements instead of raw garlic. The good news is that these are just as effective as the raw stuff!
6. Garlic Prevents Mental Disorders
Mental disorders that are related to the damaging of the brain like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are often caused by free radicals and their oxidative action. Garlic is an effective method of prevention not only because of its high levels of antioxidants that can help remove these free radicals but also because – as we saw earlier – it can reduce your risk of a whole other set of diseases as well.
Antioxidants are also known to contain health properties that limit cell damage. Furthermore, they could slow down or even prevent the development of cancers.
Conclusion
Garlic might be smelly but it’s delicious when added to most types of savory food. But apart from that, we’ve discussed all the reasons you need to start adding garlic into your diet a lot more often already. If you don’t prefer the potency of raw garlic, you could also try aged garlic or even garlic supplements that contain just as many benefits.
A Word of Caution:
All the reasons why garlic is good for you is why it isn’t for certain others. For instance, if you have low blood sugar or if you’re a diabetic, garlic can further reduce your blood sugar, which is not good. The same can be said for those with low blood pressure. Garlic can also cause bleeding during surgeries if you have been eating much of it for up to two weeks before – so make sure to plan ahead.
If you have any concerns about eating garlic, make sure to discuss it with your doctor.
