Proven
“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”
Those are famous words from the ancient Greek physician
Hippocrates, often called the father of Western medicine.
He actually used to prescribe garlic to treat a variety of
medical conditions.
Well… modern science has recently confirmed many of these
beneficial health effects.
Here are 11 health benefits of garlic that are supported by
human research studies.
1. Garlic Contains a Compound
Called Allicin, Which Has Potent Medicinal Properties
Garlic is a plant in the Allium (onion) family.
It is closely related to onions, shallots and leeks.
It grows in many parts of the world and is a popular ingredient
in cooking due to its strong smell and delicious taste.
However, throughout ancient history, the main use of garlic was
for its health and medicinal properties.
Its use was well documented by all the major civilizations…
including the Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans and the Chinese.
The entire “head” is called a garlic bulb, while each segment is
called a clove. There are about 10-20 cloves in a single bulb, give or take.
We now know that most of the health effects are caused by one of
the sulfur compounds formed when a garlic clove is chopped, crushed or chewed.
This compound is known as allicin, and is also responsible for the
distinct garlic smell.
Allicin enters the body from the digestive tract and travels all
over the body, where it exerts its potent biological
effects (which we’ll get to in a bit).
2. Garlic Is Highly Nutritious,
But Has Very Few Calories
Calorie for calorie, garlic is incredibly nutritious.
A 1 ounce (28 grams) serving of garlic contains :
·
Manganese: 23% of
the RDA.
·
Vitamin B6: 17% of
the RDA.
·
Vitamin C: 15% of
the RDA.
·
Selenium: 6% of the RDA.
·
Fiber: 1 gram.
·
Decent amounts of calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin B1.
Garlic also contains trace amounts of various other nutrients.
In fact, it contains a little bit of almost everything we need.
This is coming with 42 calories, with 1.8 grams of protein and 9 grams of carbs.
3. Garlic Can Combat Sickness, Including the Common Cold
Garlic supplementation is known to boost the function of the
immune system.
One large 12-week study found that a daily garlic supplement
reduced the number of colds by 63% compared with placebo
The average length of cold symptoms was also reduced by 70%,
from 5 days in placebo to just 1.5 days in the garlic group.
Another study found that a high dose of garlic extract (2.56
grams per day) can reduce the number of days sick with cold or flu by 61%
If you often get colds, then adding garlic to your diet could be incredibly helpful.
4. The Active Compounds in
Garlic Can Reduce Blood Pressure
Cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes are the
world’s biggest killers.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the most important drivers of these diseases.
Human studies have found garlic supplementation to have a
significant impact on reducing blood pressure in people with high blood
pressure.
In one study, aged garlic extract at doses of 600-1,500 mg was
just as effective as the drug Atenolol
at reducing blood pressure over a 24 week period
Supplement doses must be fairly high to have these desired
effects. The amount of allicin needed is equivalent to about four cloves of
garlic per day.
5. Garlic Improves Cholesterol
Levels, Which May Lower The Risk of Heart Disease
Garlic can lower Total and LDL cholesterol.
For those with high cholesterol, garlic supplementation appears
to reduce total and/or LDL cholesterol by about 10-15%.
Looking at LDL (the “bad”) and HDL (the “good”) cholesterol
specifically, garlic appears to lower LDL but has no reliable effect on HDL.
Garlic does not appear to lower triglyceride levels, another
known risk factor for heart disease
6. Garlic Contains Antioxidants
That May Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
Oxidative damage from free radicals contributes to the aging
process.
Garlic contains antioxidants that support the body’s protective
mechanisms against oxidative damage
High doses of garlic supplements have been shown to increase
antioxidant enzymes in humans , as well as significantly reduce oxidative
stress in those with high blood pressure .
The combined effects on reducing cholesterol and blood pressure,
as well as the antioxidant properties, may help prevent common brain diseases
like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
7. Garlic May Help You Live
Longer
Effects 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. Athletic Performance Can be
Improved With Garlic Supplementation
Garlic was one of the earliest “performance enhancing”
substances.
It was traditionally used in ancient cultures to reduce fatigue
and enhance the work capacity of labourers.
Most notably, it was administered to Olympic athletes in ancient
Greece.
Rodent studies have shown that garlic helps with exercise
performance, but very few human studies have been done.
Subjects with heart disease that took garlic oil for 6 weeks had
a reduction in peak heart rate of 12% and improved their exercise capacity.
However, a study on nine competitive cyclists found no
performance benefits.
Other studies suggest that exercise-induced fatigue may be
reduced with garlic.
9. Eating Garlic Can Help
Detoxify Heavy Metals in the Body
At high doses, the sulfur compounds in garlic have been shown to
protect against organ damage from heavy metal toxicity.
A four week study in employees of a car battery plant (excessive
exposure to lead) found that garlic reduced lead levels in the blood by 19%. It
also reduced many clinical signs of toxicity, including headaches and blood
pressure .
Three doses of garlic each day even outperformed the drug
D-penicillamine in symptom reduction.
10. Garlic May Improve Bone
Health
No human trials have measured the effects of garlic on bone
loss.
However, rodent studies have shown that it can minimise 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 garlic may have beneficial effects on
bone health in women.
Foods like garlic and onions have also been shown to have
beneficial effects on osteoarthritis.
11. Garlic Is Easy to Include In
Your Diet and Tastes Absolutely Delicious
The last one is not a health benefit, but still important.
It is the fact that it is very easy (and delicious) to include garlic in
your current diet.
It complements most savory dishes, particularly soups and
sauces. The strong taste of garlic can also add a punch to otherwise bland
recipes.
Garlic comes in several forms, from whole cloves and smooth
pastes to powders and supplements like garlic extract and garlic oil.
The minimum effective dose for therapeutic effects is one clove
eaten with meals, two or three times a day.
However, keep in mind that there are some downsides to garlic,
such as bad breath. There are also some people who are allergic to it.
If you have a bleeding disorder or are taking blood thinning
medications, then talk to your doctor before increasing your garlic consumption.
The active compound allicin only forms when garlic is crushed or
cleaved when it is raw. If you cook it before crushing it, then it won’t have
the same health effects.
Therefore, the best way to consume garlic is raw, or to crush
and cut it and leave it out for a while before you add it to your recipes.
My favorite way to use garlic is to press a few cloves of fresh
garlic with a garlic press, then mix with extra virgin olive oil and a bit of salt. This healthy
and super satisfying dressing.
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