When we hear the word ‘garlic’ the first that comes to our minds is the aroma and flavour punch of garlic in our foods. But other than making your pasta heavenly delicious, garlic can do some other jobs too. We have been hearing about the health benefits of garlic for years.
Recently, amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, eating garlic to prevent coronavirus has become a popular social media trend. Before this, we have seen people advocating the use of garlic to suppress acne or eating raw garlic with lemon water to lose weight.
But is garlic worth all the hype? Let’s figure it out.
Garlic-a magic herb
I came across all this information when my mother was suffering from fatty liver. Though she went to the best liver doctor, a friend of hers suggested eating raw garlic on an empty stomach to get rid of fatty liver. Seeing her experience and going through the information, I’m here to share it all with you.
If you are also deciding on eating garlic or just looking for the health benefits of garlic, this article is for you!
First of all, garlic is a widely-grown herb across the world. Garlic is formed as a white bulb whose each segment is a clove. It is commonly used as a favour enhancer for many dishes and can be used in many forms such as minced, powdered, or paste form or as garlic oil.
Health benefits of garlic
The Health benefits of garlic are as follows;
1. Treat cold and cough
Garlic is known for its medicinal properties for centuries. Garlic has the potential to cure cough and cold infections. Garlic can relieve the symptoms of cold and cough as well as can shorten the span and severity of the infection. For adults, direct consumption of raw garlic is administered. For babies, garlic can be tied in a thread around their neck to relieve the symptoms.
2. Garlic is heart-healthy!
Apart from cold and cough, garlic is known to improve heart health in general. Garlic can improve your heart health in the following ways
- There is a compound of garlic known as allicin, which can prevent the oxidation of bad cholesterol reducing the body’s cholesterol level in general.
- Moreover, the consumption of garlic can reduce the frequency of blood clot formation that can result in thromboembolism (interrupted blood supply due to blood clot formation in the blood vessel).
- Garlic can also lower blood pressure which is another important risk factor for cardiac health.
3. Garlic as brain food
Your brain health is as crucial as your heart or kidney health. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidants present in garlic are known to improve brain health protecting against several neurodegenerative diseases. Due to this very reason, garlic consumption is associated with a reduced risk of dementia (memory loss) and Alzheimer’s disease.
4. Tired of digestive problems? Try garlic cloves
You can include garlic in your diet to improve your digestive health. Due to the antibacterial properties of garlic, it can help to fight bacterial infections of the digestive system. Apart from this, garlic is known to act as a probiotic to clear digestive tract problems aiding your gut microbiome on digestion. Most of the time, it is advised to eat raw garlic on an empty stomach.
However, you need to be careful if you are already suffering from any digestive health issue. When my mother started taking garlic on an empty stomach, she developed heartburn and uncontrolled vomiting. We took her to Horizon Hospital in Lahore where the doctor identified the cause behind the problem. The doctor revealed that my mother already had a weak stomach so her body couldn’t bear it.
5- Garlic can help to shed a few pounds!
Garlic and weight loss! The discussion is not new to anyone. It is often said that garlic can help to reduce weight by altering the gene expression that is responsible for fat formation in our body. This led to fewer fat reserves in the body, ultimately reducing weight.
Bottom Line!
Apart from all these benefits garlic is also known to be beneficial for our overall health in the following ways
- Garlic can improve skin health and can suppress acne
- It can also improve renal health problems
- Garlic is effective against urinary tract infections
- You can better control your blood sugar levels with garlic.
However, you need to consult your physician before taking garlic on your own because it can interfere with your medication or can interfere with any of your normal body functions.
