Add garlic to your diet
You may not like the taste of garlic, but just remember that if you avoid garlic because of its taste or because of the smell it leaves in the mouth, you are depriving your body of a miracle herb.
Garlic is a wonder herb. It has anticancer, anticoagulant, antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic benefits (1). Eating two to three cloves per day can provide you with all these benefits.
Garlic and Cancer
Garlic contains many cancer inhibiting elements. One such element is allyl sulfur which reduces the damage cancer causes and slows down the progression of the disease. Other elements help to prevent the onset of cancer. Research shows that garlic is particularly helpful in preventing cancer of the stomach and prostate (2).
Garlic kills bacteria
For a long time people believed that garlic could fight bacteria. Studies have now confirmed this notion. Researchers now know that garlic can ward off a wide range of bacteria, thus preventing infection. The best part is that bacteria cannot develop resistance to garlic. The element present in garlic which wards off infections is known as allicin (3).
Garlic thins blood
The last thing you want is blood to clot in your legs. As you get older, the risk of blood clotting in the blood vessels of your legs increases. Once this happens, it is extremely difficult to walk. Inability to walk leads to decreased activity. Decreased activity gives rise to a host of medical conditions.
Garlic acts as an anticoagulant. This means that it thins the blood and prevents it from clotting. According to a study, patients who had blood clots in their legs were given garlic to eat. Garlic enabled them to walk longer distances without experiencing any pain in their legs than they could before they started eating garlic (4).
Additionally, garlic also helps to lower blood pressure (5).
Garlic lowers bad cholesterol
Not all cholesterol is bad. There is good cholesterol known as HDL, and there is bad cholesterol known as LDL. Studies show that garlic lowers LDL levels in the blood. What does this mean? Reduced risk of coronary heart disease. Bad cholesterol causes formation of plaques in the blood vessels of the heart. These plaques then lead to narrowing of the blood vessels which causes heart attack.
By lowering the bad cholesterol in the blood, garlic reduces the risk of heart attack.
Garlic prevents diabetes
Diabetes is a disabling disease. Diet and lifestyle play a major role in determining whether or not an individual will develop diabetes. Studies indicate that garlic has the potential to decrease the risk of diabetes. People who have developed diabetes can also benefit from this wonder herb. Garlic slows the progression of the disease and guards against diabetes related complications.
Garlic inhibits fungal growth
Garlic inhibits the growth of fungi. Fungi grow in damp and moist areas of the body such as the feet. By applying garlic to such places, you can kill the fungi. Garlic works better than antifungal agents because garlic can penetrate the skin deeper than antifungal agents can.
All in all, add garlic to your diet and benefit from the wonders of this spicy herb. You only need to eat three to four cloves per day!