Sometimes called “Nectar of the Gods,” garlic tastes great and is great for you, too. Used to treat everything from high blood pressure to the common cold, garlic does so much more than add flavor to your food.
1. It lowers cholesterol.
Garlic inhibits the same enzyme that statins do, without all the side effects.
It’s also an antioxidant and helps reduce atherosclerosis by preventing oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or the “bad” form of cholesterol.
2. It protects again cancer.
Garlic is especially good at warding off stomach and colorectal cancers, which affect approximately 164,000 Americans each year and are among the top ten causes of cancer deaths.
In people with pre-cancerous growths known as adenomas, garlic may decrease their size and number. Garlic also reduces the risk of hematological cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. Garlic is thought to increase immune system activity, making it more likely to detect and fight tumors.
3. Garlic lowers blood pressure.
It works on the smooth muscles of the arteries and causes them to relax and dilate, thereby lowering one’s blood pressure.
4. It can help prevent blood clots.
Garlic also works as a blood thinner or anti-thrombotic, thereby preventing blood clots in patients at risk for clots. For this reason, people already on anti-thrombotic therapy should speak to their doctors before taking garlic therapeutically. (Eating it is safe.)
5. It’s a cure for the common cold.
Garlic is anti-microbial, due to a component known as allicin, making it safe for treatment of infections like the common cold. In fact, it’s often the only treatment I seek when a bug is going around the office. Simply mince a clove, mix with some olive oil (or chili pepper oil if you’re adventurous) and spread on bread or over veggies.
Source:mindbodygreen.com