Garlic: Nutritional Value & Benefits

Garlic: Nutritional value

Garlic Benefits

• Anti-Microbial
• Anti-Cancer
• Anti-Inflammatory
• Antioxidant
• Balances blood sugar
• Detoxifying
• Good for the Heart
• Good for the Skin
• Helps the Digestive System
• Immunity-Boosting

Garlic is the superfood that has it all.

It can fight heart disease, it can fight cancer and it can fight many other ailments. Garlic has been cultivated for over 5,000 years, and since the Egyptian times it has been used for its healing properties. In many cultures around the world, it is regarded as been able to prevent colds and flu. True enough, upon laboratory analysis of it’s properties it has been proved that it contains anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agents.

An active compound in Garlic called allicin, which is produced when from another called alliin, occurs when fresh garlic is either cut or crushed and it’s key to the food’s character. This compound, responsible for the rich odour that comes from the bulb, is also effective not only in the fight against common infections like flu, colds and candidiasis (yeast infection), but also against more dangerous microbes, such as tuberculosis and the superbug MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).

Blood & Cholesterol

Garlic boosts an array of cardiovascular benefits. Consuming garlic regularly has been linked to the lowering levels of high blood pressure and cholesterol. It can also inhibit blood-platelet stickiness, which is associated with blood clots, strokes and heart attacks.

An Anti-cancer Herb

Allicin, Diallyl and other sulphur compounds found in garlic have been found to be able to protect the body against substances that could induce do cancer. These compounds can also stop the growth of cancer cells after they’ve developed. When applied directly to the the skin Ajoene, a substance produced from Allicin, may be used as an aid in the treatment of skin cancer. Garlic also contains other cancer fighting compounds, such as the powerful antioxidant compounds selenium and germanium.

This article was written with information found online and also gathered from the book The Top 100 Healing Foods: 100 Foods to Relieve Common Ailments and Enhance Health and Vitality (The Top 100 Recipes Series), by Paula Bartimeus. Great book, we recommend it! Available from Amazon.