Garlic: properties, benefits and how to take it

Garlic, in addition to giving flavor to our dishes, also brings many benefits to our body: it strengthens the immune system, it is a natural antibacterial and there’s more! Let’s discover all the benefits of this bulb with many properties. Garlic is a plant with essential therapeutic properties and it is one of the most used ingredients in the kitchen to aromatize and give the dishes a distinctive and unique flavor. Its unmistakable smell is mainly due to allicin, an organic sulfur compound, which is released in larger quantities when the garlic is crushed. Allicin has anti-parasitic properties, useful to protect the plant from parasite attacks, and antibacterial properties.

Already in ancient times garlic was used in traditional medicine as a tonic, anti-parasitic and, in ancient Egypt, it was given to slaves who built the pyramids to increase strength and endurance. In Greece, during the Olympic Games, garlic was given to athletes to improve performance, as a stimulant and reinvigorating. In the Middle Ages the combination of garlic, onion and bovine entrails was used as an antibiotic through a complex procedure.

Beneficial properties of garlic

Then let’s discover the healing and therapeutic properties and the benefits of garlic for our well-being and our health.

Garlic is anticoagulant: especially thanks to allicin, which gives it antibacterial and anti-infective properties, garlic is excellent for treating infections, it also strengthens the immune system and it is effective for the treatment of colds and seasonal illnesses. It can be considered a real natural antibiotic.

Garlic is beneficial for the heart and keeps blood pressure regular: garlic favors vasodilatation and, in this case, it is able to give greater fluidity to the blood avoiding thrombus and safeguarding the health of the heart. In addition, raw garlic fights hypertension, if taken daily, helping to lower blood pressure, purify the blood and tone up the circulation.

Garlic purifies the liver and lowers cholesterol: garlic is useful for preventing liver disease due to its purifying properties. Its regular consumption also helps to keep cholesterol levels under control, as a study reports, because it can block the enzymes that produce it.

Garlic fight diabetes: thanks to the content of some amino acids, which perform the same function as insulin, garlic helps control the level of blood sugar and it is therefore a valuable aid to fight diabetes.

Garlic is a natural antibacterial: garlic has an extraordinary antibacterial effect and therefore it helps the gastrointestinal apparatus to fight diarrhea. It also prevents bloating and abdominal pain.

Garlic is a panacea against toothache: thanks to its antibiotic and antibacterial properties, garlic is useful in case of a toothache, applied directly to the affected area. It is also useful for relieving pain.

Garlic is useful against coughing and similar diseases: garlic can be combined with milk to relieve cough problems. It is an ancient remedy useful especially in case of dry cough. To prepare it, put the minced garlic in the milk and boil it, then filter and drink hot. You can also add a little honey to make the taste more pleasant. Furthermore, garlic is one of those natural antibiotics that is effective for fighting seasonal ailments.

Garlic is beneficial to fight pimples and acne: garlic, acting as a natural antibiotic and exploiting its cosmetic properties, can be a great help to eliminate pimples. You just rub the garlic on the pimple, after having cleansed the skin with warm water, repeating even 3 or 4 times throughout the day. At the end of each application, rinse the skin with lukewarm water and a little lemon juice to eliminate the unpleasant smell of garlic.

Garlic is antitumor: according to recent studies, garlic is an antitumor food because it prevents the formation of nitrosamines in humans, carcinogenic compounds that are formed during digestion. The best, however, would be to eat raw garlic and onion, alone or added to salads, tomatoes, legumes.

Garlic is a natural aphrodisiac: two cloves are enough to use as suppositories to improve erection. Thanks to a English television documentary and to some studies that have supported this discovery, this very important property has been discovered.

Why should garlic be eaten raw?

According to a Chinese research, raw garlic is good for health and it protects against lung cancer if eaten twice a week but, unfortunately, it tastes too strong and it leaves bad breath. However, there are some remedies to refresh your breath, such as drinking lemon juice or eating vegetables, and you can also soothe its taste like this:

– you can rub raw garlic on slices of bread with tomato and a little salt.
– you can eat marinated garlic
– you can eat minced garlic
– you can eat immediately after an apple

Side effects

Even garlic has some side effects, especially if taken in excessive doses: in these cases the main symptoms are nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Then there are subjects that should keep under control or even avoid the use of garlic: those suffering from ulcers or gastritis, those with thyroid problems and also allergic subjects must pay close attention to it.

Garlic allergy can lead to rashes but it can also give stomach pains and problems with the respiratory system. Garlic is also not recommended during pregnancy and lactation as the substances contained in it may cause abdominal pain to the newborn, as well as giving an unpleasant taste to milk. Not only milk but also semen can take on an unpleasant taste if you consume garlic, especially because of sulfur.