A Healthy Body Benefits of Garlic
“We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:”
(Num. 11:5)
The health benefits of garlic are many and too numerous to mention here but it is worth investigating if you have the time. I will mention some of them in this article just to get you interested in this wonderful food. Garlic is mentioned once in the Bible in the above verse. The Israelites were complaining at having left all these flavourful foods behind when they left Egypt. It is funny that for so many years we did seem to eat such bland foods, probably because we did not have access to many of the foods that could have added more flavour to many of the dishes we prepared. Garlic is one on them. I think probably the first time I ever tasted garlic was in my late teens when my date took me to a restaurant for pizza and of course there was garlic in the pizza. I actually liked it! I only had it occasionally after that until many years later when I realized its benefits along with how much flavour it added to many foods.
Garlic is second only to turmeric in the number of studies that have been conducted to show how beneficial it is. Garlic, along with onions, leeks and shallots belongs to the Allium family and it has many active minerals and vitamins plus active ingredients, such as sulfur and allicin and these probably contribute to its amazing benefits. Here are just some of its benefits if you would like to try adding garlic to your meals, of course, many of you will already be using it, as it is very popular.
Helps combat heart disease: it has been recognized for prevention and treatment for many cardiovascular problems. Studies found that overall garlic consumption had many benefits in this area. It appears to have the ability to reduce plaque in the arteries.
Helps reduce High Blood Pressure: helps with the opening or widening of blood vessels and therefore lowers blood pressure.
Helps with diabetes complications: appears to help regulate blood sugar levels as well as help to improve circulation, fight infections and decrease LDL cholesterol.
Potential to help Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease: garlic contains antioxidants that help support the body’s ability to fight oxidative damage that contributes to these diseases.
Colds and infections: garlic has many antiviral, antifungal and antimicrobial properties and can therefore help with the common cold as well as many infections.
Cancer: studies have shown that there is definitely a link between eating high doses of garlic and avoiding certain types of cancer such as colon, stomach, breast, pancreas and esophageal.
These are just a few of the benefits of garlic and by just adding garlic to your food it can greatly help your body to fight off many diseases and infections. It is best to eat garlic raw but it also has many benefits by adding it to your favourite cooked dishes as well. It is best to crush or chop the garlic clove(s) and let them sit before eating or heating as the chopping or crushing activates the enzymes which are the strength of the garlic. Each garlic bulb contains many cloves and the World Health Organization recommends 2 to 5 grams (about 1 clove) of fresh garlic daily. It is best to store garlic at room temperature and it must be kept dry.
There are some potential side effects to garlic, so if you have any gastrointestinal problems or if you take blood thinners it is best to check with your doctor before eating garlic.
Do not take raw garlic in huge amounts! It is best to eat garlic with food to avoid gastrointestinal problems and if you are worried about your breath just eat some raw parsley afterwards. Just add a tiny amount of garlic (1 clove) a day to your diet and use in your basic recipes. I make a salad dressing of 2 TBSP Red Wine vinegar or Balsamic vinegar, 6 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil, add 1 or 2 garlic cloves, 1 or 1 ½ TSP salt. Shake and use. I use it on just about all my salads and love it.
If you have any concerns about garlic please check with your doctor. I read various websites for information for this article and you can check naturalnewsblogs.com/5-raw-garlic-benefits-reversing-disease/ and draxe.com/7-raw-garlic-benefits-reversing-disease/ on the internet for full articles on the benefits of garlic.
I hope you enjoy garlic as much as I do.
