The simple garlic clove, also known as nature’s antibiotic, has an extraordinary amount of health giving properties including being a potential cancer cure. Here are 5 good reasons to include garlic in your diet.
1. Anti-viral & Anti-bacterial.
Garlic is both anti-viral and anti-bacterial. Using garlic to treat bacterial infections will not cause the side effects commonly experienced with drug antibiotics such as digestive disturbance. The anti-viral action is useful in treating infections such as colds and influenza that cannot be treated with antibiotics. Another benefit of garlic is that resistance cannot be built up against it.
2. Heart Disease.
Numerous clinical trials have shown that including garlic in the diet or taking a garlic supplement at 900mg per day and above can significantly reduce cholesterol and high blood pressure. Garlic also has blood thinning and anti-clotting actions and can reduce arterial plaque formation. All of these actions make garlic beneficial in protecting against heart disease.
3. Anti-fungal.
The anti-fungal properties of garlic make it suitable for treating not only fungal skin infections but also internal fungal overgrowth such as Candida albicans.
4. Anti-tumour
Garlic contains multiple anticancer compounds and antioxidants. Garlic comes tops in the American National Cancer Institute’s list of potential cancer preventative foods. Eating garlic regularly reduces the risk of oesophageal, stomach, and colon cancer in particular.
5. Respiratory Conditions.
Due to it being anti-catarrhal, anti-inflammatory, decongestant and expectorant as well as anti-biotic, Garlic is useful in treating most conditions of the respiratory tract including bronchitis, sinusitis and hay fever.
Extra Tips
The powerful healing compound in garlic is called Allicin. This compound also gives garlic it’s pungent odour, which you either love or hate. When choosing an odourless garlic supplement make sure it is high in Alliin, which can convert to Allicin in the body.
To increase garlic in your diet try making garlic mashed potato or garlic bread!