Garlic is more than just a delicious addition to your food. This most pungent of creations also has renowned health benefits and can boost wellbeing. Garlic has been used in Eastern medicine for thousands of years and its popularity in food is thought to be one of the prime reasons why the Mediterranean diet is one of the world’s healthiest.
Research has shown that garlic, which is part of the allium family that includes onions and leeks, is a powerful antioxidant. Allicin is the organic compound that gives garlic its distinctive aroma and flavour, and is also responsible for its antioxidant properties – antioxidants are essential for good health as they fight off the free radicals that can lead to dangerous conditions such as cancer and heart disease. Eating more than six cloves of garlic a week could reduce your risk of developing colorectal cancer by 30% and reduce by 50% your risk of contracting stomach cancer.
Including garlic in your diet will give you a healthy lipid profile – some studies claim that garlic can reduce cholesterol levels – and reduce high blood pressure. Garlic also acts as an anti-inflammatory, reducing inflammation in the digestive tract and elsewhere in the body.
Allicin also helps garlic have potent antifungal and antibiotic properties. Used when freshly chopped or grated, garlic is shown to fight bacteria and infection. And a British study showed that garlic, taken as a supplement, can reduce the risk of catching a cold. Chewing on a fresh clove will open blocked sinuses, too.
And if you worry that smelling so strongly of garlic will be a turn-off for others, remember that garlic has been acclaimed for centuries as an aphrodisiac. There really are no limits to this humble concoction’s abilities.