Garlic is one of our main ingredients in the kitchen often used in our food for a good flavor and aroma. Besides providing a good taste there are many other health benefits of garlic.
Garlic is one of the oldest medicinal plants. It not only helps us to fight off the cold, but also in fighting heart diseases and to control hypertension. It also plays a vital role in lowering the cholesterol and also prevents you from having a stroke by preventing clots from forming ( Bayan et al., 2014, Gebreyohannes and Gebreyohannes, 2013).
The aroma for which garlic is mostly preferred is due to the presence of sulfur in it. And sulfur helps you to fight off all major illnesses.
The sulfur in a fresh garlic is about 1000 times more effective as antioxidants. Because of this, garlic has the ability to reduce the radicals present in the body ( Török et al., 1994).
Tip: Consuming garlic regularly can prevent cold or flu, premature aging and heart disease.BENEFITS OF GARLIC
CAN PREVENT ALZHEIMER'S
The antioxidants present in garlic may help prevent brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia ( Mattison, 2018).
ANTICANCER
The organosulfur compound from garlic has shown anticancer activity both in vitro and in vivo studies ( Bayan et al., 2014). One study found that garlic prevents the development of stomach cancer: Dutch Research ( Dorant et al., 1996). Garlic also reduces the risk of prostate cancer ( Gebreyohannes and Gebreyohannes, 2013).
REGULATES BLOOD GLUCOSE
Similarly, the presence of a volatile sulfur compound in garlic has shown to have a suppressive effect on diabetes mellitus ( Bayan et al., 2014).
PREVENTS HEART ATTACK
Platelets and fibrin play a vital role in blood clotting, however, an excess of fibrin in the blood may lead to a heart attack. Garlic has an ability to reduce excess amounts of fibrin and its production than aspirin ( Fukao et al., 2007).
BOOST IMMUNE SYSTEM
An abundant amount of sulfur, amino acid along with other compounds in garlic help to boost the immune system ( BH, 1991).
TREATS HAIR LOSS
Allicin a sulfur compound, one of the effective compounds to treat hair loss is found in high amounts in garlic which may help to control hair fall.
PREVENT ACNE
Besides sulfur and allicin garlic is rich in zinc, and calcium which is beneficial for healthy skin and can be used as a natural remedy to banish the blemishes on the skin. The antioxidants in garlic can kill bacteria and prevent acne.
ANTI-FUNGAL
Another active compound found in garlic is Ajoene which is an effective topical antifungal agent ( Ledezma and Apitz-Castro, 2006). Garlic hinders the growth of fungal diseases as equally as the drug ketoconazole ( Shams-Ghahfarokhi et al., 2006).
PAIN-KILLER
Garlic also works as a painkiller, especially for the joints. However, taking it on regular basic serves as a natural remedy for chronic pain.
WEIGHT LOSS
Garlic is a thermogenic substance which means that it produces heat in your body. In order to normalize the body temperature, our body requires energy. In this process, it burns some calories from your body and as a result it can result in weight loss ( Mattison, 2018).
Side Effects of Garlic
Garlic is likely safe for most people. And no severe side effects were observed however, it is associated with minimal side effects ( Bayan et al., 2014).
Skin Irritation: Raw garlic is possibly unsafe when applied to the skin because it may cause skin irritation.
Foul Odor: Garlic has a strong smell due to the presence of sulfur. It causes bad breath.
Skin Rashes: Garlic contains an enzyme called alliinase, which usually causes skin rashes.
Headache: Consumption of raw garlic may trigger a headache.
Vomiting and heartburn: Consumption of abundant amounts of raw garlic may lead to vomiting and heartburn.
Bleeding disorder: Garlic reduces the excess amount of fibrin which may increase the risk of bleeding. Garlic might also interfere with blood pressure. Due to this reason, you must stop garlic consumption at least two weeks before any surgery.
Stomach or digestion problem: Raw garlic can irritate the gastrointestinal tract and may upset your stomach. Therefore, you should avoid eating garlic if you have any digestion or stomach problems.
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REFERENCES
BAYAN, L., KOULIVAND, P. H. & GORJI, A. 2014. Garlic: a review of potential therapeutic effects. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine, 4 , 1.
BH, L. 1991. Effect of odor modified garlic preparation on blood lipids. Nutr.
BOND, O. 2017. Garlic Treatment for Warts.
DORANT, E., VAN DEN BRANDT, P. A. & GOLDBOHM, R. A. 1996. A prospective cohort study on the relationship between onion and leek consumption, garlic supplement use and the risk of colorectal carcinoma in The Netherlands. Carcinogenesis, 17 , 477-484.
FUKAO, H., YOSHIDA, H., TAZAWA, Y.-I. & HADA, T. 2007. Antithrombotic effects of odorless garlic powder both in vitro and in vivo. Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry, 71 , 84-90.
GEBREYOHANNES, G. & GEBREYOHANNES, M. 2013. Medicinal values of garlic: A review. International Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences, 5 , 401-408.
LEDEZMA, E. & APITZ-CASTRO, R. 2006. Ajoene the main active compound of garlic (Allium sativum): a new antifungal agent. Revista iberoamericana de micologia, 23 , 75-80.
MATTISON, L. 2018. Raw Garlic's Health Benefits Prove Hippocrates Was Onto Something.
SHAMS-GHAHFAROKHI, M., SHOKOOHAMIRI, M.-R.,
AMIRRAJAB, N., MOGHADASI, B., GHAJARI, A., ZEINI, F.,
SADEGHI, G. & RAZZAGHI-ABYANEH, M. 2006. In vitro antifungal activities of Allium cepa, Allium sativum and ketoconazole against some pathogenic yeasts and dermatophytes. Fitoterapia, 77 , 321-323.
TÖRÖK, B., BELAGYI, J., RIETZ, B. & JACOB, R. 1994. Effectiveness of garlic on the radical activity in radical generating systems. Arzneimittel-Forschung, 44 , 608-611.
