Adding garlic can jazz up any food, but did you know this herb is good for your health too? For thousands of years garlic has been used to treat toothaches, infections, colds, ward off vampires and witches, and much more. These are a few of the many health benefits and uses of raw garlic.
Garlic must be crushed or chopped in order to allow allicin, an enzyme in garlic, to be released. Chopping garlic finely and crushing it allows more allicin to be released. Fresh garlic is better than any diet for natural weight loss when combined with exercise and a healthy diet.
Health Benefits and Uses of Garlic: Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol
Eating garlic regularly can help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It also keeps the platelets in your blood from clumping up and reduces your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Health Benefits and Uses of Garlic: Fight Infection
Garlic has a health benefit no other medicine can touch. It’s antibacterial properties fight against bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Staphylococcus. Bacteria never builds up resistance to garlic, as it can to antibiotics.
Health Benefits and Uses of Garlic: Reduce Swelling
Onions and garlic contain compounds that stimulate the release of natural anti-inflammatory enzymes in the body. Vitamin C combines with the anti-inflammatory properties to help reduce severe attacks of asthma in some cases and reduce the swelling and pain of arthritis.
Health Benefits and Uses of Garlic: First Aid
Garlic has health benefits that can be used in situations or emergencies where there isn’t a doctor nearby. Crush a bulb of garlic and apply directly to the infected site. Warning, it will burn for a couple of minutes. After crushing the garlic, let it sit for 7 to 14 minutes. To avoid possible burns on sensitive skin, put the crushed garlic in water to dilute it. It’ll still be effective to fight off infection without the risk of injury.
Health Benefits and Uses of Garlic: Stuffy Nose, Sore Throat and Upper Respiatory Infections
Substitute a bulb of garlic for Vick’s next time you have a bad cold. Crush the small end of the bulb of garlic and breathe in the fumes. It’ll clear your sinuses and fight germs. Wrap crushed garlic in gauze or thin fabric and breath it in.
Health Benefits and Uses of Garlic: Add More Garlic to Your Diet
Purée a few cloves of garlic, then mix it with garbanzo beans, olive oil, tahini and lemon juice for hummus dip. Jazz up your mashed potatoes with puréed garlic and olive oil added in. Add garlic to soup when you have a cold to help shake it off quicker. Add garlic to stews, chicken, beef or fish.
The ways to use garlic are numerous. It can be added to most any dish or food to give it a little extra flavor. Start reaping the health benefits of garlic and use more of it in your diet today.
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