Being a species of the onion family, garlic has throughout history been used for both medicinal and culinary purposes. For instance in cooking, it adds a mellow smell and also sweetens the food. For this reason garlic is commonly used inmost regions of the world in the cooking due to its nice flavour.
Health benefits Of Garlic
Garlic has been said to prevent various heart diseases including high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, cancer and also high cholesterol. In the case of cholesterol, garlic is said to reduce the accumulation of cholesterol which takes place on the vascular walls of the body. Garlic eating has also been beneficial due to its antibiotic activity; it is effective against the bacteria, yeast and even fungi. One can always take garlic for any recurring infections whether chronic or mild i.e. those that are not dangerous. The infections maybe the common colds, ears, mouth and throat infections and also the fungal infection like the Candida.
Cardiovascular Benefits Of Garlic
From a number of studies done on garlic, it has been revealed that the consumption of garlic is of great help to the people with high blood pressure. Once one develops the routine of eating garlic results to the production of nitric acid on the blood vessels lining which according to research helps in making the lining relaxed. As a result of this, garlic can prevent atherosclerosis and also diabetic disease. Garlic is also capable of preventing heart attacks and stroke. Garlic’s cardiovascular effects are due to its components among them being the sulphur compounds, the presence of vitamin C, vitamin B6, manganese and also selenium.
As a result of the presence of the vitamins, garlic helps prevent heart diseases through the lowering of the homocysteine levels. Selenium that is present in garlic helps in the prevention of heart diseases and also provides the protection against cancer at the same time heavy toxicity of metals. This substance also works with vitamin E in defending the body against the soluble fat areas and they work together in the covering of these areas.
Not only is it rich in selenium, garlic is also rich in minerals like the manganese which helps boost the level of HDL and works as a cofactor anti oxidation of defence enzymes.
Some of the benefits related to Garlic are
- The antioxidant function
- Helping the blood get thin reducing the risks of blood clots
- Lowering of the blood pressure.
Garlic Promotes weight control
Allicin which is one of the great components of garlic is also of great benefits for it lowers blood pressure and prevents a person against weight gain. Developing the garlic eating habits will help one control their weight gain, this is according to a research by American Journal of Hypertension. The journal put it that allicin that is found in garlic helps a great deal in the weight control.
Garlic and cancer
Studies have always suggested that regular eating of the garlic will reduce the chances of oesophageal, stomach and colon cancer. This is capable due ton the garlic’s ability to reduce the carcinogenic compounds formation. Colorectal cancer is as well protected against by eating the garlic.
Side effects Of Eating Garlic
Garlic just as for many substances used has got its own side effects. It was found out that Garlic causes halitosis at the same time causing sweat making one produce a pungent smell. This is caused by one substance Allyl methyl sulfide which is a component of garlic. The Allyl methyl sulfide is absorbed in the blood during the garlic metabolism and then to continue to the lungs and to the mouth where it causes bad breath and also on to the skin pores where it causes bad odour.
Eating of the raw garlic which is very strong could also come in with problems for instance there would be a resultant irritation or even worse one could have a damaged the digestive tract. Cases of various persons being allergic to the garlic are there too, and the symptoms of being allergic to garlic are skin rash, headaches and high temperature. Garlic is said to be a potential for disrupting anti-coagulants and it is advice that one should highly avoid it before surgery.