Published By: Sayan Paul

7 amazing health benefits of garlic

Belongs to the Allium family, garlic is widely known for its medicinal properties.

Garlic is a common herb that can be found in every kitchen. Loaded with vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, potassium, selenium, phosphorus and antioxidants, garlic benefits your health a lot more than you could ever imagine. Allicin, a compound found in garlic, is the reason of its antibacterial and antiseptic nature. You can either eat raw garlic cloves or add it to your dishes to enhance the flavour. Here, let's take a look at some of the health benefits of garlic.

  1. Reduces blood pressure: The anti-inflammatory properties of garlic reduce the blood pressure by improving blood flow throughout the whole body.
  2. Lowers cholesterol: The allicin present in garlic prevents the oxidizing of LDL cholesterol in your blood. This helps reducing the cholesterol level.
  3. Controls blood sugar: Consuming raw garlic regulates your blood sugar level and prevents your risk of developing diabetes.
  4. Improves heart health: As garlic effectively reduces cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar, it naturally has a positive impact on your heart health. It also restricts the platelet aggregation and relaxes the blood vessels, both of which result in protecting your heart from several diseases. Many studies have found that people who consume garlic on a regular basis, are at a lower risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
  5. Boosts immunity: Garlic contains zinc which can improve your immunity to some extent. The vitamins and antimicrobial properties in garlic protect you from several types of infections (including cough, cold and flu) and prevent radical damage to the cells.
  6. Improves digestion: Raw garlic improves the functions of your digestive tract by killing the bad bacteria and protecting the good bacteria in your gut. It also clears out the intestinal worms and reduces inflammation, both of which result in preventing several digestive problems.
  7. Improves skin and hair: Garlic is an excellent remedy when it comes to skin and hair. The antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties in garlic prevent acne and reduce black spots on your skin. Also, it protects your skin cells from free radical damage. Massaging the scalp with crushed garlic extract can help you prevent hair loss to some extent. On the other side, consuming garlic may help you look younger and prevent several dermatological issues like psoriasis, rashes and blisters.
  8. Prevents cancer: As garlic is rich in antioxidants, consuming this regularly can protect you from certain types of cancers such as stomach, prostate, bladder, liver, lung, colon etc.
Garlic also improves your bone health, boosts brain functions, regulates metabolism, promotes renal health and helps you prevent Alzheimer's disease and dementia etc.