Often called the father of Western medicine, the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates used to prescribe garlic to treat various medical conditions.
In fact, garlic has been confirmed to have several beneficial health effects.
Here we give you 13 proven health benefits of garlic.
1. It contains compounds with strong medicinal properties
Closely related to leeks, onions, and shallots, garlic belongs to the Allium (onion) family; it is grown in many parts of the world.
Each piece of a garlic bulb is known as the clove, and a single bulb may hold about 10–20 cloves, give or take.
Garlic’s strong smell and delicious taste make it a popular ingredient in cooking. Throughout ancient history, however, the main uses of garlic were its medicinal and health properties.
Many major civilizations, including Chinese, Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, and Babylonians, have documented its use.
Most of its health benefits have been known to stem from the sulfur compounds formed when a garlic clove is chewed, crushed, or chopped.
The most common sulfur compound is known as allicin, which is an unstable compound that is briefly present in crushed or cut fresh garlic.
Other compounds, including s-allyl cysteine and diallyl disulfide, may also play a role in garlic’s health benefits.
Garlic’s sulfur compounds enter the body from the digestive tract and go through the body, thereby exerting its potent biological effects.
2. It can help prevent sickness, such as the common cold
Garlic supplements may help improve the immune system function.
A daily garlic supplement has been found in one large, 12-week study to reduce the number of colds by 63% compared to a placebo.
A 70% reduction of average length of cold symptoms has also been observed; it took 5 days in the placebo group while only 1.5 days in the garlic group.
In addition, a high dose (2.56 grams per day) of aged garlic extract has also been found in another study to reduce the number of days sick with flu or cold by 61%.
However, further research is still necessary, as according to one review, evidence on the matter is insufficient.
Despite not having strong evidence, adding garlic into your diet may just be worth it.
3. It has active compounds which help reduce blood pressure
Some of the world’s biggest killers are cardiovascular diseases like strokes and heart attacks.
One of the most common drivers of these diseases is high blood pressure or hypertension.
Garlic supplements have been found in human studies to have a significant impact on improving blood pressure levels in people with hypertension.
In fact, a 600- to 1,500-mg aged garlic extract has been found to just be as effective as the drug Atenolol at improving blood pressure levels over a period or 24 weeks.
To experience the desired effects, supplement doses must be fairly high; the amount needed per day is comparable to about 4 cloves of garlic.
4. It holds few calories yet highly nutritious
Garlic is incredibly nutritious, plus it holds only a few calories.
A 3-gram (one clove) raw garlic contains 2% of the Daily Value (DV) of manganese, 2% of the DV of vitamin B6, 1% of the DV of vitamin C, 1% of the DV of selenium, and 0.06 grams of fiber.
It harbors decent amounts of potassium, calcium, phosphorus, copper, vitamin B1, and iron.
It also comes with 4.5 calories, 1 gram of carbs, and 0.2 grams of protein.
What’s more, it contains trace amounts of several other essential nutrients, or just a little bit of almost everything you need.
5. It may improve cholesterol levels, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease
Garlic may also help improve total and LDL cholesterol levels, which also reduces the risk of heart disease.
In fact, garlic supplements seem to reduce total and LDL cholesterol by ~ 10–15% in people with high cholesterol.
When it comes to HDL (the “good”) and LDL (the “bad”) cholesterol, garlic seems to reduce LDL but presents no reliable effect on HDL.
In addition, garlic appears to have no significant effects on triglyceride levels, which are another known risk factor for heart disease.
6. It may help detoxify heavy metals in your body
At high doses, garlic’s sulfur compounds have been found to help prevent organ damage from heavy metal toxicity.
In fact, a four-week study in car battery plant employees, who had an excessive exposure to lead, found garlic to help reduce lead levels in the blood by 19%, as well as many clinical signs of toxicity, such as blood pressure and headaches.
Interestingly, three doses of garlic every day can even be more effective at reducing symptoms than the drug D-penicillamine.
7. It may help improve bone health
Although no human studies have examined garlic’s effects on bone loss, rodent studies have shown that it increases estrogen in females, thereby minimizing bone loss.
In addition, one study in menopausal women has shown that a daily dose of dry garlic extract, or equivalent to 2 grams of raw garlic, significantly reduced an estrogen deficiency marker, which suggests that this supplement may be beneficial for bone health in women.
What’s more, foods like onions and garlic may be good for osteoarthritis.
8. It contains antioxidants that may help prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
One of the contributors in the aging process is the oxidative damage from free radicals.
Garlic has antioxidants that help protect the body against oxidative damage.
At high doses, garlic supplements have been found to increase antioxidant enzymes in humans. It also significantly reduces oxidative stress in people with high blood pressure.
With all these effects, combined with its antioxidant properties, garlic may help reduce the risk of common brain diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
9. It’s good for the skin
Garlic’s beneficial properties, including antifungal, antibacterial, and antioxidant, make it a superfood.
Garlic offers some benefits for skin. Rubbing raw garlic over your bumps is believed to help kill bacteria. But if you have sensitive skin, you better not overdo it.
Its antioxidant qualities help protect your skin and prevent free radical damage. Garlic can therefore increase the growth and longevity of skin cells.
10. It's beneficial for your gut
Functioning as a prebiotic, aged garlic extract has been found to positively improve the diversity of microbes in the gut. This includes an increased number of beneficial and immune-stimulating bacteria.
11. It may help you live longer
Considering garlic’s beneficial effects on important risk factors, including blood pressure, it makes sense that this plant may help you live longer. Plus it can be noted that garlic can also fight infectious diseases, which are common causes of death.
12. It may help improve athletic performance
Being one of the earliest “performance enhancing” substances, garlic was traditionally used to enhance the work capacity of laborers and reduce fatigue.
Garlic has been found in rodent studies to help with exercise; however, very few human studies have been conducted.
A comparative study in people with heart disease who were administered with garlic oil for 6 weeks experienced better exercise capacity and a 12% reduction in peak heart rate.
However, no performance benefits have been observed in a study on nine competitive cyclists.
Other studies also suggest that garlic may reduce exercise-induced fatigue.
13. It tastes absolutely delicious and is easy to include in your diet
Although this is not a health benefit, this is equally important.
Garlic is very nutritious and delicious, which makes it very easy to include in your current diet.
It is perfect on most savory dishes, particularly sauces and soups, and its strong taste can also add a kick to otherwise bland recipes.
Garlic can come in many different forms, including smooth pastes, whole cloves, powders, and supplements like garlic oil and garlic extract.
However, it is important to note that garlic can also cause some hitches, such as bad breath. That’s just one of the few mild garlic side effects, but some people may be allergic to it.
If you are taking blood-thinning medications or have a bleeding disorder, it is important that you talk to your doctor first before increasing your intake of garlic.
Conclusion
Garlic has always been believed to have medicinal properties. Now, science has confirmed it.
Incorporating garlic into your diet can therefore be worth it. You are most likely to reap some garlic benefits.
