Garlic is beneficial for good health in one way or another. Forget the smell and a world of goodness can be had with a daily regimen of fresh garlic or garlic supplements. Although not all of garlic’s health benefits have been proven in the laboratory, centuries of garlic consumption, and its pronounced use in herbal medicine, point to an herb with a variety of healing properties and significant nutritional value.

Garlic contains healthy amino acids and high levels of the constituent alliin, an amino acid derivative said to be responsible for the herb’s health benefits. Garlic contains trace elements copper, zinc, germanium, selenium, iron and magnesium, vitamins A and C, and several beneficial sulfuric compounds known to bind heavy metals and toxins in the liver and transport them for elimination.

For thousands of years, garlic has been used in herbal medicine to treat a variety of viral, bacterial, and fungal infections, and to heal wounds, tumors, and intestinal parasites. It can speed up metabolism and help burn fat and is hailed as a free radical fighting agent, immune system booster and heart healthy food. Legend has it that garlic was reputed to be effective in fighting the plague of the Middle Ages.

smell of garlic

When ingested, the predominant enzyme in garlic, allinase, reacts with alliin to form allicin, the compound responsible for garlic’s strong odor and antibacterial qualities. Garlic travels through the bloodstream and lungs causing perspiration, breath, and skin to have a pungent odor. Shortly after consumption, the odor of garlic can linger in the body for up to 18 hours, even when odorless garlic pills are consumed.

Garlic supplements – odorless garlic

Garlic supplements are said to be just as beneficial to good health as eating fresh garlic cloves. Those sensitive to garlic are more likely to tolerate them and are more comfortable to use than raw garlic. Garlic pills minimize taste and odor and come in a variety of forms, all of which claim to be effective. The most common forms of garlic supplements include:

o Extract of aged garlic

o Odorless garlic pills

o Capsules of garlic oil

o Tablets stabilized with allicin

o Encapsulated garlic powder

It is a source of ongoing controversy which form of garlic supplement is most effective and best absorbed by the system. It is said that a daily garlic regimen should be continued for at least a month to achieve noticeable results. Odorless garlic supplements are considered inferior by some nutritionists, as their allicin content may be decreased.

garlic and heart

Until recently, garlic and garlic supplements were claimed to help lower serum cholesterol levels. Despite the publication of findings in 2007 that clinically dispute this claim, nutritionists and dieticians continue to believe that garlic is heart-healthy and may lower blood homocysteine ​​levels. Homocysteine ​​is a type of amino acid, levels of which are too high have been linked to decreased heart health. Garlic is also credited with reducing the harmful buildup of plaque on artery walls.

blood and garlic

New research indicates that garlic may stimulate circulation by increasing blood levels of hydrogen sulfide, which is essential for healthy cell signaling (the transmission of information between cells). Other benefits of garlic for blood include:

o Sulfur compounds in garlic may reduce fatty substances in the blood, which helps modulate blood pressure and alleviate symptoms of hypertension.*

o Sulfur compounds in garlic, particularly ajoene, may help slow platelet aggregation (blood vessel clumping) and support normal blood clotting. Garlic can be used in the same way as low-dose aspirin to slow or stop platelet aggregation over time.

o Garlic is often used as a blood thinner to improve circulation and reduce clots.

Garlic and the immune system

Garlic stimulates white blood cell activity and can help the immune system fight infection and disease. Garlic, when ingested, is said to be effective in fighting colds and flu and in treating fungal infections.* Studies indicate that garlic may increase the production of free radical-fighting enzymes in the liver and may be effective against some forms of penicillin-resistant bacteria.

insulin and garlic

Studies indicate that garlic may have the ability to increase blood insulin levels and stabilize blood sugar.

Antioxidant / antimicrobial / antibacterial garlic

Garlic is said to have powerful antioxidant and antimicrobial qualities. The antioxidants in garlic can protect cells against free radicals and inhibit the growth of a variety of tumors. Studies also show that garlic can block the formation of toxins formed during the digestion of food. Allicin, the compound responsible for garlic’s odor, is the main antibacterial agent in the herb.

Garlic was studied by Louis Pasteur for its antibiotic potential in the 19th century, and used by Albert Schweitzer in Africa in the 1950s to combat cholera, typhus, and dysentery. During World War I, garlic was used to treat war wounds in the absence of antibiotics.

cholesterol and garlic

Garlic was once thought to play an essential role in lowering serum cholesterol levels in the blood. Findings that previously confirmed that garlic was a cholesterol-lowering agent were reversed by clinical studies conducted in 2007. One study, published in the February 26, 2007 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, concluded that neither garlic supplements nor fresh garlic lowered the LDL cholesterol levels of 192 men and women aged 30 to 65 over a period of six months.

garlic and sex

Garlic is supposed to help maintain healthy testosterone levels in men and increase libido for both men and women.

Garlic Side Effects

Garlic is a natural blood thinner and inhibits clotting, so people with bleeding disorders should consult a doctor before beginning a garlic or clove supplement regimen. Garlic can irritate the digestive system, cause cramping, bloating, diarrhea, and gas, and should be avoided by people who are allergic to sulfur.

For more information on garlic, visit www.VitaCost.com/Garlic

*Statement not evaluated by the FDA

References

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