8 Virtues and Benefits of Garlic
Garlic is a plant in the Allium (onion) family. It is closely related to onions, shallots and leeks. Each segment of a garlic bulb is called a clove. There are about 10–20 cloves in a single bulb, give or take.
Garlic grows in many parts of the world and is a popular ingredient in cooking due to its strong smell and delicious taste.
However, throughout ancient history, the main use of garlic was for its health and medicinal properties.
Scientists now know that most of its health benefits are caused by sulfur compounds formed when a garlic clove is chopped, crushed or chewed.
Calorie for calorie, garlic is incredibly nutritious.
A 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of garlic contains:
- Manganese: 23% of the RDA
- Vitamin B6: 17% of the RDA
- Vitamin C: 15% of the RDA
- Selenium: 6% of the RDA
- Fiber: 0.6 grams
- Decent amounts of calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin B1
Garlic also contains trace amounts of various other nutrients. In fact, it contains a little bit of almost everything you need.
This comes with 42 calories, 1.8 grams of protein and 9 grams of carbs.
It prevents cancers
Several studies indicate a positive effect of garlic consumption on the prevention of certain cancers. It reduces the risk of cancer of the stomach, throat, esophagus, colon and ovary. Also, it increases the fighting ability of the immune system and helps the body fight cancer cells more efficiently.
Good for the heart
Garlic would help regulate cholesterol levels by fighting the so-called “bad cholesterol”, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. It is, therefore, an indirect ally of the heart! Also, it increases the fluidity of the blood, which reduces the formation of clots that can clog the veins and arteries.
Good for the slim body
Poor in calories and rich in potassium, calcium and vitamin A and C, garlic fights bad cholesterol and promotes urinary elimination. It also boosts metabolism and burns calories. In addition, eating garlic gives the brain signals of satiety when you eat it. It’s your slimming ally!
But if you want to use it in your diets, as always, consume it in moderation. Include it in your eating habits rather than forcing you to ingest it. Garlic can cause indigestion, diarrhea and bad breath.
Against warts
It is true: garlic would be effective against warts. To make them disappear, just gently rub your wart with a clove of garlic. However, be careful to protect the skin around the wart so that it is not burned. A remedy to repeat until the total disappearance of the wart.
Against acne
Still according to our dear grandmothers, applying a clove of garlic directly to our acne pimples could work wonders. The antiseptic and antibacterial virtues of garlic would prevent inflammation of the skin.
For beautiful nails
To restore radiance to your dull or damaged nails, gently rub them with garlic. It strengthens them and helps regrowth.
Anti-allergen
Garlic would be an anti-allergen. It reduces the cellular response after exposure to an allergen by more than 90%.
It contains more calcium than milk. FYI, in 100 g of milk, we find about 125 mg of calcium. In 100 g of garlic, 181 mg of calcium is found. It is also a source of selenium (trace element that the body needs in small quantities and found only in food). Garlic effectively replaces antibiotics. It increases the level of antioxidant in the body.