We’re all familiar with garlic’s tasty versatility as an ingredient in a savory meal, and legend has it garlic’s great at repelling vampires—but did you know this member of the allium family has plenty of proven health benefits as well?
Clarifies Skin
Garlic fights bacteria naturally, so it makes an effective treatment for acne outbreaks. According to Ayurvedic healing traditions, garlic not only helps prevent acne, but it also smooths scar tissue resulting from skin problems. Just slice a clove of garlic in half, and rub it directly onto trouble spots for a natural, affordable topical skincare treatment. Alternatively, you can take the garlic with food by including a few crushed raw cloves in your recipes.
Prevents and Fights the Common Cold
The antioxidants in garlic make it a powerful opponent for cold viruses. In fact, experts now rank garlic as the most fast-acting antioxidant that’s part of our diet. Using garlic daily in your meal preparation can bolster the immune system and help keep colds at bay. (Should the saying have been that some garlic each day keeps the doctor away?) If a cold does manage to take hold, garlic can help you there, too—make a tea by steeping minced garlic in hot water for a few minutes. Strain the liquid into a cup, add honey if desired, and toast to your health.
Encourages Heart Health
Garlic contributes to cardiac wellness across several different fronts. It lowers blood pressure, fights high cholesterol, works against heart disease and heart attacks, and counteracts artery hardening. Researchers suspect these benefits are due to the production of hydrogen sulfide gas that takes place when our blood cells extract sulfuric compounds from garlic in the body.
Puts a Stop to Mosquito Bites
We mentioned the folklore surrounding garlic and vampires, so you may not be surprised to learn that garlic wards off bloodsuckers of the insect variety as well. Researchers aren’t sure of the reason, but garlic functions as a natural insect repellent. You can prevent nasty bites by rubbing cut garlic on your skin or simply placing a few cloves around the areas where you want to discourage bugs.
Reduces Risk of Cancer
Scientists are studying the effect of garlic on cancer because it seems garlic inhibits growth of cancerous cells and stops DNA replication, preventing tumors from growing. A study published in Cancer Prevention Research determined that people who ate raw garlic at least two times a week were 44 percent less likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer than people who consumed less garlic. The authors reported, “Garlic may potentially serve as a chemo-preventive agent for lung cancer.”
Decreases Likelihood of Osteoarthritis
A British study determined that women who ate plenty of allium vegetables—those include garlic, onion, leeks, shallots, and rakkyo—were less likely to develop osteoarthritis than women who didn’t include as many alliums in their diet. The researchers are hopeful that the beneficial compounds can be isolated and developed into a treatment for osteoarthritis in the future.
Removes Splinters With Ease
While this health benefit isn’t quite as high-stakes as some of the others we’ve discussed, when you need it, you’ll be glad you know this handy trick. Even a tiny splinter can be annoying or downright painful. Generations of folk medicine practitioners have treated splinters by covering the area where the splinter’s embedded with the cut edge of a halved garlic clove, then securing it with a bandage (or in a pinch, duct tape). This remedy likely owes its success to garlic’s natural antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties.
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to keep garlic in the house. It’s a valuable addition to your medicine cabinet as well as your spice cabinet, so throw a few extra heads of garlic in the shopping cart next time you’re at the market.
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[Source: Authority Nutrition, BBC Good Food, Huffington Post, Livestrong, Medical News Today, The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Reader’s Digest]
