20 BENEFITS OF GARLIC FOR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH - NUTRITION - 2025

The health benefits of garlic are numerous; help you lose weight, improve circulation, reduce blood pressure, prevent Azlheimer and cancer, improve bone health, treat vaginal infections, treat colds, and others that I will explain below.

Garlic (Allium saivum) is a species of plant located within the group of yellows, which also includes onion, chives or leeks. It is believed to originate from western Asia and that, through the Mediterranean, its expansion began more than 7000 years ago.

Civilizations such as the Chinese, Babylonian, Hindu, Roman, Greek or Egyptian already used this bulb both to cure gangrenas or hypertension problems as well as to drive away evil spirits.

Garlic is mainly made up of manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, selenium, fiber and, to a lesser extent but not least, calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron, or vitamin B1.

It is a bulb widely adopted in culinary uses, being very recurrent in gastronomic culture around the world for its characteristic flavor and aroma.

Garlic varieties are very broad, and can be classified according to their neck or color. Inchellium Red, New York White, Susanville, German Red, Asian Tempest, Spanish Roja Rocamboie or Merrifield Rocambole are some of the most widespread on the market.

Asia is the largest garlic producer in the world, with China, with 12 million megatons per year, leading the ranking. Next are the Mediterranean countries (Spain, France, Italy, Egypt and Turkey), Central North America (United States and Mexico) and part of South America (Brazil, Argentina and Chile).

Benefits of garlic for the body

1- Helps to lose weight

A clove of garlic has just 4 calories and contains antioxidants that can help you lose weight. The main reasons are that garlic creates the feeling of fullness and therefore suppresses the appetite, so the chances of gaining weight decrease.

Certain studies indicate that garlic stimulates the nervous system and it releases the hormone adrenaline, which increases metabolism. The higher the metabolism, the easier it is to burn fat.

Of course, like any food, moderation in its consumption and always within a balanced diet combined with physical exercise.

2- It is a natural antibiotic

Allicin, one of the active ingredients in garlic, has a wide variety of antimicrobial activities.

This is mainly due to its ability to block the activity of two groups of enzymes: cysteine ​​proteases and alcohol dehydrogenases. Both are involved in the metabolism of amoebic parasites, bacteria, fungi, and other viruses.

In its pure state, allicin has antibacterial capacity. That is, for it to take effect, garlic must be taken raw. By following this rule, we will be using a very beneficial healing agent to treat diseases such as toothache, diabetes or allergies.

3- Oral benefits

Garlic has antimicrobial ability. This is demonstrated by a study in which he substituted chlorhexidine (an antiseptic substance used for mouthwash) with garlic as a toothbrush disinfectant. The result was just as effective, making garlic a powerful alternative to chlorhexidine.

Additionally, garlic supplements speed up the cold sore healing process. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, pain and swelling are drastically reduced.

4- They improve circulation

Several are the studies developed throughout these years that reveal the beneficial properties of garlic in the blood circulation.

The reason is the ability of allicin to enhance the increase of circulatory agents that relax the blood vessels, increase the flow in the blood and prevent the formation of clots.

5- They reduce blood pressure

Garlic is a good natural remedy for a cardiovascular problem as common as hypertension. This is due to allicin and its vasodilator ability, which helps lower blood pressure.

The most effective method for garlic to take effect against this ailment is to take it on an empty stomach when waking up with a glass of water.

6- They improve cholesterol levels

Garlic, being hypocholesterolemic, helps reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels. This is certified by more than 25 studies or the Spanish Heart Foundation (FEC) itself, which emphasizes the importance of including garlic in the diet.

On the other hand, it has recently been discovered that garlic also has a fighting capacity against atherosclerosis, a disease that deposits plaques composed of fat and cholesterol within the arteries.

7- They prevent Alzheimer's

According to researchers at the University of Missouri (United States), garlic prevents neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and other types of dementias.

This is because garlic develops antioxidants that offer protective and healing benefits to brain cells. These become much more resistant to stress or inflammation, main causes of the appearance of neurological diseases.

8- They strengthen our bones

Garlic has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that are very beneficial to reduce joint pain. Also, because it is rich in antioxidants, garlic helps to strengthen the immune system.

Thus, it serves as a natural remedy to prevent or treat problems such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis or osteopenia.

Foundations dedicated to working with bone problems, such as Save our Bones, include garlic as a natural supplement for building healthy and strong bones.

9- They take care of our skin

Thanks to the fact that it is a powerful antioxidant and has starchy and mucilaginous elements, garlic becomes a powerful natural remedy for the face, keeping the skin young, smooth and above all healthy.

Dermatitis, pimples, boils, dry skin, fungus, acne, irritated or sensitive skin or wrinkles can be fought thanks to garlic.

For the garlic to take effect on our face, the ideal is to take it crushed, combining it with a little olive oil.

10- Helps sports performance

There is a tendency among athletes to consume raw garlic before a workout for their belief that it improves performance and promotes muscle development.

The truth is that, thanks to the benefits of garlic in the blood circulation, the nutrients reach the tissues in an unbeatable way and therefore the muscles are benefited.

In any case, it has not been proven that taking garlic before playing sports helps to improve muscle growth. Simply put, garlic should be used as a boost in a healthy diet.

11- Help us to be older

One study suggests that aged garlic extract prevents physiological aging without affecting memory disorders.

The research was carried out in mice with accelerated senescence (aging) and the result revealed a remarkable improvement in learning deficits and a life expectancy of two extra months.

12- They reduce colds

Garlic supplements help boost the immune system and prevent common illnesses like colds or flu.

Some studies reveal that a person who consumes garlic can get a cold in 63% compared to a person who does not consume it.

13- Provides many benefits to the digestive system

Although garlic can cause gas for some people, eating garlic helps to better process the food we eat in our digestive system.

In addition, garlic helps eliminate waste from the body such as bacteria and thus prevent intestinal and stomach inflammations.

14- Great ally of the liver

Along with allicin, garlic is made up of arginine and selenium, components that help stop toxic substances filtered by the liver from reaching other parts of the body.

One of these substances is low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), which can damage the liver if we do not carry out a healthy diet. To solve this problem, we can resort to garlic, since it reduces the levels of lipoproteins.

15- Treatment against vaginal infections

A team from the University of Xi'an Jiaotong (China), suggested in a study that fresh garlic extract has inhibitory properties against fungi such as Candida Albicans, which causes problems such as vaginitis.

This report also makes it clear that garlic has a greater potential to fight these fungi than some of the antibiotics that are on the market, such as fluconazole or itraconazole.

16- Helps improve mood

Apathy or irritability, triggers for mood swings, are sometimes related to diet.

Adding vitamin B6 to our diet has been shown to substantially improve mood. And what product is rich in this vitamin? Exact! Garlic contains an average of 1.2 mg of vitamin B6 per 100 grams.

17- Prevents impotence

Approximately 70-80% of erectile dysfunction cases are due to physiological causes. This indicates that medicine can act to combat it, with diet being a great ally to overcome problems.

Although Viagra is the most widely used method, garlic has been shown to help improve blood flow and therefore erections. Once again, allicin is largely responsible for improving our health.

18- Helps overcome anemia

One of the main causes of anemia is the body's inability to create enough red blood cells. Poor diet or iron deficiency or some vitamins are usually the cause of this condition.

A home remedy is to take raw garlic. Not only does it have the ability to help form red blood cells, but it also helps keep them strong thanks to its properties.

19- It has anti-cancer properties

It is one of the most controversial points about the properties of garlic. There are many studies that suggest that garlic is capable of reducing the risk of contracting cancer of the stomach, prostate, intestine or pancreas, among others, but there are also detractors that question its anticancer properties. We compiled a couple of very recent investigations to put us:

According to the Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China), people who consume raw garlic at least twice a week have a 44% lower chance of developing lung cancer.

In an investigation of the Department of Experimental Medicine of the University of Perugia (Italy), they question the correlation between the reduction of the risk of colon cancer and the consumption of garlic.

20- Good for the prostate

A study carried out with rats suggests that garlic has a protective capacity against the biochemical alteration of the malignant glands of the prostate induced by Cadmium (Cd).

Garlic precautions

Although garlic can be considered a 'superfood', moderation in its consumption is key so that it is not harmful.

People with stomach problems or who are undergoing anticoagulant treatments should abstain from their intake to avoid gastrointestinal problems.

Garlic curiosities

- The San Pedro de Zamora Fair is dedicated exclusively to garlic.

- Although it has not been scientifically proven, there is a belief that smearing garlic on the skin repels mosquitoes.

- Spain produced 175,000 tons of garlic in the 2015 campaign. Almost 10,000 corresponded to the Castilla-La Mancha region, the region of the European Union (EU) that produces the most.

- Cherokee Indians used garlic to relieve horses from runny problems.

- Popular culture has associated garlic with witchcraft, spells, hexes or a symbol of protection and good luck.

- "Men who eat garlic are more attractive to women" concluded the University of Stirling (Scotland) and the University of Charles (Czech Republic) in a joint investigation.

- To combat bad breath produced by garlic, you should chew parsley or mint leaves.

Bibliography

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