How Does Garlic Benefit You?

The reality about garlic is everywhere. What's intriguing is that it's been around from a long time as well. Of course, there are myths also related with garlic, about how it can ward off vampires. In today's world, if it can help ward off the many illnesses that we seem to be getting, it's nothing short of a magic herb.

 Garlic has been used since the ages for good health. But scientists are discovering new and exciting uses of this herb and the goodness it can provide. Here's a look at some of the methods in which garlic can benefit you.
* Managing cancer - Yes, garlic can really help in treating cancer. Studies have shown that some components in garlic such as diallyl disulfide can eliminate the cancer cells and help you in developing a strong immune system. Garlic is furthermore known to minimize papillary lung tumors. Eating a clove of raw garlic is furthermore known to reduce the occurrence of cancers in the first place.
* High blood pressure - Remarkable, but true. Conventional Asian medicine acknowledges garlic as a powerful hypertension controller and this fact is being corroborated by scientists throughout the world today. Garlic can help in checking your blood pressure so that the high levels can come down to normal levels. For garlic to help you in controlling your hypertension, you can simply take one clove each day or drink its fresh juice, crush a clove in warm milk.

Garlic is known to even treat ear infections, especially in small children who are very susceptible to them. Garlic acts as nature's own antibiotic without the harmful effects as it has strong anti bacterial and anti microbial qualities. Juice from the cloves of raw garlic diluted with water can be placed in the ear directly. Do note that this can cause plenty of pain as the garlic starts acting on the microbes that have caused the infection. The pain however lasts for just a little while and together with it the infection also goes away.
Garlic as antibiotic - Garlic is nature's very own antibiotic and the best part about it is that it doesn't get rid of healthy bacteria as well. More and more people are switching to garlic as an effective antibiotic.

Raising antioxidant levels - Garlic helps in pushing up the entire antioxidant levels of the body and this thus has its own chain of actions resulting in decreased serum glucose levels as well as reduced blood pressure.
Garlic gets rid of the toxins from the body so it's a great way to get your body cleaned up.
Garlic contains allicin, a strong compound that acts as an antibiotic and helps heal skin infections as well. It is interesting to know that allicin does not occur on its own but is formed when garlic is chopped or crushed.
In the past garlic was known not only as a vampire repellent but also because it helped in healing bruises and wounds. It was also a well-known treatment for indigestion and flatulence.
Garlic isn't simply healthy for your body, but it's also fantastic for your skin. Frequent consumption of garlic tones the skin, making it soft while also making your nails stronger. One more wonderful benefit is that it regulates dandruff related problems too.
There are certainly some side effects that you need to think about before you liberally start eating garlic to get all those benefits. Anything in moderation works well but if you overdo it, which is, eat a lot more garlic than you should, the following are the most likely side effects that you might probably experience.

* Body odor - If you eat a lot of garlic, you will observe that you have started smelling just like garlic. This is because the garlic is secreted through your pores and this lasts until all garlic is eliminated from your body. The body odor can be embarrassing and can cause a lot of stress.
* Garlic breath - Eating too much raw garlic can cause plenty of bad breath and this could hamper your self-confidence. The only way to counter it would be to eat raw garlic along with your food and to ideally eat it before you go to sleep.
* Digestion issues - Too much of a good thing can only be bad. So also with garlic and scientific studies have shown that if you consume too much garlic, it can burn the lining of your stomach and cause you a lot of pain.
* Allergies - For some people who suffer from garlic allergy, there could be rashes, fever or vomiting. It could also kick in adversely with some anti-coagulants as well. * The sulfur in garlic could result in botulism, which can cause acute stomach upset or even death.

If you've decided to make garlic an important part of your healthy lifestyle, make sure that you get organic garlic which has all the goodness inherent in garlic. In your regular shops, you may run into chemically treated garlic which is of no use. If the garlic bulb has sprouted, it means that the garlic has aged and has lost all its important compounds.
The most effective way to ensure that garlic retains all its beneficial substances is to smash it finely and add it to food. Many people also choose to have garlic juice whereas others hate its smell and taste. For such people, there are plenty of garlic based supplements which work precisely fine and could be like your daily dose of vitamins.
Physically speaking, a bulb of garlic might resemble an onion bulb but metaphorically also, there's a huge similarity. Just as you peel the different layers of an onion, with garlic, everyday new and more potent uses are being discovered.

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