Garlic is a member of the onion family. The bulb, similar to onion but with a milder flavour, is composed of many small cloves encased in a paper-like covering. Each clove has its papery covering and contains a tiny green shoot called an eye.

Benefits of Garlic

Garlic has long been recognised for its medicinal properties, from warding off vampires to curing snakebites and boosting libido. Modern science has confirmed that garlic does indeed offer many health benefits.

Here are some of the proven benefits of garlic:

• Garlic helps fight infection.

Garlic has been used for centuries as an antibiotic because it contains allicin, which kills bacteria and fungi that cause infections in the body by destroying their cell walls. This makes garlic helpful in preventing infections like colds or flu and treating them when they occur.

• Garlic helps prevent heart disease.

Garlic contains allicin, which lowers cholesterol, triglyceride levels and blood pressure, helping to prevent heart disease. Garlic also helps protect your arteries from damage and improves their elasticity, which reduces your risk of heart attack and stroke.

It also has antithrombotic properties, which means it helps prevent blood clots from forming in your arteries.

• Garlic lowers blood sugar levels.

Researchers found that people who consumed garlic juice every day for four months had significantly lower fasting blood sugar levels than people who did not drink garlic juice. The researchers concluded that consuming garlic juice could effectively manage blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

• Garlic has anti-ageing properties.

Garlic contains antioxidants that help protect your skin cells from damage caused by free radicals (which cause wrinkles). It also helps to keep your skin hydrated, thus preventing dryness and flaking.

• Garlic may reduce the risk of cancer.

Studies show that regular use of garlic may help prevent several types of cancers, especially colon cancer. This is probably due to its ability to kill cancer cells directly or prevent tumours from growing by causing cell death through apoptosis (programmed cell suicide).

• Cold and Flu Prevention

Some research suggests that taking garlic supplements daily during cold and flu season may help prevent infection by boosting the immune system (although there is no evidence eating raw garlic helps).

• Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Garlic has anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce swelling and pain in the joints or muscles due to arthritis or other inflammatory conditions like bursitis and gout.

• Garlic Boosts Immunity

Garlic boosts your immune system by increasing the production of white blood cells, which fight infection. It contains antimicrobial and antiviral properties that help fight diseases and viruses such as the common cold, flu, and even HIV/AIDS. These effects are due to the sulfur compounds present.

• Garlic Improves Digestion

Garlic contains allicin, which helps support healthy digestion by reducing inflammation in the digestive tract. It also contains enzymes that support digestion and prevent gas buildup.

• Acts as an antibiotic and antifungal agent

Garlic is effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which can cause severe infections in immune-compromised people like those with AIDS or undergoing chemotherapy for leukaemia or lymphoma.

In summary, garlic is one of the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen. It’s also a powerful herb that can treat common health conditions when applied topically, eaten raw or cooked, or taken as a supplement.