Health Tip: Garlic

Garlic or Allium sativum belongs to the onion family. These bulbous plant has been used for medicinal and culinary purpose throughout history. Garlic is native to central Asia, but its use has been spread over the whole world these days.

Adding raw or lightly cooked garlic to your dishes will give them a delicious flavor while keeping you healthy. As a natural antibiotic, garlic protects our body against bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. So eating garlic, especially during winter, will keep flu and other infections at bay. The sulfur-containing compound responsible for all this is called allicin and is released when chopping or chewing garlic.

Another great thing about allicin is that it helps to prevent gaining weight. And if those benefits are still not convincing you to add garlic to most of your dishes, maybe the following benefits will pull you over the line.

The present antioxidants are a boost for your heart and immune system and help maintain a good blood circulation. Some studies show that garlic has a cholesterol-lowering ability and reduces blood pressure. It also removes plaque from artery walls and keeps blood sugar levels in balance.

And if that’s not enough, recent studies claim to have evidence that garlic may prevent some types of cancer. Still not convinced because of the bad smell garlic gives your breath and sweat? This can be stopped by drinking lemon juice or eating a few slices of lemon.

So for your next dishes try to keep this in mind and add some delicious and health-promoting garlic to your food! Keep in mind that raw garlic contains more flavor than cooked garlic. And don’t forget to chop them rather than using the whole cloves. Chopping or chewing will release allicin. How smaller you chop it, how stronger the flavor and healing properties.

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