The Power of Garlic
I hesitate to categorize foods as Superfoods. It makes them seem like they have mythical powers. Like eating the food will turn you into a nutritional superhero. At the end of the day, your diet doesn’t depend on any one food. But there are certain foods that are extra supportive of health. These foods go beyond just being nutritious to actually having healing properties. Garlic is one of these foods and today, I’m going to talk about why you should eat it daily.
First let me make this point. No, you won’t want to eat it right before you kiss someone. But no, it won’t make you smell all day either. And just a couple cloves a day is all you need. Raw is better than cooked, but in a pinch, either will do!
Since garlic is used mainly for flavoring, it is super simple to make it a part of your daily diet. Just add it in the final stage of preparing soups, a stir-fry or curries, No time to cook? Throw it into your smoothie or just into a cup of tea.
And why should you eat it? Because it is more than a healthy food. It is a food that actually balances the body and fights disease. Want to live a long vibrant life? Then eating foods like garlic is a good place to start.
6 Amazing Reasons to Eat Garlic Every Day
It Fights Inflammation – I often talk about inflammation as it precedes many bodily disorders. Garlic has natural anti-inflammatory compounds making it a natural way to fight inflammation on a daily basis. It protects against such things as weight gain, hay fever and even serious diseases like autoimmune diseases and cancer.
It Supports Immunity – Do you want a natural way to protect against seasonal sniffles as we go into cold and flu season? Then look no further than the clove. Studies have demonstrated that garlic has anti-viral and immunity boosting properties. In one study, subjects who took garlic every day instead of a placebo for 3 months actually exhibited fewer colds!
It Helps Lower Blood Pressure – Garlic contains a compound called gamma-glutamylcysteine. This compound fights against an enzyme that is present in high quantities as blood pressure rises. Allicin, another one of its beneficial compound further assists in dilating the arteries. Together, they help the body lower blood pressure.
It May Fight Against E.coli – Studies show a powerful effect in the fight against food poisoning and infections. Garlic is shown to have antibacterial qualities that are effective in fighting S.aureus and E.coli infections of the urinary tract and gut.
It Can Make Your Skin Glow – Garlic is full of antioxidants which are great for your complexion. Beautiful skin comes first from the inside. And eating antioxidant rich foods on a daily basis is a great way to look younger and more beautiful.
It Can Offer Protection for the Zika Virus – There is some evidence that the high blood levels of the compound allicin in garlic actually make you less tasty to mosquitoes. So eating it can actually be a natural bug repellent. And if you were to contract the virus, this spice will help boost your immunity to more effectively fight the virus. (But please also take other common sense approaches to mosquito protection if you live in a high risk area.)
Important Notes
Garlic must be cut prior to consuming to receive the full benefits. The health promoting compound will only start to form in the minutes after it is cut. And it takes up to 10 full minutes, so be patient before consuming. To learn the proper preparation technique to get the full benefits of garlic, click here.
How much should you eat daily? 2 to 4 cloves a day is about right for the average person.
So Eat This Daily
There is so much to gain from eating garlic daily. And it makes food taste great, so why not? Do you have a favorite way to eat garlic? Of course I want to know!
What a great post, Erica! Another bonus of garlic I’d like to point out: it makes many dishes taste better. (Yum!) I didn’t know the value in cutting garlic. Thanks for that.
I agree Ramona, Yum! Garlic is so good. Amazing when something is both healthy and yummy.
I do, I do! I love garlic. In fact, the funny thing is when I moved into my new home I went on a major grocery shopping spree and it was only when I unpacked everything I realized I’d forgotten salt and pepper – had plenty of fresh garlic, rosemary, and basil – but that was it. That tells you a lot about my taste in food. 🙂
I can totally relate Marquita. I never cook with pepper because I never remember to buy it. And I’ve just gotten used to it by now. But I always have my garlic on hand!
Great post Erica. I use garlic to keep my cholesterol down. I add a chopped clove or two to our salads and add it at the very end of cooking soup or stew, mash it with potatoes for garlic mashed potatoes etc. But after all that use I was not aware that it takes about 10 minutes for the health promoting compound to kick it. Isn’t is nice how we can learn from each other?
Lenie, I’m so glad the 10 minute rule for chopping garlic is helpful. It really is so important for getting the full nutrient value out of garlic so I hope you do it!
Hi Erica,
I found you through Marquita’s blog! I am on a blogging journey where I reach out to new bloggers and connect with them. I am viewing some wonderful blogs including yours! Thank goodness I LOVE garlic. But after reading your post, I wonder how much I’ll love it if I cut it in its natural state and wait 10 minutes to consume it. I’m pretty sure it will be pretty potent. It makes me wonder though – are the benefits of garlic still viable after you’ve used it in cooking? I guess not…. great post, great website.. Nice to meet you!
Can I tell you how much I love garlic? Of course, my favorite way to eat it is to squish it out of the wrapping after it’s been grilled with olive oil drizzled down through the top. Drat that that it is not the healthy way to have it.
Passed these along to the chef so he can keep it healthy for us. Thanks!
Mmmmm, the grilled garlic sounds so good. I’ve never had it that way but I can taste it in my imagination. Well, yes, it isn’t as healthy. But it probably isn’t that bad for you either!
I love garlic and do tend to put it in a lot of the food I eat. My grandma took it overboard though. She would eat tons of it, and just raw. Getting into the car with her to go anywhere was always an experience 😉
Oh my. My rule is to only eat raw garlic when you plan to be alone (or at least not in a confined space) for at least an hour. And of course, when you eat tons of garlic, it literally oozes from your pours. Gotta love grandmas though!
I use garlic when cooking meat, usually garlic pieces or the powder.
I have heard that garlic helps to keep mosquitoes at bay. Apparantely the strong smell seeps through your pores. When travelling to countries that are riddled with mosquitoes, I take garlic capsules a month or so beforehand. Prevention is better than cure.
Phoenicia, you are smart to take garlic capsules. You definitely might need more than a clove or two when travelling to places with huge mosquito populations. I hope it helps.
Yes, You are so right!
3-4 times a week, before breakfast, i take raw garlic in small pieces. To avoid a bad mouth odor I swallow the pieces with water (like pills and tablets…lol)
I have noticed no one has mentioned repelling vampires, but honestly, Garlic is a super food, it is funny how this food was known for its properties so long ago, is now making its comeback. I have taken as part of my cholesterol lowering diet, and it seems to help.
Thanks for sharing.
Haha! Yes, vampires is a good one that I totally forgot to include!
Most of time when I read your posts Erica I think, oh, I didn’t know that. Or whoops, I don’t really do that. But this one I’m all over. Mostly because I cook with garlic or at minimum because I put it in salad dressings, I’m pretty sure that I have some garlic on most days.
That’s good, Ken! I love it in salad dressing too.
Erica was aware of the therapeutic uses of garlic you introduced me to a few more. I would like to share we here in India use garlic to cure throat irritation, we take juice extracted from garlic & holy basil (i.e. Tulsi) leaves with honey.
I’ve never heard of using garlic for throat irritation. I’ll definitely check it out.
Thx for reminding us to eat garlic, Erica. I love eating garlic as I have grown up withy it (being of a slavic background.) But sometimes I am rushed and can’t be bothered mincing the garlic. To me, the pre-minced garlic or garlic powder just don’t taste the same as the freshly sliced or minced garlic. I will definitely put some in my cooking this evening. 🙂