Evidence Based

 

11 Proven Health Benefits of Garlic

 

Written by Joe Leech, MS on June 28, 2018

“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”

 

Those are famous words from the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, often called the father of Western medicine.

 

He actually used to prescribe garlic to treat a variety of medical conditions.

 

Modern science has recently confirmed many of these beneficial health effects.

 

Here are 11 health benefits of garlic that are supported by human research.

 

Garlic is a plant in the Allium (onion) family.

 

It is closely related to onions, shallots and leeks. Each segment of a garlic bulb is called a clove. There are about 10–20 cloves in a single bulb, give or take.

 

Garlic grows in many parts of the world and is a popular ingredient in cooking due to its strong smell and delicious taste.

 

However, throughout ancient history, the main use of garlic was for its health and medicinal properties (1Trusted Source).

 

Its use was well documented by many major civilizations, including the Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans and Chinese (2Trusted Source).

 

Scientists now know that most of its health benefits are caused by sulfur compounds formed when a garlic clove is chopped, crushed or chewed.

 

Perhaps the most famous of those is known as allicin. However, allicin is an unstable compound that is only briefly present in fresh garlic after it’s been cut or crushed (3Trusted Source).

 

Other compounds that may play a role in garlic’s health benefits include diallyl disulfide and s-allyl cysteine (4Trusted Source).

 

The sulfur compounds from garlic enter the body from the digestive tract and travel all over the body, where it exerts its potent biological effects.

 

SUMMARY

Garlic is a plant in the onion family that’s grown for its distinctive taste and health benefits. It contains sulfur compounds, which are believed to bring some of the health benefits.

Calorie for calorie, garlic is incredibly nutritious.

 

One clove (3 grams) of raw garlic contains (5Trusted Source):

 

Manganese: 2% of the Daily Value (DV)

Vitamin B6: 2% of the DV

Vitamin C: 1% of the DV

Selenium: 1% of the DV

Fiber: 0.06 grams

Decent amounts of calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin B1

This comes with 4.5 calories, 0.2 grams of protein and 1 gram of carbs.

 

Garlic also contains trace amounts of various other nutrients. In fact, it contains a little bit of almost everything you need.

 

SUMMARY

Garlic is low in calories and rich in vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese. It also contains trace amounts of various other nutrients.

Garlic supplements are known to boost the function of the immune system.

 

One large, 12-week study found that a daily garlic supplement reduced the number of colds by 63% compared to a placebo (6Trusted Source).

 

The average length of cold symptoms was also reduced by 70%, from 5 days in the placebo group to just 1.5 days in the garlic group.

 

Another study found that a high dose of aged garlic extract (2.56 grams per day) reduced the number of days sick with cold or flu by 61% (7Trusted Source).

 

However, one review concluded that the evidence is insufficient and more research is needed (8Trusted Source).

 

Despite the lack of strong evidence, adding garlic to your diet may be worth trying if you often get colds.

 

SUMMARY

Garlic supplements help prevent and reduce the severity of common illnesses like the flu and common cold.

Cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes are the world’s biggest killers.

 

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the most important drivers of these diseases.

 

Human studies have found garlic supplements to have a significant impact on reducing blood pressure in people with high blood pressure (9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).

 

In one study, 600–1,500 mg of aged garlic extract was just as effective as the drug Atenolol at reducing blood pressure over a 24-week period (12Trusted Source).

 

Supplement doses must be fairly high to have the desired effects. The amount needed is equivalent to about four cloves of garlic per day.

 

SUMMARY

High doses of garlic appear to improve blood pressure for those with known high blood pressure (hypertension). In some instances, supplements may be as effective as regular medications.

Garlic can lower total and LDL cholesterol.

 

For those with high cholesterol, garlic supplements appear to reduce total and/or LDL cholesterol by about 10–15% (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source).

 

Looking at LDL (the “bad”) and HDL (the “good”) cholesterol specifically, garlic appears to lower LDL but has no reliable effect on HDL (9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).

 

High triglyceride levels are another known risk factor for heart disease, but garlic seems to have no significant effects on triglyceride levels (13Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source).

 

SUMMARY

Garlic supplements seem to reduce total and LDL cholesterol, particularly in those who have high cholesterol. HDL cholesterol and triglycerides do not seem to be affected.

Oxidative damage from free radicals contributes to the aging process.

 

Garlic contains antioxidants that support the body’s protective mechanisms against oxidative damage (19Trusted Source).

 

High doses of garlic supplements have been shown to increase antioxidant enzymes in humans, as well as significantly reduce oxidative stress in those with high blood pressure (7Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source).

 

The combined effects on reducing cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as the antioxidant properties, may reduce the risk of common brain diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia (21Trusted Sources, 22Trusted Sources).

 

SUMMARY

Garlic contains antioxidants that protect against cell damage and aging. It may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

The potential effects of garlic on longevity are basically impossible to prove in humans.

 

But given the beneficial effects on important risk factors like blood pressure, it makes sense that garlic could help you live longer.

 

The fact that it can fight infectious disease is also an important factor, because these are common causes of death, especially in the elderly or people with dysfunctional immune systems.

 

SUMMARY

Garlic has known beneficial effects on common causes of chronic disease, so it makes sense that it could also help you live longer.

One of the deadliest and most widespread diseases of the world is malaria. Spread from the saliva of the infected malaria mosquito, it has spread much terror in the hearts of people all over the world, especially those who travel to tropical and subtropical regions where it is most prevalent. Causes of malaria vary, but when the Anopheles mosquito gets infected with the malaria parasite, Plasmodium, and upon biting the humans, it spreads the disease.

For malaria treatment, many antimalaria medications are now available to combat the issue but, in many regions, it has been observed that the malaria parasite is becoming resistant to them. In such cases, many home remedies for malaria help in reducing the menace of this disease. Please take into account that these are not proven treatments, and if you have malaria, you will need to get yourself medically treated. Look at some of our home remedies for malaria:

Citrus Fruits

These are the known immune-boosters. Available in all tropical regions, citrus fruits are not hard to get hold off. The vitamin C helps in controlling fever, halts the infection from spreading, and accelerates healing in the body. Lemon water, orange, and sweet lime are good options. Eat as fruits or have as juice depending upon your condition.

Cinnamon

Fever, headache, and diarrhea are the most common malaria symptoms. Cinnamon has an anti-inflammatory nature. It reduces the pain and other symptoms present in malaria.

Ginger

Ginger is also a useful antimalaria medicine. It can be boiled with water and reduced into a delicious concoction that will effectively help you with the recovery process. The antibacterial nature of ginger ensures that the disease does not increase further.

Grapefruit

This is the elixir of life when it comes to malaria disease. Grapefruit has a component similar to quinine and helps in neutralizing the harmful effects of the malaria parasite in the body. Eating grapefruit regularly helps in combating this disease and recovering rapidly. Please note that in case you are taking quinine medicines, do not have grapefruit as it reduces the stomach’s capacity to absorb this medicine.

Basil

Basil is antibacterial and has Eugenol, an active component that is hugely therapeutic and eliminates the infection. Basil is found extensively in tropical countries and is used in ayurvedic medicines. 

Avoiding Mosquitoes

Using mosquito nets and mosquito repellents help in preventing mosquitoes in the first place, so you don’t catch the dreaded malaria disease. Ensuring that there are no stagnant pools of waters and there are no open drains also provides that mosquitoes don’t get breeding grounds.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Using a cloth dipped in a concoction of apple cider vinegar and water has been known to reduce fever during malaria infection. Add a spoonful of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water. Drinking this helps with dealing with nausea and vomiting. 

Fever Nut

As the name suggests, fever nut helps in reducing the body temperature. The seeds are individually considered effective against malaria symptoms and make for a great option as home remedies for malaria. The seeds of fever nut can be ingested with water