Will you be eating more garlic?
A lot of people love garlic. It’s not just a tasty addition to almost every meal, but it’s also great for your wellbeing! Continue reading and find out why eating garlic is so good for you.
1. Healthy teeth
Research has shown garlic may be a good alternative treatment in treating inflamed gums. Additionally, garlic by nature has antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal properties. And that also goes for all the tiny organisms living in your mouth and possibly influencing your health.
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2. Fitter feeling
Are you hard at work to improve your fitness? Try adding more garlic to your diet. Research has shown that a particular garlic oil will lighten the load on your heart during exercise.
Additionally, you might enjoy knowing that this was a known fact in ancient times as well. The ancient Greeks would prescribe garlic to the (original) Olympic athletes and people involved in heavy physical work. This would hard labour just a little lighter.
3. Anti-ageing properties
There seems to be decent proof that garlic can work against ‘oxidative stress’, and with that: the process of ageing in and of itself. Wait, what? Simply put: we grow to look older because our bodies convert food and oxygen into energy. However, sometimes our body will be a little too enthusiastic with this process, and destroy other cells in the process. In turn, our skin becomes saggier and our brains become slower. That’s the consequences of ‘oxidative stress’.
In these cases, garlic may be a useful addition to your diet. The smelly herb causes your body to increase the production of substances in the blood that go against the overly enthusiastic oxidation of cells in your body. These substances are commonly known as anti-oxidants. This way, garlic helps to slow down the physical signs of ageing!
Curious? Continue reading on the next page!
4. Garlic makes you more attractive
This might be at odds with your instincts, but it’s true. Of course, we’re all familiar with the effect garlic has on the smell of your breath. But did you know your body odour is also impacted by the vegetable? Research from 2016 has shown the influence of garlic on your bodily smell is actually mostly positive. Participants in a smelling test described the scents of the people who had eaten garlic as ‘less intense’ and ‘more attractive’. This may be because of garlic’s anti-microbial properties. The bacteria that cause the nasty smell of sweat are decreased by the garlic in your body. Be aware: this works best when eating garlic a day before your date. Of course we won’t recommend eating garlic immediately beforehand.
5. Fresh garlic for your immune system
The fact that garlic can contribute to our health was known to our grandmothers and even their grandmothers (and their grandmothers on top of that). The plant has been known for centuries to have properties that work against bacteria, viruses and fungi. For the ultimate boost to your immune system, however you’ll have to eat your garlic raw. When cutting or crushing the garlic, it releases ‘allicin’. This substance has a lot of benefits for your health, but upon heating the garlic, you’ll lose the vast majority of the allicin.
6. Garlic against high blood pressure
At this point, we’re all familiar with the dangers of high blood pressure. We also continue to learn more about the role cholesterol plays here. That’s why nowadays, you’ll quite often hear about products that claim to lower your cholesterol. Garlic, too, is one of those products. Multiple studies have shown that a daily intake of garlic will have long-term effects in lowering your cholesterol. Of course, if you’re dealing with any cardiovascular disease or increased cholesterol levels, you should always get the advice of a medical specialist. Garlic may affect the outcome as a whole, but it’s not a cure-all!
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