Health Benefits of Garlic
Current research shows that garlic may have some real health benefits, such as protection against the common cold and the ability to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Scientists now know that most of garlic’s health benefits are due to the formation of sulfur compounds when you chop, crush, or chew a garlic clove. Perhaps the most well-known compound is allicin. However, allicin is an unstable compound that is only briefly present in fresh garlic after you cut or crush it. Other compounds that may play a role in garlic’s health benefits include diallyl disulfide and s-allyl cysteine. Garlic is low in calories and rich in vitamin C, vitamin B6, and manganese. It also contains trace amounts of various other nutrients. Supplementation with garlic, particularly Aged Garlic Extract (AGE) has shown to be very useful in reducing blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Garlic and garlic supplements may help prevent and reduce the severity of illnesses like the flu and common c...