Properties of garlic: all the beneficial properties
The properties of garlic are many: it is not simply a plant with an intense flavor useful in the kitchen, but a real natural medicine with incredible benefits. Among the properties of garlic, in fact, there are those that heal system disorders. cardiovascular, antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties, even cosmetic properties!
Garlic, excellent to be consumed both raw and cooked, grows in the wild and looks like a plant between 30 and 80 cm tall. It is a sterile plant, which can only be grown vegetatively. It has a bulb covered with different wraps and in turn composed of smaller bulbs, that is the cloves. It is one of the most appreciated remedies since ancient times! Before discovering all the properties of garlic together, here is a video-recipe to taste it in the oven:
Nutritional properties of garlic
Garlic is very rich in nutritional elements with beneficial properties, first of all allicin: it is an active principle which, as we will see later, guarantees incredible antibacterial and antibiotic qualities, making garlic a real medicine.
Furthermore, garlic contains a lot of vitamin C, with antioxidant power, essential for strengthening the immune system of our body. It also contains vitamin E (the deficiency of which causes heart, muscle or liver diseases), B vitamins, provitamin A, selenium (a mineral important for development), sulfur compounds, mineral salts (magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iodine and iron), enzymes such as lysozyme and peroxidase.
All the properties of garlic
Among the first properties of garlic that must be mentioned is its anticoagulant function. Thanks to allicin, the substance we mentioned earlier, garlic has the power to counteract the aggregation of platelets, promoting blood circulation and preventing the formation of dangerous clots.
At the same time, garlic is a real vasodilator: it helps to keep blood pressure under control, preventing serious diseases such as hypertension or heart disease. The beneficial effect was particularly evident in people suffering from impertension.
But that's not all: one of the miraculous properties of "garlic" is its ability to act against bad cholesterol, promoting the well-being of our heart. If you take garlic on a regular basis, bad cholesterol is reduced by about 10-15%!
The best known properties of garlic, however, are its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Garlic is a real ally in fighting viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, as if it were a real natural antibiotic. Taking garlic helps strengthen our immune defenses, preventing seasonal ills, first of all the cold.
Again: garlic has antioxidant properties, and is therefore able to fight free radicals and slow down all the signs of aging. It is also very effective for the health of the bones, which become stronger. Not surprisingly, garlic is recommended in cases of osteoporosis and arthritis.
The natural antispasmodic properties of garlic, then, help prevent spasms and muscle and abdominal pain, making it useful when exercising. It helps regulate blood sugar levels thanks to its alkaloids that keep sugars at bay. Thanks on the other hand, its chelating action is highly purifying: it counteracts the accumulation of heavy metals in our body, continuously subjected to fine dust from smog.
Finally, garlic - if taken regularly - helps prevent the onset of tumors. For this reason it is always included among the foods recommended in anti-cancer diets, together with the other foods that you can find in our album:
See also: Breast Cancer Super Foods: What to Eat Every Day
Cosmetic properties of garlic: useful for the skin and hair!
You may not believe it, but garlic even has cosmetic properties! First of all, its aforementioned antioxidant property, which by fighting free radicals also counteracts the signs of aging, first of all wrinkles. Garlic is a real beauty ally for our skin!
Its disinfectant and antibacterial property is often used in cosmetics to eliminate skin impurities, from blackheads to pimples. But the skin is not the only one to benefit from the miraculous properties of garlic, there is also the hair. In fact, garlic keeps dandruff away and stimulates the growth of the foliage, thanks to the presence of phytinic acid, capable of acting on cell growth.
Raw or cooked? How to consume garlic to get the most out of its properties
Because we can get the most out of the properties of garlic, it is advisable to eat it raw, as if it were a supplement: the recommended dose for our well-being is 4 grams per day. When eaten raw, garlic has a better chance of keeping its allicin intact.
Of course, consuming raw garlic is not for everyone: the contraindications are well known, from heavy breath to difficult digestion. In order to limit these effects, it is preferable to eliminate the innermost part of the garlic, or chew a coffee bean after ingesting it. For a phytotherapeutic use, then, it can also be consumed in capsules, in the form of dry extract.
Buy them on Amazon for € 11.77
But be careful: garlic is not recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding, or for people suffering from intestinal problems, gastritis or ulcer. Consult your doctor, also to examine the interaction with other drugs, is always recommended before taking.
