Most of its medicinal qualities are due to the presence of a sulfur compound known as allicin, which also gives its pungent odor. It effectively protects against pathogenic bacteria, viruses, parasites, antibiotic-resistant MRSA, yeast infections, and cancer. When ingested, allicin turns into sulfenic acid, which is the fastest acting free radical eliminator.
The best way to reap the health benefits offered by this vegetable is to consume it raw, and press or smash the garlic clove, wait for 5 minutes for allicin to become active, and eat it.
The National Library of Medicine contains 4525 study abstracts on garlic which show that it successfully treats more than 150 chronic diseases, like infections and heart diseases. Garlic is one of the most potent natural ways to improve heart health and prevent strokes and heart attacks.
Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DMN, CNS, reports:
“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the United States, followed by cancer. Garlic has been widely recognized as both a preventative agent and treatment of many cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, including atherosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, thrombosis and hypertension
A scientific review of experimental and clinical studies of garlic benefits found that, overall, garlic consumption has significant cardioprotective effects in both animal and human studies.
Probably the most amazing characteristic of garlic is that it’s been shown to help reverse early heart disease by removing plaque buildup in arteries. A 2016 randomized, double-blind study published in the Journal of Nutrition involved 55 patients, aged 40 to 75 years, who had been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome.
The results of the study showed that aged garlic extract effectively reduced plaque in coronary arteries (the arteries supplying blood to the heart) for patients with metabolic syndrome.
One of the lead researchers, Matthew J. Budoff, M.D., said, “This study is another demonstration of the benefits of this supplement in reducing the accumulation of soft plaque and preventing the formation of new plaque in the arteries, which can cause heart disease.
We have completed four randomized studies, and they have led us to conclude that Aged Garlic Extract can help slow the progression of atherosclerosis and reverse the early stages of heart disease.”
Therefore, studies have shown that this versatile natural cure:
-- Lowers blood pressure
-- Prevents blood clots
-- Fights vascular inflammation
-- Dilates blood vessels to boost circulation
-- Prevents oxidation of cholesterol
-- Positively modulates blood lipids
-- Retards progression of arterial plaque
-- Lowers white adipose tissue, and increases white adipose tissue around the heart muscle
-- Prevents dysfunction of arteries
Researchers have also found that garlic has potent anti-infective effects, and destroys the following 14 infections:
-- Helicobacter Pylori infection
-- Candida (Yeast) infection
-- Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
-- Viral Infections: Herpes Simplex 1 and 2, Parainfluenza virus type 3, vaccinia virus, vesicular stomatitis virus
and human rhinovirus type 2
-- Group B Streptococcus Infection
-- Thrush (Fungal overgrowth in the oral cavity)
-- Pseudomonas Aerigonosima, including drug-resistant strains
-- Vibrio infection
-- Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, multi-drug resistant
-- Cytomegalovirus Infections
-- Mycotoxin-associated aflatoxicosis
-- Klebsiella infection
-- Clostridium infections
-- HIV-1 infection