WHY GARLIC IS NEEDED IN OUR BODY

Garlic is a spice or an herb that is grown all around the world and has power to reduce belly fat and treat a variety of medical conditions,famous Greek physician Hippocrates, often called the father of Western medicine once quoted ”Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.Garlic scientific name is Allium sativum.It gets the pungent smell from the organic sulfur compound allicin.This compound is full of health benefits using crushed garlic on a hair scalp is found to promote hair growth.

Garlic is found as a white bulb (the shape is similar to an onion). The entire garlic is called a ‘head’ or ‘knob.’ Each small, individual segment of a garlic head is the garlic clove, which is also white. A single clove of garlic is equal to one teaspoon of chopped garlic or half a teaspoon of minced garlic. Garlic is a popular ingredient used in several dishes and beverages to add flavor.

Healthiest way to cook Garlic

Garlic may be added raw, as garlic powder, or in the form of garlic oil to dishes. Garlic is usually consumed cooked but can be eaten raw, which is even better because the raw form preserves all its beneficial nutrients. Most of the benefits of raw garlic come from an enzyme called allicin Allicin has anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, antibacterial, and anticancer properties. Allicin also gives garlic its characteristic odor. It is safe to eat a clove of garlic a day after a meal. To avoid the bad breath associated with eating raw garlic, the garlic may be cut into small pieces and swallowed instead of chewing. Adding too much garlic while cooking can also result in bad breath.

• Warm olive oil then add crushed raw garlic to it then add on top of salad or grilled vegetable.
  

Top 10 Benefits of Garlic

1. Build immunity:Who knew boosting your immunity can be as simple as eating more garlic? According to one study involving 41,000 middle-aged women, those who routinely ate garlic, fruits and vegetables had a 35% lower colon cancer risk. Keep in mind that benefits came from raw and cooked garlic – not supplements.
2. Works as an anti-inflammatory: Numerous research has shown that garlic oil works as an anti-inflammatory. If you have sore and inflamed joints or muscles, rub them with the oil. The Arthritis Foundation even recommends it to help prevent cartilage damage from arthritis.
3. Improves cardiovascular health: Research indicates that it can have a positive impact on your arteries and blood pressure. Researchers believe red blood cells turn the sulfur in garlic into hydrogen sulfide gas that expands our blood vessels, making it easier to regulate blood pressure. The good news is that you may be able to put your blood pressure medication away, so consult with your doctor if adding more garlic to your diet could be helpful for you.
4. Hair and Skin: Garlic’s antioxidants and antibacterial properties can clear up your skin by killing acne-causing bacteria. One study shows rubbing raw garlic over pimples can clear them away. Be aware, though, that it could cause a burning sensation on your skin. Consult with your dermatologist first before putting acne on your skin if you are using any other products, too.
5. Protects your food: Those same antibacterial properties in fresh garlic can kill the bacteria that lead to food poisoning, including salmonella and E.coli. Don’t use garlic as a substitute for proper food sanitation and food handling, though.
6. Treat athlete’s foot:Garlic also fights fungus. If you have athlete’s foot, soak your feet in garlic water or rub raw garlic on your feet to attack the itch-causing fungus.
7. The Blood Purifier Tired of covering up those zits with concealer every morning? It’s time to tackle the root cause of acne by purifying your blood from inside to get healthy skin on the outside. Take two cloves of raw garlic with some warm water everyday, early in the morning and consume a lot of water the entire day. If you’re looking to shed some pounds, squeeze the juice of half a lemon in a glass of luke warm water and have it with 2 cloves of garlic in the mornings. Garlic will help to cleanse your system and flush out toxins.
8. Cold and Flu Garlic is going to provide you relief from that stubborn cold and flu (yes, they absolutely love you and never want to leave). Taking 2-3 cloves of raw or cooked garlic a day or sipping some garlic tea (with a touch of honey or ginger to lift up the taste) is not only going to relieve a stuffed nose and cure the cold but also build your immunity against these frequent visitors over time. According to Dr. Shikha Sharma, Delhi-based Health and Wellness Expert, and founder of Nutrihealth says,” One of the earliest uses of garlic was by meat-eaters because it was believed that meat could cause infection which garlic could fight off from the body. More commonly used by labourers who are exposed to infections and disease-friendly environments till recently, its plethora of health benefits has made white-collar workers also take to it.” She added, “Garlic can be added to hot stews, broths and soups to fight sinusitis, cold and flu. And garlic is best had in its raw state.”
9. Splinters Many of garlic’s astounding uses were forgotten in the folds of time but users (and believers) still vouch for the lesser-known benefits. One of them is against stubborn splinters. Place a piece of cut garlic over the splinter cut and cover with a bandage- and voila! Bye-bye splinter.
10. Improves physical performance: Garlic can reduce fatigue, improving athletic performance, and physical capacity. It was used in ancient times to improve the physical performance of laborers and improve athletic performance in Olympic athletes in ancient Greece.

Nutritional Value of Garlic

Here are the nutrition facts for 1 clove raw garlic:

• Calcium,Ca (mg): 16.29
• Energy(kcal): 13.41
• Iron, Fe (mg): 0.15
• Potassium, K (mg): 36.09
• Sugar, total (g): 0.09 grams
• Phosphorus, P (mg): 13.77
• Protein (g): 0.57

Maximize The Use Garlic

Did you know you can make tea from garlic? It’s true! You can steep chopped garlic in hot water and cover the taste with honey. However, sometimes taking advantage of garlic’s benefits gets a little complicated. Heating it or putting it in a recipe can change its pH balance. The enzymes from the allicin need a few minutes to start working, so let it sit after you mince, crush or chop it.

One should eat raw garlic to get the most benefit out of it. “But if you choose to cook it, don’t heat it above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Higher temperatures kill the allicin, so add garlic to your recipes when you’re almost done cooking.”

A Few Words Of Caution

Garlic’s health benefits are plenty, but don’t add too much to your diet too quickly, as tempting as it may be. Overdoing it can cause discomfort, including upset stomach, bloating, diarrhea, body odor and bad breath. (Pass the gum, please!)

You may also get a stinging feeling on the skin if you handle significant amounts of fresh and dried garlic, to avoid garlic-induced skin lesions, wear kitchen gloves.

On rare occasions, garlic supplements can cause headaches, fatigue, appetite loss, muscle aches, dizziness and allergic reactions such as asthma attacks or skin rashes. If you take blood thinners, taking a garlic supplement can increase the medication’s effect, making it even harder for your blood to clot. Be sure to consult your doctor before taking any garlic supplement.​

Garlic Recipes

1. Garlic Mushrooms & Spinach
2. Cheese Stuffed Garlic Pull Apart Bread
3. Greek Salad
4. Garlic Matki Sabzi
5. Gujarati Style Urad Dal and Chawal Rotla