Garlic Is Good For You!  Why You Should Try and Eat More of It

We can find garlic in a lot of what we eat.  Sometimes, it’s a mild hint mixed into a recipe, other times you will need a breath mint afterwards.

But did you know that garlic is jam-packed with nutrients?

For starters, for three fresh cloves — a modest portion, garlic lovers will agree — you’ll get 2.8 mg of Vitamin C (out of 90 mgs recommended daily for adults) and 36 mg. of Potassium (out of a recommended 4,700 mgs.), plus small amounts of zinc, iron, magnesium and Vitamin K.

Small may be the operative word — most of us don’t consume enough garlic in a day to get enough nutrients from it, but those indulging often enough can expect it to make a difference in their diet.

Here are more reasons garlic is good for you!

Garlic supports your immune system.  Studies show that garlic can help cub inflammation…

Garlic can help lower your cholesterol! 

The science is limited on this question, but a 2020 study published in Antioxidants posited that extracts and other forms of garlic could help lower cholesterol levels.

Garlic May Help Lower Blood Pressure!

The same study published in Antioxidants found that subjects suffering from metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that raise the risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute — benefited from consuming 100 mg per kilogram of body weight of raw garlic two times a day for four weeks. That would be a little more than two cloves in a person who weighed 150 lbs.

Garlic is good for Gut Health! 

Garlic is an excellent source of prebiotics, which feed your gut’s healthy bacteria…

TRY TO EAT MORE

Use it to season vegetables, add it to rice dishes, mix it into curries and stews, make your salsa, incorporate it into chicken and beef dishes, or your weekly rice and beans supper. And — last but not least — almost any pasta sauce or dish will benefit from at least a bit of garlic.

Raw is best — that’s when you reap peak benefits from the allicin. Like most foods, the more you process garlic, the less you benefit.