What are the health benefits of consuming garlic?

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food.” These are the famous words of Hippocrates, known as the father of Western medicine. He often prescribed garlic to treat all possible ailments, and now many researchers have proven the massive health benefits of our very own superfood — garlic.

It’s used in a variety of cuisines worldwide and extensively in India. Garlic contains Sulphur compounds called Allicin, which impart a strong pungent flavour and positive health effects on human beings. Garlic is a plant from the onion family, which has a big head called a bulb.

Each bulb contains around 12 to 15 cloves. It contains a good amount of manganese, Vitamin B6, Sulphur, Vitamin C, Selenium, Potassium and other trace minerals along with fibre which acts as a prebiotic for the growth of our healthy gut bacteria.

Including garlic in your routine keeps you away from infections, heart disease, stroke and cancer. Garlic boosts immunity and prevents us from flu, common cold, cough, various infections and illnesses. It can prevent high blood pressure and reduces  plaque accumulation. Garlic helps to reduce high levels of total cholesterol and LDL ie; bad cholesterol.

It also exhibits antioxidant properties which protect our body from oxidative stress and cellular damage; plus reduces the ageing process. Due to Allicin, it also helps in the reduction of heavy metal toxicity in our bodies.  It improves digestion and prevents worm infestation, colitis, etc. Apply garlic paste on your hair or face for 30 minutes and wash it off.

The sulphur improves your hair structure,  and reduces hair loss and fungal infections on the scalp which cause dandruff. Its antioxidants kills bacteria from skin, prevents from pimples, acne, blemishes and redness. Its anti-inflammatory effects are beneficial for psoriasis. The health benefits of garlic are vast, but these are a few of them. Having garlic in its raw form is always better to get maximum advantage. So get your garlic added into all your savoury preparations.

Deepika Rathod
Chief Nutrition Officer, Luke Coutinho Holistic Healing Systems. The writer is a clinical nutritionist with a focus on healthy lifestyle choices.