Smelly but Healthy: the Benefits of Garlic

Getting sick nowadays can be costly. Prices of medicines are rising and medical insurance, at times, can’t cover all your expenses. Good thing there are plenty of alternatives out there. You could start living healthy by paying attention to what you eat. Why not explore the benefits of garlic?

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This is a common spice used in most dishes and cuisines all over the world. In the Philippines, garlic grows abundantly and was, in the old days, believed by people to be weapons used to scare away mythical creatures like aswang or mananaggal.

These days, most people just add garlic to every dish they eat. And you could too. Here are a few health benefits you can get by eating garlic:

• Fat-Burner - To all weight-conscious people, hear ye! Garlic can help you lose weight! It contains a compound called allicin that helps reduce unhealthy cholesterol and fats, and also provides you with anti-bacterial effects.
• Gives Antioxidants - Antioxidants have important roles to play in our health. It can kill bacteria and other foreign particles that may bring negative effects to the body. Did you know that acne is sometimes caused by bacteria? Because of its antioxidant effect, garlic is a potential acne-buster. Try it by rubbing on a small enough portion of a garlic clove—raw and not cooked—on the part where a pimple or acne is located.
• Heals Inflammation - According to different studies, Garlic has anti-inflammatory properties. Sulphuric compounds in garlic help heal cut inflammation. This is also why it’s very ideal for people diagnosed with auto-immune diseases to start including garlic in their diets. 
• A Temporary Remedy for Psoriasis —The National Psoriasis Foundation Psoriasis reports that 2 percent of the world’s population is affected by Psoriasis. This skin condition causes scaly, itchy rashes, resulting to massive skin inflammation in some cases. To administer temporary relief for the itchiness and inflammation common to these diseases, you can rub garlic oil directly on affected areas.
• Has Anti-Wrinkle Properties – Garlic is also good for the skin. A study conducted shows that garlic contains a compound called Caffeic acid (CA), which is a pharmacological antioxidant with antimutagenic activities and anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. CA, in essence, is a well-known anti-wrinkle agent so that’s a plus for beauty-conscious eaters.
• Good for the Body – Garlic isn’t just good for the heart, but for the circulatory and respiratory systems as well. Those who suffer conditions such as artery hardening, coronary heart disease, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure would do well to include garlic in their daily diet. Garlic sulphide can produce hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) which is very beneficial for the body. The H2S gas helps dilate blood vessels and keep blood pressure under control, as well as expand blood vessels to keep blood pressure steady.
• Mosquito Repellent – SavAtree’s Plant Health Care Program Director, Patrick Parker, says garlic is an effective repellent for mosquitoes and other insects. A treatment with garlic can be used for 2 weeks and can keep away insects for up to a month.
  Amino acids from garlic bulbs convert to a substance called allicin when blended, chopped, or crushed. This is where the smell springs from. However, if you don’t like the idea of smelling like garlic—even while you rub it on you to keep mosquitoes and bugs off your skin—then you could go for spray recipes online. Or try to buy odour-free garlic supplements from the drugstore. These treatments are odourless to humans within minutes of application and does away with that smelly garlic odour you hate. 
• Athlete's Foot Buster – Odour fight! Beat the odour of your feet using the smell of garlic. The garlic’s anti-fungal properties help relieve itchiness in your feet. You could also just soak your feet in garlic water or rub raw garlic straight on your feet to kill the fungus responsible for athlete's foot (also known as ringworm of the foot).
• Boost Immune System – According to BBC, Garlic prevents common cold viruses. This is a natural way to boost your immune aside from vitamins and supplements. You can simply eat cloves of garlic or try infusing garlic into a tea by steeping chopped garlic in hot water. To cut the intense garlic taste and soothe your throat, you may add honey to your tea.

Eliminate Risks in Using Garlic

Indeed, garlic has plenty of benefits. However, this shouldn’t blind you to the risks. Make sure you prepare the garlic properly before you eat it. Otherwise, you could be exposing yourself to botulism—this happens when home-made food aren’t exposed to oxygen. This could lead to paralysis and death, so make sure you pay careful attention to how the garlic is packaged. Any leaks in the packaging is bad so watch out for those.

About the Author:
This article is contributed by MoneyMax, Philippines leading comparison website. This portal helps individuals in saving money by comparing credit cards, personal loans, medical insurance and broadband plans.