You may eat garlic all the time. I know I do! And that tasty little bulb is more than just good seasoning for your pasta sauce… garlic has some pretty amazing health powers.
Garlic is known to be a powerful antibacterial. Studies done in the 1950s found that garlic’s bacteria fighting powers are just as good as penicillin’s — and without the side effects that the antibiotic drug can bring. Garlic can help your body fight internal infections, including strep and pneumonia! On the outside, you can count on garlic to help kill ringworm, parasites, and even yeast infections.
But the powers of garlic don’t stop with killing bacteria. Garlic is also known to kill viruses — you know, the stuff that’s typically resistant to antibiotics. It is a potent antiviral that can help your body fight the common cold or the flu.
And garlic still isn’t done. Have a fungus, like athlete’s foot? Garlic can help.
If you’re having stomach issues, head to the kitchen and take a whiff of garlic or one of your favorite cooking herbs. The scent will signal your brain to have your stomach start producing more digestive acids. The activity can help ease indigestion, the discomfort of overeating, or mild nausea.
Eating garlic in your everyday cooking is a great way to keep this powerhouse herb in your system. However, you may not be fond of the stinky breath that often comes with eating garlic. Garlic capsules are available to take as supplements, and supposedly you don’t get the smell. I haven’t tried them, so I can’t vouch for them either way… but it is another option for keeping garlic in your system.
Raw garlic is usually more useful than cooked garlic, if you can tolerate the taste. Eat raw cloves to get the most health benefits — just don’t overdo it. Too much of anything can be bad. As an alternative to chomping down on fresh garlic cloves, try to pick and cook with fresh garlic over dried garlic flakes if you can. Your food will taste better and you’ll get the health benefits of garlic!