We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. From tackling the common cold garlic butter keto bread fighting chronic disease, garlic is a bona-fide health food hero. One of the oldest cultivated plants in the world, garlic is a culinary staple in kitchens across the globe.

Though widely used as a herb or spice, botanically-speaking, garlic is a vegetable. It belongs to the onion family, alongside leeks, chives, spring onions, shallots, and other pungent plants. When the cloves are cut, crushed or chewed they release sulphur compounds such as allicin, which are believed to be responsible for its health-giving properties. As the science attests, garlic is a bona-fide health food hero. Each clove contains approximately four calories, 0. 2 grams of protein and one gram of carbohydrates. Garlic is packed with sulphur compounds The unique flavour of garlic comes from sulfur compounds.

Like other members of the onion family, the plant absorbs sulfate from the soil and stores it in molecules. When we prepare and eat garlic, these sulfur molecules break down into approximately 50 different compounds that interact with certain molecules in the body, and have been observed to exert powerful biological effects. Garlic helps fights bacteria Thanks to its antimicrobial properties, garlic has been used for centuries to combat infectious disease, says Wakeman. A placebo controlled single trial suggests that garlic may prevent occurrences of the common cold, but more studies are needed to validate this finding,’ he continues. The investigation revealed lower incidence of common cold in the garlic group compared with the placebo group, resulting in fewer days of illness. Garlic is a potent antioxidant Garlic contains antioxidants, which are substances that help to protect our cells against oxidative damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are molecules produced when your body breaks down food or when you’re exposed to tobacco smoke or radiation,’ says Wakeman.

It is suggested that garlic’s potent antioxidant activities may be responsible for its anti-inflammatory activity, but there is also evidence that garlic extracts can directly prevent production of compounds involved in the inflammatory process,’ he adds. Garlic lowers heart disease risk Consuming garlic can help to lower your risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke, in several ways. Studies show the essential function of garlic in the control of cardiovascular risk factors, as it is known to significantly decrease systolic as well as diastolic blood pressure,’ says Wakeman. Garlic contains many active sulphur molecules that have been shown to directly affect the relaxation of blood vessels leading to lower blood pressure. Garlic supplements have a significant impact on reducing blood pressure in people with high blood pressure. Furthermore, a study by Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute found that supplementing with aged garlic extract reduces the accumulation of certain types of plaque in the arteries, another risk factor for heart disease. Garlic has been identified to have beneficial effects on some of the processes that appear to be defective in Alzheimer’s, most notably involving the neurotransmitter acetylcholinesterase in the nervous system,’ says Wakeman.

One study reported that the prolonged garlic uptake is related to promoting the memory function by affecting the levels of another neurotransmitter, serotonin. The sulphur compounds in garlic have been shown to decrease the blood glucose level by preventing the insulin activation caused by the liver, enhancing the secretion of insulin from the pancreas and increasing the cell sensitivity to insulin,’ says Wakeman. Garlic promotes gut health Being both antibacterial and prebiotic, garlic delivers a one-two punch for great gut health. A prebiotic is a type of non-digestible fibre that feeds healthful bacteria in the gut. Garlic contains inulin and fructooligosaccharides, which promote the growth of beneficial Bifidobacteria, while at the same time preventing disease-promoting bacteria from growing due to its antibacterial properties. Garlic may reduce cancer risk Laboratory tests have shown that the compounds in garlic can kill off cancer cells, but as yet, there are no studies that measure garlic’s potential anti-cancer effects in humans.