It’s hard to imagine a bowl of pasta without the savory flavor of garlic. Besides being a staple in many Italian, Asian, and French cooking, it turns out that garlic is good for your health, too! Read on for to learn more about 3 of the top reasons to go for garlic.
THE TOP 3 REASONS TO GO FOR GARLIC:
1. It’s Been Used to Treat a Plethora of Ailments
Garlic is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world and has been used for its medicinal qualities as far back as 2600 B.C. It is used to treat a plethora of ailments, including: arthritis, immune disorders, cataracts, cancer, strokes, and aging.
2. The Power of an Amino Acid
Scientists believe that most of garlic’s superiority is due to its sulfur-containing compounds. Garlic contains close to 100 nutrients, but one in particular, allicin, appears to do the most good. Allicin is an amino acid that is not available when garlic is in clove form, but is released when the garlic is crushed, cut, or chewed. It is allicin that gives garlic its strong smell.
3. Garlic Offers a Host of Healthy Nutrients
In addition to allicin, garlic also contains phosphorous, zinc, potassium, selenium, polyphenols, and vitamins B6 and C. It is the total of all of these nutrients that makes garlic an excellent anti-inflammatory superfood!