Have you had a tooth ache and couldn't afford to go to the dentist? So you told your mom about it and she crushed up some garlic and told you to eat it. A few days later and after a couple of doses of ibuprofen, your tooth doesn't hurt anymore. Bet you thought it was the ibuprofen that did it?
Come to find out that mom does know best. For centuries, people have relied on garlic for it's many health benefits other than an antibioic. The Ancient Greeks would give garlic to their atheletes before a competition.
In recent study, garlic has been found to give the body an increase in hydrogen sulfide, which in turn acts as an antioxidant and relaxes blood vessels while increasing the blood flow. It is also said that a garlic rich diet can reduce the risk of various cancers including breast, prostate, and colon cancer. High hydrogen sulfide may also protect the heart. Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine have found that by injecting mice with hydrogen sulfide almost completely prevented damage to the heart muscle caused by a heart attack.
Some of the downsides to garlic heath is that cooking it tends to diminish the benifits. It is best used within fifteen minutes after crushing it and taken raw. Taking it raw also will have an adverse effect on your breath as well as your sweat. And yes, if you didn't know, garlic will enhance the stench of your sweat.
However, this could be solved by taking garlic pills. The sad part is the pills are not as effective as the real deal. And neither have shown significant edvidence that either one is effective at lowering cholesterol levels.
So if you eat more garlic, you may spend less time n the doctors office. In conclusion, the saying should be, a little garlic a day keeps the doctor away!
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