11 Proven Health Benefits of Garlic

“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”

Those are famous words from the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, often called the father of Western medicine. He actually used to prescribe garlic to treat a variety of medical conditions.Well… modern science has recently confirmed many of these beneficial health effects.

Here are 11 health benefits of garlic that are supported by human research studies.

1. Garlic Contains a Compound Called Allicin, Which Has Potent Medicinal Properties
2. Garlic Is Highly Nutritious, But Has Very Few Calories

A 1 ounce (28 grams) serving of garlic contains (3):

• Manganese: 23% of the RDA.
• Vitamin B6: 17% of the RDA.
• Vitamin C: 15% of the RDA.
• Selenium: 6% of the RDA.
• Fiber: 1 gram.
• Decent amounts of Calcium, Copper, Potassium, Phosphorus, Iron and Vitamin B1.

Garlic also contains trace amounts of various other nutrients. In fact, it contains a little bit of almost everything we need. This is coming with 42 calories, with 1.8 grams of protein and 9 grams of carbs.

3. Garlic Can Combat Sickness, Including the Common Cold
4. Garlic Can Reduce Blood Pressure
5. Garlic Improves Cholesterol Levels, Which May Lower The Risk of Heart Disease
6. Garlic Contains Antioxidants That May Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
7. Garlic May Help You Live Longer
8. Athletic Performance Can be Improved With Garlic Supplementation
9. Garlic Can Help Detoxify Heavy Metals in the Body
10. Garlic May Improve Bone Health
11. Garlic Is Easy to Include In Your Diet and Tastes Absolutely Delicious

Leech, Joe. "11 Proven Health Benefits of Garlic." Authority Nutrition. Web. 7 January 2015. http://authoritynutrition.com/11-proven-health-benefits-of-garlic/.