In many cultures, garlic was revered as the “king of spices,” not just because it’s delicious, but because of the numerous health benefits, it brings. It helps normalize your gut flora, strengthen your immune system, and fight off bacterial infections. Humans began cultivating garlic 5,000 years ago and it’s still going strong today.
Do you know what garlic does on an empty stomach? It’s actually pretty impressive. Eating a head of garlic (normally baked garlic, never raw unless you can handle the taste) in the morning before breakfast has numerous benefits:
Do you know what garlic does on an empty stomach? It’s actually pretty impressive. Eating a head of garlic (normally baked garlic, never raw unless you can handle the taste) in the morning before breakfast has numerous benefits:
1. You’re less likely to get topical infections.
- Many people apply garlic to their skin to treat warts and fungal infections.
- Some evidence suggests that the topical use of garlic is also effective against infections like ringworm and athlete’s foot.
2. Your blood pressure stabilizes.
- One study suggests that garlic can significantly reduce hypertension. According to the study:
- “Garlic significantly reduces mean supine systolic blood pressure by 12 mmHg (95% CI 0.56 to 23.44 mmHg, p=0.04) and mean supine diastolic blood pressure by 9 mmHg (95% CI 2.49 to 15.51 mmHg, p=0.007) versus placebo.
- The authors state that garlic was “free from side effects” and that no serious side effects were reported.”
3. Inflammation is reduced.
- In several studies, garlic has been found to work similarly to NSAID pain relievers (ibuprofen)… shutting down the pathways that cause inflammation.
4. Your blood is thinner, reducing the risk of clots.
5. You’ll be less likely to catch a cold or flu.
6. Disorders of the nervous system can be relieved.
7. Garlic reduces triglyceride levels, making atherosclerosis less likely to develop.
8. Garlic can help reduce bad cholesterol in the blood.
- A study that used dried garlic demonstrated a significant reduction in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides!
9. Your immune system will be stronger.
- Just a single clove of garlic contains 5 mg of calcium, 12 mg of potassium, and more than 100 sulfuric compounds.
- Making it more than strong enough to kill infection and bacteria.