I can’t live without garlic. Its pungent flavor goes with virtually anything. But what’s even more interesting with garlic is its many health benefits. It can definitely be called a superfood. You see, you don’t have to spend for some hip exotic fruit juice to eat superfoods. Garlic is fresh, local, flavorful, and cheap. And there’s so many health benefits that it would be a good thing to eat some every day. Garlic is very nutrient-rich, with good amounts of zinc, calcium, manganese, selenium, as well as vitamins C, A, B6, and more.
Health benefits of garlic
- cancer fighting
- blood cleanser
- help lower blood pressure
- help prevent cardiovascular diseases
- anti inflammatory
- reduce free radicals
- boost immune system
- controls blood sugar
- help clear mucus
- anti-parasitic, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-viral
- promote cell renewing
- helps to metabolize iron
- good source of selenium
Increase the health benefits of garlic by letting it sit after you’ve chopped or crushed it. This activates the beneficial enzymes. To allow the garlic to produce the maximum allicin, the super health compound found in garlic, wait at least 5 minutes before, mixing, cooking or eating the garlic after its been chopped or crushed. The best way to reap the maximum health benefits from garlic is to eat at least 1/2 clove per portion, or 1 to 2 cloves in a regular sized recipe. Wile many compounds in garlic can resist to heat, it’s always best to use it raw, or at least towards the end of cooking to retain the maximum flavor and nutrition.
Like other vegetables, garlic has more flavor and nutritional value when fresh. To test the freshness of raw garlic, select a garlic bulb that is firm to the touch and has unbroken skin. Sprouted, soft, shriveled or moldy garlic is a sign that it’s not as fresh as it should be. To ensure that your garlic stays fresh longer, the best it to store it in a cool dark place. Entire garlic head can last up to a month, but once you took some cloves out of it, it greatly reduces its shel life.
Do you like garlic? What’s your favorite way to eat it? Do you like it raw? Do you use it for taste, for health or for both?