What Garlic CAN DO

=>>  What Garlic CAN DO?

• >  Guards Against Cold and Flu

Garlic has been cited for its ability to dilate blood vessels and improve circulation throughout your nether regions, said Judy Caplan, MS, RDN, a nutritionist based in Vienna, Va., and a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

• >  Can Be a Stress Buster

It's no coincidence that you always seem to catch a cold or the flu when you're overworked or stressed out. A research team from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh reported in the November 2011 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that the body loses its ability to fight off infections when it's constantly under stress. That's where garlic comes in -- it's been shown to fight stress and fatigue. Garlic can affect your adrenal glands' response to stress: Eat garlic, and your adrenals produce less stress hormones and thus reduce your level of fatigue. Armed with garlic, you're better able to stay alert and fight off foreign invaders.

• >  Is Highly Nutritious

Calorie for calorie, garlic is incredibly nutritious. One clove (3 grams) of raw garlic contains :
Manganese: 2% of the Daily Value (DV)
Vitamin B6: 2% of the DV
Vitamin C: 1% of the DV
Selenium: 1% of the DV
Fiber: 0.06 grams
Decent amounts of calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin B1
This comes with 4.5 calories, 0.2 grams of protein and 1 gram of carbohydrate. Garlic also contains trace amounts of various other nutrients. In fact, it contains a little bit of almost everything you need.

• >  Work as Anti - Inflammatory

Research has shown that garlic oil works as an anti-inflammatory. So, if you have sore and inflamed joints or muscles, rub them with the oil. The vinyldithiins, diallyl polysulfoxides, and a sulfur-containing compound called thiacremonone have been most closely associated with the anti-inflammatory activity of garlic in our cardiovascular system.

• >  Cardiovascular Benefits

Garlic provides us with cardiovascular benefits in a variety of different ways. Diallyl trisulfide, a component of garlic oil, helps protect the heart during cardiac surgery and after a heart attack, researchers at Emory University School of Medicine found. They also believe diallyl trisulfide could be used as a treatment for heart failure. Investigators believe red blood cells turn the sulfur in garlic into hydrogen sulfide gas that expands our blood vessels, making it easier to regulate blood pressure.

• >  Excellent Source of Antioxidant

Right alongside of this anti-inflammatory support is the antioxidant support provided to our heart and blood vessels through consumption of garlic. In this antioxidant category, the many forms of cysteine found in garlic have received special research attention, as have the presence of glutathione and selenium. Of course, it is also important to remember that garlic is an excellent source of the antioxidant mineral, manganese, and a very good source of vitamin C, another key antioxidant nutrient.

• >  The Active Compounds in Garlic Can Reduce Blood  Pressure

Cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes are the world's biggest killers. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the most important drivers of these diseases. Human studies have found garlic supplements to have a significant impact on reducing blood pressure in people with high blood pressure.
Researchers at Ankara University investigated the effects of garlic extract supplementation on the blood lipid (fat) profile of patients with high blood cholesterol. Their study was published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.
At the end of the 4 months, the researchers concluded "...garlic extract supplementation improves blood lipid profile, strengthens blood antioxidant potential, and causes significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressures. It also leads to a decrease in the level of oxidation product (MDA) in the blood samples, which demonstrates reduced oxidation reactions in the body." In other words, the garlic extract supplements reduced high cholesterol levels, and also blood pressure in the patients with hypertension. The scientists added that theirs was a small study - more work needs to be carried out.

• >  Lowers Lung Cancer Risk

People who ate raw garlic at least twice a week during the 7 year study period had a 44 percent lower risk of developing lung cancer, according to a study conducted at the Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention in China.
The researchers, who published their study in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, wrote: "Protective association between intake of raw garlic and lung cancer has been observed with a dose-response pattern, suggesting that garlic may potentially serve as a chemo-preventive agent for lung cancer."

• >  Eating Garlic May Help Detoxify Heavy Metals in the Body

At high doses, the sulfur compounds in garlic have been shown to protect against organ damage from heavy metal toxicity. A four-week study in employees of a car battery plant (excessive exposure to lead) found that garlic reduced lead levels in the blood by 19%. It also reduced many clinical signs of toxicity, including headaches and blood pressure. Three doses of garlic each day even outperformed the drug D-penicillamine in reducing symptoms.

• >  May Help You Live Longer

The potential effects of garlic on longevity are basically impossible to prove in humans. But given the beneficial effects on important risk factors like blood pressure, it makes sense that garlic could help you live longer. The fact that it can fight infectious disease is also an important factor, because these are common causes of death, especially in the elderly or people with dysfunctional immune systems.

• >  Treats Brain Cancer

Organo-sulfur compounds found in garlic have been identified as effective in destroying the cells in glioblastomas, a type of deadly brain tumor. Scientists at the Medical University of South Carolina reported in the journal Cancer that three pure organo-sulfur compounds from garlic - DAS, DADS, and DATS. Co-author, Ray Swapan, Ph.D., said "This research highlights the great promise of plant-originated compounds as natural medicine for controlling the malignant growth of human brain tumor cells. More studies are needed in animal models of brain tumors before application of this therapeutic strategy to brain tumor patients."

• >  Potentially a Powerful Antibiotic

Diallyl sulfide, a compound in garlic, was 100 times more effective than two popular antibiotics in fighting the Campylobacter bacterium, according to a study published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. The Campylobacter bacterium is one of the most common causes of intestinal infections. Senior author, Dr. Xiaonan Lu, from Washington State University, said, "This work is very exciting to me because it shows that this compound has the potential to reduce disease-causing bacteria in the environment and in our food supply."

• >  Prevents Prostate Cancer

Doctors at the Department of Urology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China, carried out a study evaluating the relationship between Allium vegetable consumption and prostate cancer risk. They gathered and analyzed published studies up to May 2013 and reported their findings in the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention. The study authors concluded, "Allium vegetables, especially garlic intake, are related to a decreased risk of prostate cancer." The team also commented that because there are not many relevant studies, further well-designed prospective studies should be carried out to confirm their findings.

• >  Contains Antioxidants That May Help Prevent Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia

Oxidative damage from free radicals contributes to the aging process. Garlic contains antioxidants that support the body's protective mechanisms against oxidative damage. High doses of garlic supplements have been shown to increase antioxidant enzymes in humans, as well as significantly reduce oxidative stress in those with high blood pressure. The combined effects on reducing cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as the antioxidant properties, may reduce the risk of common brain diseases like Alzheimer's disease and dementia.