What is Garlic?
Garlic (Allium sativum) is an herb relative to the onion family. Popularly used around 
the world as a condiment for its pungent flavor. With over a hundred different types of compounds, the garlic herb has also been used as one of the earliest natural remedies.
It is also called adrak in Hindi, Urdu & Gujarati, chukka in Malayalam, chukku in Tamil, soanth in Bengali & zanjabil in Arabic.
Raw garlic has been used to treat a myriad of conditions that includes indigestion, common cold and flu, hypertension, diabetes and many more diseases.
Garlic cloves have a spicy flavor that is used in almost every other culinary dish. Though valuable, overuse can result in garlic side effects.
Get Garlic Health Benefits
On eating garlic, you can experience an enhanced feeling of well being. Ripe and green garlic both have selenium which endows it with powerful antioxidant property that can give amazing results when used as a remedy.
Here are some garlic health benefits:
Its antibacterial, antiviral, anti-parasitic & antifungal properties have made it a popular herb for counteracting against harmful germs and micro-organisms.
- Garlic extract can help normalize your body functions by way of re-establishing blood pressure in both hypo & hypertension patients.
- Garlic extract may aid in stimulating the immune system. A study revealed that on eating two cloves of raw garlic per day, three weeks in succession, showed a significant increase in white blood cell activity in fighting tumor.
- The oil of garlic can help dissolve lung congestion & thus loosen harmful infected secretion from the bronchial tubes.
- Oil of garlic may help in treatment and cure of tuberculosis. Reports suggest garlic to be effective in fighting tubercle bacillus irrespective of which part of your body has been infected.
- Among many garlic benefits is its rich iodine content. It helps people suffering from the condition of hyperthyroidism.
- The sulfur & selenium content of garlic makes its use as an effective herb to fight and prevent tumor formation.
- Garlic health benefit includes its stimulating effect on secretion of gastric juices and this can aid those with a weak digestion.
- Its antibacterial and antifungal properties make it useful in treating vaginal infections.
Like any herb, an overdose can result in garlic side effects, allergic reactions such as skin rash, inflammation around the mouth or shortness of breath.