I’m sure we’re all very familiar with garlic. It’s a staple in the majority of recipes and according to some statistics, the average person consumes 2 pounds of garlic each year. What some people might not know, is that before garlic was just known as just another vegetable, it was used as a medical treatment in some ancient cultures. Some of these cultures include but aren’t limited to Chinese, Egyptian and Roman cultures. There’s plenty of information available about their usage of garlic as a medicine.
These are some of the benefits of garlic for your health:
1. Garlic boosts your immune system
Your immune system is what helps you stay healthy and fights off sickness. Chances are if you get sick really often, your immune system is weak and needs something to help boost it back to full strength. Garlic offers an immune system boost to help prevent colds and the flu. Although it might sound gross to some people, eating raw garlic can protect against coughs, fevers and colds. Eating two chopped garlic cloves every day is the best way to benefit.
2. It helps reduce high blood pressure
High blood pressure is a risk factor for a lot of different heart conditions and strokes. Overall, it is the cause of 13.5 percent of deaths worldwide. Since this is such a common issue, it is important to address high blood pressure and try to control it as best you can. Garlic is a great way to tackle this as it has been scientifically proven to reduced high blood pressure.
3. It also helps reduce cholesterol levels
In addition to it reducing high blood pressure, garlic has also been seen in studies to reduce cholesterol levels as well. Garlic seems to especially reduce LDL cholesterol (the bad type) more than HDL (the good one). Cholesterol is another causation factor for heart conditions so this is another health issue to keep in mind.
Here’s a tasty and affordable recipe for garlic and basil ciabatta, to encourage you to fit garlic into your daily meal plan. This recipe is also really quick and easy to make.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 3 minutes
Ingredients:
1 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp softened butter
1 bunch of basil
1 small ciabatta
2 tbsp grated parmesan
2 crushed garlic cloves
Method:
Heat grill to high. Beat together the mayonnaise, butter and garlic cloves until smooth. Chop basil, stir through and season with salt and pepper. Put the halves of the ciabatta, sliced lengthways, on a baking tray and spread with the butter. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan, then grill for 2-3 mins.
