Views: 2 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2019-11-05 Origin: Site
This time of year when the weather goes from mild to cold and the days get progressively shorter, adding to the feeling of tiredness, we are more susceptible to colds and flu. When the body readjusts to new temperatures, activity and diet, it is usually slightly weakened and its immunity is lowered. That is the best time to take garlic, not only to fight an existing cold, but to strengthen the body’s defence against getting one.
Cultivated for centuries and recommended for many different ailments, garlic has earned its fame of a natural antibiotic. Owing its characteristic smell and taste to its main active ingredient – a sulfur compound called allicin, garlic helps the body to inhibit the ability of germs to grow and reproduce.
How Garlic Helps Fight Infections
Especially now, during the transition between Autumn and Winter, human body is especially prone to infections, such as colds and flu. To support lowered immunity, common during change of seasons, garlic can be very helpful. It contains more than 100 biologically-useful chemicals (including alliin, alliinase, allicin, S-allylcysteine, diallyl sulfide and allyl methyl trisulfide), which do everything from lowering cholesterol to fighting off viruses.
Garlic has a long history of use as an immune system booster because of its antiseptic, anti-fungal and nutritive properties. It is a natural detoxicant protecting against bacterial and viral infections without any of the side-effects associated with antibiotics. Garlic is packed with nutrients, particularly vitamins B1, B6 and C, iron and phosphorus and alliin which converts to allicin, which is thought to be the major antibacterial constituent of garlic.
In additional to all these powerful vitamins and minerals garlic also contains an ingredient called Quercetin, which is a natural antihistamine that provides allergy relief and related symptoms. Garlic is also one of the best natural decongestants you can use to help relieve sinus pressure due to the strong aroma it has. Allicin, present in crushed garlic, helps thin the mucus blocking the nasal passages and it reduces the inflammation that’s contributing to clogged airways.
Benefits Of Garlic
Garlic is a brilliant herb for maintaining general health and boosting immunity but also has many other powerful qualities that are not as well known.
With a long history of medicinal use, it’s been found helpful with decreasing blood pressure and increasing HDL (the good cholesterol), stimulating the production of nitric oxide in the blood vessel walls and breaking up blood clots.
Due to its iodine content, garlic is great for thyroid function and can be helpful for treating hyperthyroid conditions. Being a powerful antioxidant, it also works against the free radicals that retard cells and cause ageing in the body. Toxin build-up directly influences diseases such as cardiovascular, degenerative, and cancer.
