Devils, werewolves, and vampires beware! We present seven shocking, interesting and marvelous facts about garlic – the one substance that makes your lives miserable. On the other hand, if you are just a human, garlic may just turn you into a super (healthy) powerhouse.
Every culture that has had access to garlic has realized the superpowers hidden in the humble blub of cloves.
1. Garlic Built the Pyramids
Ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks fed garlic to workers, Olympic athletes, soldiers, and sailors. It was thought to be a performance enhancer (especially for men) and increase work capacity.
Modern science is looking into this. Turns out garlic improves exercise performance in rodents. Studies on athletic performance are mixed, but garlic seems to improve exercise-induced fatigue.
The biggest positive effects were shown in people with heart disease. A six-week course of garlic oil reduced peak heart rate and increased exercise capacity.
2. Garlic Fights for You!
Turns out viruses, bacteria, and parasites don’t like garlic! Garlic can help you fight off or reduce the number of colds you get by 63%. Garlic also shortens the length of a cold from seven days to one and a half days.
Ancient uses of garlic include treating parasites and pulmonary complaints. The actual reason that garlic works is not known, but garlic is rich in nutrients that may boost your immune system. If you get colds, add garlic to your regimen.
3. Garlic Hates Heavy Metal
The heavy metal isn’t music, but the real thing. Heavy metals like lead and mercury cause organ and brain damage and even cause death. If you work around heavy metals or live in an old house, consider adding garlic to your diet. Be careful about adding too much to an infant’s diet –talk to your pediatrician.
Car battery plant workers reduced lead levels by 19% and reduced side effects like headaches. It was so effective that it outperformed the usual manufactured drug treatment.
4. Garlic Busts Fat
Maybe vampires are actually after cholesterol and not blood! Garlic has been shown to affect blood fats. If you have problems with cholesterol, try garlic. Regular garlic supplements can lower total and LDL (the really bad stuff) cholesterols by 10-15%. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have an effect on raising the “good” HDL or on lowering triglycerides.
Ancient physicians recommended garlic to “cleanse the arteries” long before the actual purpose of arteries was discovered. Turns out the ancients were correct!
