Why Garlic is Good for You

By Rachel Cringoli

Changed up the topic to ‘Why Garlic is good for you’ Thanks!
My Italian ancestors had it right with their culinary habits. Garlic is a potent anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-oxidant food. Triple threat right there! Garlic helps to decrease swelling, fight against infection and helps keep us young!What makes garlic so powerful is Allicin. Out in nature, when garlic is damaged, it releases Allicin to ward off predators. Allicin is what gives garlic its famous odor, which out in nature is a natural defense. So fascinating! In our human bodies, Allicin has a list of benefits, including the following:

     1) Prevents & shortens the length of colds

     2) Lowers blood pressure

     3) Lowers cholesterol

4) Detoxifies heavy metals & free radicals….removing free radicals may help prevent cancer and also improves the aging process.

Now, to get all these benefits, garlic must be chopped. Allicin is not released by cooking with whole garlic cloves alone. Think back to how it is released in nature, some sort of damage must come to the garlic clove. So by chopping, or chewing, we can activate Allicin to enjoy the benefits. Do not be afraid of garlic breath, embrace it!

*NOTE—Garlic has a blood thinning property, so consult your healthcare provider if you have any bleeding disorders, or are on blood thinning medications to discuss safety**

To your Health,
Rachel