Rich in useful minerals such as phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, zinc, calcium, and iron, this ancient herb has diverse health benefits.
According to studies, this ingredient found in every kitchen can be beneficial in preventing and fighting symptoms of cold and flu.
Garlic not only prevents one from falling sick but, also reduces the severity of symptoms.
Belonging to the Allium family, garlic is closely related to onions, shallots and leeks. That strong aroma, and the sulfur compound that forms when a garlic clove is crushed or chopped, has proven to be very beneficial for health.
Due to its minerals content, garlic is termed nutritious and has very few calories. It contains compounds that have the ability to fight germs and boost one’s immunity.
Sulfur present in the garlic boosts the disease-fighting response of some White Blood cells in the body, after coming in contact with any kind of virus, which may cause common cold and flu.
In order to acquire the benefits of garlic, its way of processing and preparation plays an important role.
The enzyme ‘alliinase’ which converts the ‘alliin’ present in garlic into ‘allicin’ works under certain conditions. Excessive heating of garlic may reduce the effect of the alliinase. Meanwhile, during cooking food, it is always advisable to use more than one clove of garlic.