Magical Garlic - Nature's Cure

In India, we use a lot of garlic in our cooking. It's a good thing, and
today, the west is slowly adopting this practice. This is due to the
numerous health benefits that one can reap from this simple looking clove.

Garlic has been used for it's medicinal properties from the early days.
Here are some of the benefits of having garlic in your food plan.

Coughs and Colds

Bite into a clove or two of raw garlic and you will get instant relief from
the sniffles. garlic gives a boost to your immunity, helps you fight of
infections promptly.

Rich in Antioxidants

You remember my mail on antioxidants. Garlic is rich in them. They fight
cancer, they prevent the growth of cancer cells, they reduce cancer cells
if they already exist and research has now proven it's wonder work in
relation to tumors.

Heart Disease:

Right from improving your bad cholesterol levels (LDL) to boosting your
good cholesterol levels (HDL), garlic also keeps your arteries healthy and
clean. It is known to reduce hypertension, by thinning your blood and
making it easy for your heart to pump blood thru your arteries. It keeps
them clean of plaque as well.

Smokers:

Smokers know that constant smoking will stiffen their arteries. Garlic is
known to help over here, but it is not the solution. The solution is cut
down on your smokes and eventually STOP.

Infection:

Garlic has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. It helps your body
fight infections and protects it against allergies.

Impotence:

Garlic has been categorized as an aphrodisiac.It aids in blood circulation,
keeps the veins and arteries healthy and strong and helps with impotence.

Pregnancy:

Garlic is known to help with 'weight-gain' for babies.

You see, the list is endless, besides being linked with improved memory
function and stress reducing benefits, garlic continues to be a wonder
food.

When you cook garlic it may lose some of it's important properties and
enzymes. So add it to the end so it's subject to the least amount of heat
for the shortest period.

Eat it raw, though many don't because of the bad breath it causes. Steam
it, roast it, saute it. Get creative, but add garlic to your food plan. You
get garlic tablets in the market which are easy to carry around and they
don't cause bad breath.

IMP: In all cases check with your doctor before increasing your intake. if
your due for surgery or if you are on high blood pressure medicines, garlic
may have to be limited because of it's thinning effects on blood, so please
run it by your doc for the dosage.

Healthy individuals are known to take up to 6 cloves a day.