Garlic is a staple in the average food pantry at home. Used to season dishes and add more flavour to sauces, garlic is versatile and widely used in most cuisines.
But did you know that consuming garlic can also be very good for your health?
Garlic is known for its immune boosting functions, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, slowing cognitive decline and high antioxidant levels. Garlic contains the active compound allicin, that is reported to have anti-inflammatory properties and fights against free radicals. It is this beneficial compound that is extracted for garlic supplements.
Garlic is also an excellent source of manganese, phosphorus, copper, calcium, magnesium, selenium, and other essential minerals. Indeed, garlic has also been found to increase your body’s absorption of iron and zinc with its sulfur compounds.
Raw vs Garlic Supplements
While consuming raw garlic can contain all these health benefits, garlic breath is not one of them. Eating too much garlic can sometimes lead to indigestion and a pungent after-taste and smell in your mouth. That’s why most people who want all the benefits of garlic turn to garlic supplements instead as a convenient source of allicin compounds.
Health Benefits of Garlic Supplements
In fact, garlic has so many health benefits that we recommend taking garlic supplements daily.
Heart Health
Garlic is reported to reduce systolic blood pressure, so it can help with keeping your heart and blood pressure healthy. It can also lower your cholesterol.
In fact, it could be used as a substitute for those who want to normalise their blood pressure versus taking other synthetic medications. However, you do want to check with your doctor before taking any garlic supplements, as they may affect the effects of your current medication or increase their side effects.
Antimicrobial Benefits
Garlic has a variety of benefits against viruses, fungi and bacteria. It has been used in folk medicine as a home remedy against ailments like intestinal worms to ear infections. It is reported to guard against candida overgrowth, yeast infections, colds and viruses like HPV and herpes simplex.
Source of Antioxidants
Garlic is a rich source of antioxidants that help to fight against ageing and disease by neutralising free radicals. Free radicals wreak havoc on your cells and cause premature ageing. By consuming garlic supplements, you can help your body fight against free radicals.
Boosts Immunity
Garlic boosts your immunity by stimulating the production of white blood cells to fight off infections. Garlic can help to ward off common colds symptoms and even help with Alzhemier’s disease and dementia.
Improves Gut Health
Interestingly, garlic is also known to feed good bacteria in your gut as a prebiotic, while reducing the amount of ‘bad’ bacteria, leading to overall balance in your gut flora. As your gut is linked to your immune function, this can also boost your overall immunity and guard against infections and illnesses.
Side Effects of Garlic Supplements
Although garlic has several beneficial effects, it can still cause side effects for certain groups of people. Garlic has blood thinning abilities that are good for those with high cholesterol or blood pressure. However, it can be unsafe for those with hemophilia or platelet disorders.
Pregnant women or those about to undergo surgery are also advised to avoid garlic supplements.
Other side effects that have been reported by those taking garlic supplements include headaches, fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle aches, dizziness, and allergies such as asthma reactions or contact dermatitis.
What to Take Note of When Buying Garlic Supplements?
When buying garlic supplements, you should check if your supplement contains the compound allicin and how much, as the active compound that contains most of the health benefits of garlic.
You should also note how the supplements are absorbed into your body, as garlic is most effective when absorbed in the small intestine. When it enters the stomach, the acids may break down the supplement and its bioactive compounds without it being properly absorbed.
Why You Should Try Nature’s Glory Garlic Ball Supplements
Part of our Flu Immunity Pack, Nature’s Glory Garlic Ball Supplements are odourless garlic supplements that have been extracted without heat to retain all the health benefits. They are made into small ball-shaped supplements that are easy to suck, swallow or chew without any pungent taste. Furthermore, they contain both garlic and fermented black garlic for even better effects. The supplement also does not contain any gelatin or chemical coatings for better absorption in your body.
Effectively anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, Garlic Ball supplements are considered one of our top food-based supplements for overall health and immunity.