garlic oil

Enjoy the Health Benefits of Garlic Along With Its Great Flavor!
By Joy Harrison



The health benefits of garlic have been known for centuries.

As far back as ancient Rome, soldiers would eat garlic before a battle to build their strength and immunity. The ancient pyramids were built by slaves who were fed garlic to keep them strong and healthy - it must have taken a lot of garlic to build those pyramids! And of course we all know a clove of garlic will keep the vampires away, but did you know that garlic is also a good source of important nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin B6, manganese, selenium, and calcium?

Recent medical research has shown garlic helps reduce your risk of getting many cancers: stomach, colon, and esophageal cancers in particular. While other studies have shown garlic to be beneficial in lowering blood pressure and bad cholesterol, while raising good cholesterol and helping to prevent strokes.

Why is Garlic so healthy?

The compound in garlic responsible for its beneficial properties is "allicin". It's interesting to note, however, that raw garlic does not contain much of this compound but actually contains "allicin" which is converted to the beneficial "allicin". The conversion takes place when a raw clove of garlic is crushed, chopped or pressed. You can encourage even more of the allicin to develop by waiting a few minutes before eating or cooking raw garlic after you have crushed or chopped it.

As if these health benefits weren't enough, garlic has also been shown to be a powerful natural antibiotic and anti-inflammatory agent. It can help your immune system fight off cods and infections and even reduce the inflammation in arthritis.

How to get more Garlic into your Diet...

With all of the wonderful healing properties of garlic, you may wonder how you can get enough into your daily diet without needing breath mints all day. It actually doesn't take much garlic to provide a health boost as experts recommend only one to two garlic cloves per day.

It actually can be quite easy and tasty to add garlic to many of the foods you already enjoy. Basil pesto made with garlic can be a great spread for sandwiches instead of mayonnaise, as well as a great pasta sauce. Minced garlic can be added to salad dressings, pasta sauces, and marinades. Everyone loves the intense flavor and aroma of garlic bread; just skip the garlic powder and add some freshly minced garlic cloves to your butter spread. Vegetables can be sautéed in olive oil with chopped garlic to add a wonderful flavor and you know everyone loves garlic in mashed potatoes.

Roasted garlic is another way to add flavor, as well as take advantage of the health benefits of garlic. Try mixing roasted garlic with butter and using it as a spread. For even more health benefits, add minced garlic to olive oil for a garlic flavored oil that is great on pasta, salads, vegetables or bread. Garlic is also great with most meats. Add chopped garlic to hamburger patties or meatloaf. Beef and chicken can be roasted with whole garlic cloves.

Use your imagination and sneak some garlic into your next meal. You will not only enjoy the delicious flavor, but some amazing health benefits of garlic as well.

Joy Harrison is an experienced home cook and cooking instructor. She loves to find easy ways to prepare delicious and healthy home cooked Italian meals. To learn more about how to [http://www.italian-cooking-made-easy.com/garlic.html]cook with garlic visit her site at http://italian-cooking-made-easy.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joy_Harrison

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