From tackling the common cold to fighting chronic disease, garlic is a bona-fide health food hero.

One of the oldest cultivated plants in the world, garlic is a culinary staple in kitchens across the globe. This is mostly due to its mouth-watering flavour – seriously, where would we be without garlic bread? – as well as its many health benefits, which range from tackling the common cold to fighting the common causes of chronic diseases.

We asked clinical pharmacist and nutritionist Mike Wakeman of Vitmedics to talk us through the health benefits of garlic:

Historically, garlic was prescribed as a medicine – in fact, it was one of the most important medicinal herbs used in ancient times, says Wakeman.

‘It’s used as a remedy against common wellness troubles as well as serious health problems, from colds and influenza to helping to reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases,’ he says. ‘Raw garlic contains various sulphur compounds, including allicin – thought to be the most biologically active compound.’

As the science attests, garlic is a bona-fide health food hero. Here, we run through its most potent evidence-backed health benefits:

1. Garlic is highly nutritious

Despite its small size, a clove of garlic is incredibly nutritious. Garlic is particularly rich in vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese, and also contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B12, D and E, as well as the minerals calcium, copper, iron, phosphorus, potassium and selenium.

Each clove contains approximately:

• 4 calories
• 0.2 grams of protein
• 1 gram of carbohydrates.

Read 11 more of the health benefits to Garlic explained by Mike Wakeman

https://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-eating/a10882/health-benefits-of-garlic/