Health: Garlic, a secret to a healthier and stronger heart

Garlic is one of the most preferred ingredients when it comes to treating health with home remedies. It is the best home remedy for curing a cold to lowering blood pressure levels. Garlic is a huge source of vitamin C and B6. Ancient Greeks used garlic to treat respiratory infections and for digestion troubles. In Egypt, slaves were fed garlic to keep them strong. Garlic adds flavours to meals and also helps in managing your heart's health. Here are the benefits of garlic to treat heart health.

Low-calorie content

One clove of garlic contains vitamins, selenium, and fiber. It also has a decent amount of calcium, copper, potassium, and phosphorus. This comes with only 4.5 calories which is very low and which helps maintain the calorie count in the body.

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Improves blood pressure and cholesterol levels

A research suggests that garlic supplements were effective in lowering blood pressure for people who suffered from hypertension (High blood pressure). It was also observed that garlic helped in the reduction of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) levels.

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Helps in strengthening the immune system

Garlic also benefits in strengthening the immune system as it has antibacterial, antivirus, antifungal, and antiparasitic properties. It also helps in preventing upper respiratory infections for a long time, and in case it is severe, it will lower down the effects for the same.

Heart health is highly affected by the levels of blood pressure and cholesterol in the body. The intake of garlic promotes a stronger and healthier heart. But it is important to improve your diet rather than only focusing on a single ingredient. Stop smoking and limit your alcohol intake for a healthy heart. Intake of saturated fats, increase the cholesterol level in the body. Exercise more to maintain your blood pressure levels. Garlic helps in treating common causes of chronic disease, so it makes sense that it could also help you live longer.

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Helps in detoxifying heavy metals in the body

The sulfur compounds in garlic help in eliminating heavy metal toxicity. A four-week experimental study on employees of a car battery plant (where there is excessive exposure to lead), showed that garlic reduces lead levels in the blood by 19%. It also reduced symptoms of toxicity, including headaches and blood pressure. Three-time intake of garlic each day improved the drug D-penicillamine and helped in reducing toxicity symptoms.

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