Garlic, it turns out, does ward off the bad guys. But instead of hanging it over your doorway to scare away vampires, you can eat it to fight off certain cancers. The food found to be most highly associated with a statistically significant decrease in colon cancer was garlic.

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Another study of 5,000 men and women, conducted in China over a 5-year period, found that taking a combination of 200 mg of allitridum (an extract of garlic used as a medicine in China for over 3,000 years) daily and 100 micrograms of selenium every other day conferred a 33% reduction in all tumor types, and a 52% reduction in stomach cancer rates, compared to a placebo.

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Laboratory research has also shown that one garlic component, called diallyl disulfide, has potent preventive power against cancers of the skin, colon, and lung. Recently, this compound also proved able to kill leukemia cells in the lab.

Nevertheless, calorie for calorie, garlic is incredibly nutritious.

A 1 ounce (28 grams) serving of garlic contains (3):

  • Manganese: 23% of the RDA.
  • Vitamin B6: 17% of the RDA.
  • Vitamin C: 15% of the RDA.
  • Selenium: 6% of the RDA.
  • Fiber: 0.6 gram.
  • Decent amounts of calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin B1.

Other benefits could be:

  • Garlic Can Combat Sickness, Including the Common Cold
  • The Active Compounds in Garlic Can Reduce Blood Pressure
  • Garlic Improves Cholesterol Levels, Which May Lower The Risk of Heart Disease
  • Garlic Contains Antioxidants That May Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
  • Eating Garlic Can Help Detoxify Heavy Metals in the Body
  • Garlic May Improve Bone Health (by increasing estrogen levels in females, but more human studies are needed)

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Enjoy Garlic!

So chop up a clove of fresh, crushed garlic (crushing helps release beneficial enzymes), and add it to a sauce, or sprinkle it on a casserole, stir fry, or any other savory dish for a treat that your body will truly appreciate! It may not smell good after, but your body will be delighted!

Source: The Food Revolution

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