Besides adding flavour to food, garlic has had its share of reasons why it should be a part of a glorified list of home remedies. It is commonly used for many conditions including cold and flu, hay fever, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, enlarged prostate, diabetes, osteoarthritis, traveller’s diarrhoea, pre-eclampsia, coronary heart disease, heart attack, and hardening of arteries. It is also used to prevent colon cancer, rectal cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and lung cancer.
Some studies conducted on garlic show that eating it on an empty stomach makes it an even more powerful natural antibiotic. It is believed that eating garlic before breakfast exposes the bacteria to garlic’s antibiotic properties which increases the chances of the bacteria succumbing to these properties.
Garlic produces a chemical called allicin that makes it work for certain conditions. It is allicin that gives garlic its distinct smell. When taken on an empty stomach allicin is believed to get easier access to bacteria and is easily dissolved to be able to provide better results for certain conditions.
Many people rely on garlic for relief from hypertension. Besides being effective in blood circulation, it prevents heart problems and aids in proper functioning of the liver and bladder. It is effective in the treatment of stomach problems including diarrhoea. Some people claim that by consuming garlic on an empty stomach, they found relief in their nerve problems.
At the same time, garlic was seen to be an effective method for many stomach problems especially because it stimulates digestion and appetite. It also helps to control stress, which prevents stomach acid production that is usually produced when you are nervous. It is also used for building the immune system, preventing tick bites, and preventing and treating bacterial and fungal infections.
Other uses include treatment of fever, coughs, headache, stomach ache, sinus congestion, gout, rheumatism, hemorrhoids, asthma, bronchitis, shortness of breath, low blood pressure, low blood sugar, high blood sugar, and snakebites. It is also used for fighting stress and fatigue, and maintaining healthy liver function.
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