Savor The Health Benefits Of Garlic

There is more to garlic than just making food taste good. It has some powerful health benefits, too.

The white bud-like plant is called "the stinking rose" because of its strong scent, but years of research now show that garlic has some very impressive health benefits.

Garlic helps reduce harmful cholesterol. Studies show that people with a cholesterol level over 200 lowered their cholesterol by 9 percent just by eating 1/2 to 1 clove of garlic a day.

Garlic protects the arteries by keeping bad cholesterol, called LDL, from forming plaque on artery walls, which can lead to heart attack or a stroke.

Garlic contains cancer-fighting compounds that help block certain kinds of cancers, including stomach and colon cancer. It appears that the compounds in garlic suppress the growth of breast cancer cells, too.

And if that's not enough, garlic has also been shown to kill viruses that are responsible for colds and flu. Studies suggest that garlic boosts immune functions by stimulating infection-fighting T-cells.

Garlic does not have to be consumed each day in order to reap its benefits. Studies show that about five cloves of raw or cooked garlic per week is enough to lower a person's cancer risk by 30 to 40 percent.

However, there can be too much of a good thing. As little as three garlic cloves a day can cause some unpleasant side effects.