Most of you likely use garlic in your cooking, but it will be the white version. Black garlic can look off-putting for many, purely because you’re not used to seeing it. However, it’s starting to become more popular in the Western World because of how good it is for you.
Black garlic has been used in the Eastern World for centuries, both in food and for medicinal purposes. It remains a popular alternate form of medicine, especially when it comes to treating gastronomical problems. It also has some other benefits—often overlooked by the Western world.
Black garlic gets its color and taste from the fermentation process, which is done under strict-controlled humidity and heat. It takes at least a month to get the exact look, taste, and formation. Because of the process, you get the following nine body and brain health benefits from black garlic.
Boost Your Immunity Against Disease and Infection
White garlic is already known for its immune system benefits, and that just multiplies with black garlic. In fact, black garlic can make the white garlic more beneficial to the health, so it’s worth using both in your cooking.
Let’s start with the infection protection. Black garlic contains S-acetylcysteine, which helps the body absorb more allicin. The allicin is found in both black and white garlic and is the component that helps with the fighting of a variety of infections. The immune system gets extra support against fungal, bacterial, and microbial infections. Since it’s a natural compound, the bacteria and micro-bacteria can’t build an immunity to them, so you don’t get resistant forms in your body as you do with synthetic antibacterial medication.
Then there’s the benefit of protection against disease. Your body needs antioxidants to help support the immune system, and you get them in all forms of garlic. However, black garlic contains double the amount that white garlic does, which means far more benefits for fighting off diseases.
Those who suffer from regular colds or catch the flu that passes around every year will gain some benefits. The antioxidants and allicin will help to fight against various viruses and funguses that spread. You can prevent the formation of the colds and help to tackle the diseases when you do start seeing symptoms.
Antioxidants are also powerful for many other reasons, offering more benefits, which we’ll move into shortly. Just keep in mind that black garlic has extra compared to white garlic, so will offer benefits on a larger scale than what you’re already used to.
Support to Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
There are many people who worry about suffering from dementia and other similar problems in the future. Brain diseases aren’t understood that much, and it’s hard to guess how to prevent them from occurring. That is especially the case for Alzheimer’s, which also has a genetic link to it.
Many researchers have found a link between dementia and dying brain cells, which means you need to find a way to support the health of the cells. You’re born with all your brain cells, so you can’t produce more. Protecting the ones, you have is essential and black garlic helps with that.
Antioxidants are the key to this. When you consume antioxidants, you can reduce the amount of oxidative stress that happens on the body. This helps to prevent the inflammation in the brain and damage to the cells. Your brain’s connections improve, and you keep the blood flowing. Your memory is improved, along with other cognitive functions.
Yes, garlic and other foods that contain antioxidants can help, but black garlic is extremely potent in them. You’ll want to add this to your food to help reduce the risks of dementia and similar conditions in the future.
Moreover, you also get the support of the blood flow. The circulation is improved (more on this soon) and that means more oxygen gets around your body. When your brain gets more oxygen, it becomes more alert, and you’ll find it easier to focus. Not only do you reduce the risk of future problems, but you protect against short-term mental problems.
Reduce the Symptoms and Development of Chronic Disorders
With the antioxidants and other immunity benefits, you can help to reduce the amount of inflammation that occurs in your body. This is essential for those with chronic conditions, including chronic pain and digestive issues.
The black garlic will help to improve the blood flow to your body and boost the infection-fighting abilities. Your immune system won’t be triggered by various things in your body, meaning there’s no need for inflammation when you’re not ill. It’s the inflammation that causes pain when there’s been no trauma, especially when it comes to joint and nerve pain.
It’s possible to reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia and other chronic pain disorders.
At the same time, you get rid of the reason for cell damage—the free radicals. Antioxidants help to prevent the development and spread of free radicals, keeping your body in tip-top shape.
And when you do get chronic pain, black garlic will help to get rid of it naturally. It works as a natural anti-inflammatory, reducing the pressure on your nerves. This will help to keep your stress levels to a minimum, which constant, unexplainable pain can cause. Higher stress levels lead to more inflammation and more pain, so keeping the stress under control is essential.
More Enjoyable to Eat
There are mental benefits to eating black garlic. Due to the fermentation process, the smell and taste can be lessened, which helps more people consume the ingredient. It’s the smell and taste that can put some people off from eating it.
When you feel like you’re enjoying your meal more, you will naturally feel happier. It helps you feel satisfied with your meal, which then helps you stick to whatever diet plan you’ve set. There’s no need to feel like you’re missing out.
This then offers the positive mental benefits elsewhere in life. When you’re satisfied with a meal, you’re more likely to eat less throughout the day. It’s possible to curb some of the sugar cravings because you don’t feel the negative emotions that can set off the cravings.
On top of that, you have the benefits of getting more health benefits. Mentally you feel like you are putting your body and brain first, which then helps to boost your mental health benefits. You’re more positive about the steps you’re taking to look after your body, which helps to keep the stress levels to a minimum and offers further benefits to your health.
High-stress levels aren’t just bad for inflammation. They cause your blood pressure to increase, disrupt your hormone balance and can lead to heart, brain and skin problems. By keeping the stress levels down, you will help your overall health.
Did you know that the strong smell of white garlic can come through your skin? Even if you manage to get it off your breath with gum, you can end up with the pungent smell through your skin. This is one of the main reasons why people don’t eat garlic. They don’t want the body odor and have people wondering what the hell they’ve eaten or why they haven’t washed.
By eating something that doesn’t give off the strong odor, you can to avoid this strong smell. This helps you further support your mental health, as you don’t worry as much about the smell coming from the skin.
Treat Type II Diabetes
Those who have been diagnosed with Type II diabetes can finally add something to their diet that will help the condition. While it’s not a replacement for medications prescribed by the doctor, it is an excellent way to help support your overall health.
Uncontrolled diabetes leads to some other health problems. It has a direct effect on your organ health, causing issues for blood circulation and nutrients passing throughout the body. You can end up with gangrene and the loss of limbs if you continue to allow your diabetes to remain uncontrolled. Vision and oral health issues are also major problems and side effects.
Plus, you can feel the mental health benefits. It’s hard living with the condition that can seem humiliating to some. Your stress levels increase, and you can end up with other health problems.
So, you want to get it under control, and black garlic is the way forward. This again is due to the antioxidants in the body. The antioxidants will help to reduce the oxidative stress that occurs due to the higher stress levels. It can help to reduce some of the nerve damage that can occur due to the oxidative stress, limiting the health issues that are linked to uncontrolled diabetes.
The garlic is also low in sugar, which means you’re not contributing to the blood sugar problems. You can help to minimize the effects and even set yourself on the path to reverse the condition.
Improve Your Cholesterol Levels
Various foods we eat lead to an increase in cholesterol levels. There are two types of cholesterol: good and bad. Most of the fatty foods we eat lead to an increase in the bad cholesterol, which is linked to the likes of heart disease, stroke, and heart attacks. Premature death is another serious side effect of high cholesterol levels.
Even high good cholesterol levels can cause a problem. You want to keep both to a healthy level, and you can do that by adding black garlic to the diet. The garlic doesn’t contain any cholesterol at all, so you’re not contributing to either of the levels.
Of course, it’s not a miracle cure. You will need to look at your overall diet to help keep the cholesterol levels to a minimum, but the black garlic will certainly help.
This also leads us to the next benefit.
Extra Support for the Heart Health
Raw black garlic is especially good for the health of the heart, and not just for the cholesterol levels. Studies have shown that black garlic (and white to a degree) helps to reduce the amount of homocysteine in the bloodstream. This is an amino acid that can cause damage to the arterial walls. As the arterial walls become damaged, the amount of cholesterol that collects in them increases.
So, not only is the black garlic minimizing the amount of cholesterol in the body but is also reducing the areas that the cholesterol can hide.
On top of that, you increase the amount of hydrogen sulfide in the body. This is a good thing, as it helps to boost the amount of blood that circulates your system. This supports your blood pressure, offering more benefits for the health of your heart.
It’s possible to reduce the amount of clotting that happens within the bloodstream, without getting the lack of clotting to a dangerous level that causes internal bleeding. You can keep he blood flowing smoothly, so it puts the heart under less pressure.
And when the heart works properly, and the blood circulates, all the other organs work more effectively, as we’ve already seen. Your brain especially benefits.
Help to Repair the Liver
The liver is one of those organs that will heal itself, but there’s only so much that it can do on its own. Like an elastic band, the healing elements can become permanently stretched, and the liver can’t return to what it once was. Liver disease is a major concern, but there is some good news.
Patients who have suffered from liver disease may see some benefits when using black garlic. This is especially the case for those who have suffered liver damage due to alcohol misuse. However, it’s worth noting that the current studies have been carried out on rodents, and there are major differences between rodents and humans.
It’s important to still look after the body. There’s no telling if the human liver cells react in the same way. However, the antioxidants and other health benefits are promising. There’s at least the chance that the deterioration may slow down, especially when used with an overall healthy diet.
May Prevent Cancer
This shouldn’t be a surprising benefit. Studies are still being carried out, but so far, many results are positive. This is especially the case for colon cancer.
The antioxidant levels in black garlic help to make this ingredient a super food. With the high antioxidant levels, the free radicals don’t have the chance to damage the cells in the body. This prevents the formation of cancerous cells, and the development of these cells throughout the body. It’s possible that cancer can be prevented and the progression slowed down.
One study has shown that black garlic can help to slow down the pathways of colon cancer growth. This prevents it from getting worse, helping to make treatments more effective. Again, the studies are still in the early stages, but they are extremely positive.
Will You Add Black Garlic to Your Diet?
It’s time to look at all the ingredients you can add to your diet. If you have the choice between white and black garlic, always opt for the black. This is far more beneficial, especially when it comes to the antioxidant levels. You’ll support your body against oxidative stress, which can help to reduce the number of health problems you suffer from.
While some of the studies are still being carried out, results have been positive. Plus, the garlic is tasty, and there are no side effects, so you might as well add it to your diet. Whether you opt for it cooked, raw or even in tea, you’ll gain mentally and physically. Check out more info on benefit of eggplant here
