These two medicinal foods, garlic and ginger, fresh or dried are extremely beneficial for overall good health. Beyond serving as flavouring agent to global cuisines, they are regular health boosters, delivering healthy nutrients to the body. Going way back in time, garlic and ginger has been used as natural remedies for a wide variety of ailments including skin diseases, blood pressure, diabetes, etc. From herbal teas to a detoxing agent to cooking, garlic and ginger offer incredible health benefits. Your health fix could go a long way with garlic and ginger in your eating healthy lifestyle.
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Garlic benefits for heart disease
Garlic is used for many conditions related to the heart and blood system. These conditions include high blood pressure, low blood pressure, high cholesterol, inherited high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, heart attack, reduced blood flow due to narrowed arteries, and “hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis). Garlic can also play the role of a blood thinner, which makes it a useful tool in the prevention of heart attacks and strokes.
Preventing cold
Ginger has been proven as the best medicine for cold in Chinese ayuverdic and traditional medicine. Just drinking of ginger tea at least three times a day can help to fight symptoms of cold. Also, according to one 2001 study published in “Advances in Therapy.”, garlic may have the ability to help prevent the common cold, the study found that over 12 weeks, participants who took one capsule of an allicin containing supplement were much less likely to contract a cold virus.
Antiseptic for wounds
Ginger contains gingerol, a substance with powerful medicinal properties. The bioactive substance in fresh ginger, can help to lower the risk of infections in a wound. Ginger extract can inhibit the growth of many different types of bacteria. It is very effective against the oral bacteria linked to inflammatory diseases in the gums, such as gingivitis and periodontitis. Fresh ginger may also be effective against the RSV virus, a common cause of respiratory infections. Garlic is also thought to have antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial properties. It can be applied to the skin to treat fungal infections such as ringworm, jock itch and athlete’s foot.
Cancer treatment and prevention
Ginger extract is said to be an alternative treatment for several forms of cancer. The anti-cancer properties are attributed to 6-gingerol, a substance that is found in large amounts in raw ginger. Also, according to the National Cancer Institute, due to the various antibacterial properties, its power to stop cancer-causing substances from forming and its ability to promote DNA repair that garlic may work to prevent cancer in several ways.
Ginger benefits for menstrual pain
Ginger has natural anti-inflammatory properties and has been used for thousands of years by the Chinese to cure pain. Ginger helps relieve nausea, arthritis, headaches, menstrual cramps and muscle soreness. According to one 2009 study published in the “Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.” The study showed that 250 milligrams of a specific ginger extract taken four times a day for three days at the start of menstruation alleviated pain in up to 62 percent of women in the study.
Also, garlic has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may help with arthritis and other pain. For example, a 1999 study published in the “Soviet Archives of Internal Medicine” found that a garlic preparation taken twice a day for four to six weeks can work just as well as conventional therapy for rheumatoid arthritis.
Treatment of diabetes
Ginger decreases the blood sugar levels. Actually, drinking 1 table spoon of ginger juice mixed with 1 glass of water in the morning can help to control the sugar level. Garlic can also control blood sugar as it strengthens the level of insulin in the blood. This can help in the control of diabetes.
