Garlic is doing a lot more these days than warding off vampires — or even adding flavor to favorite dishes. The herb, known affectionately as "the stinking rose," is a potent antioxidant and dishes up a wide variety of health benefits.
Garlic contains allicin, a chemical that has antibacterial abilities, along with many detoxifying sulfur compounds. Also called "Russian penicillin" for that country's dedicated use of it, garlic — fresh or as a supplement tablet or capsule — may help improve these seven conditions:
1. Heart disease
Studies indicate that garlic may prevent the buildup of plaque and prevent blood clots by thinning the blood, thus lowering the risk of strokes and thromboses. A study at Germany's Saarland University found that garlic helps dissolve potentially dangerous clots. Dr. Arun Bordia at India's Tagore Medical College found that patients who took garlic oil daily for 10 months were 83 percent less likely to form dangerous blood clots.
