![\"\"](\"https:\/\/newsusa33.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/photo_2025-06-28_18-26-28.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
This pungent vegetable is packed with bioactive compounds that may benefit your heart and immune health.<\/p>\n
If a recipe calls for one clove of garlic and you add three, or if there\u2019s a garlicky pasta on the menu and you order it every time, you’re in the right place.<\/p>\n
Many of us love garlic. And if you count yourself in that group, you\u2019re in luck\u2014because this member of the allium genus of plants provides some pretty impressive health benefits when eaten regularly. We dove into the research to find out exactly what you can expect for your heart, digestion and immune system function. Learn the nutrition facts and health benefits of garlic, plus check out some ideas for how to add more garlic to your diet.<\/p>\n Garlic has many health benefits. Here are a few evidence-backed ones you may experience when you regularly eat garlic.<\/p>\n Chronic inflammation<\/a>\u00a0can harm your immunity by reducing your white blood cell count. Studies investigating the effects of garlic extract have found that it helps reduce systemic inflammation and restore white blood cell levels, per a 2021 review in the\u00a0Journal of Clinical and Translational Research<\/em><\/a>. This is largely thanks to allicin, a sulfur-containing compound in alliums like onions, chives and garlic.<\/p>\n A 2020 review in\u00a0Trends in Food Science & Technology<\/em><\/a>\u00a0found that garlic may have antiviral effects, thanks to compounds called organosulfurs. The researchers believe garlic helps prevent viruses from entering and replicating in our cells.<\/p>\n Managing your cholesterol levels is important because high cholesterol increases your risk of heart disease and stroke, per the\u00a0Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>. But statins, the class of drugs often prescribed to lower cholesterol levels, can have some nasty side effects. For this reason, many people turn to more natural remedies\u2014and garlic is one of them.<\/p>\n For example, a 2024 review in the\u00a0Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition<\/em><\/a>\u00a0suggests that there is plenty of evidence supporting the idea that garlic\u00a0improves cholesterol levels<\/a>, particularly in adults over 50. And another 2024 review in\u00a0Nutrients<\/em><\/a>\u00a0suggests that garlic may improve total cholesterol, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and HDL (“good”) cholesterol.<\/p>\n Garlic\u2019s impact on immune health, along with its potential to reduce cholesterol levels, may also\u00a0reduce blood pressure<\/a>, per another 2024 review in\u00a0Nutrients<\/em><\/a>. These researchers credit garlic’s rich antioxidant profile for exerting antihypertensive effects through multiple pathways at the cellular level.<\/p>\n A 2024 review in\u00a0Prostaglandins & Other Lipid Mediators<\/em><\/a>\u00a0found that people with high blood pressure who took more than 1200 mg of aged garlic extract daily significantly lowered both their systolic (top number in blood pressure reading) and diastolic (lower number) blood pressure.<\/p>\n The aforementioned review in\u00a0Nutrients\u00a0<\/em>found evidence to support garlic improving not only cholesterol levels but fasting blood glucose and HbA1c levels as well. A 2023 review in\u00a0Chinese Medicine<\/em><\/a>\u00a0also indicated that garlic can lower fasting blood glucose.<\/p>\n A promising 2024 study in\u00a0Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome<\/em><\/a>\u00a0found that aged garlic extract helped stabilize blood sugar by directly influencing beta cells in the pancreas. Beta cells are responsible for making insulin, and insulin is the hormone that controls the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood.<\/p>\n Your gut microbiome is made up of a plethora of microorganisms, including beneficial bacteria\u2014often referred to as probiotics\u2014and unhealthy bacteria. You want a healthy balance of good to bad bacteria in your gut, and one way to ensure this is to\u00a0eat fermented foods regularly<\/a>. But even bacteria need to eat, and that’s where garlic comes in. Garlic is a prebiotic\u2014food for your healthy gut bacteria.<\/p>\n Evidence suggests that garlic may play a role in helping your gut microbiome thrive. For example, according to a 2020 review and meta-analysis in\u00a0Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0three months of Kyolic aged garlic extract supplementation led to more diverse and healthy gut microbiomes.<\/p>\n A 2024 study in\u00a0Microorganisms<\/em><\/a>\u00a0introduced garlic to human feces in the lab (sounds gross, but stick with me). The stool samples that had garlic added to them had more microbial diversity compared to the samples without garlic. In addition, the garlic stool increased in beneficial probiotics\u2014specifically\u00a0Bifidobacterium adolescentis,\u00a0<\/em>the probiotic often found in yogurt.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, garlic isn\u2019t friendly to everyone\u2019s gastrointestinal system. Garlic is high in fructans, one of the FODMAPs, so it may trigger digestive symptoms like gas and bloating for people with\u00a0irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)<\/a>.<\/p>\n Garlic is also a\u00a0source of antioxidants<\/a>, which reduce inflammation in the body. For example, there is evidence suggesting that antioxidants in aged garlic extract may lessen neuroinflammation to support healthy brain function with age, per a 2020 study in\u00a0Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine<\/em><\/a>. And a 2024 review in\u00a0Frontiers in Immunology<\/em><\/a>\u00a0suggests that garlic’s bioactive compounds\u2014including antioxidants\u2014may be responsible for its health benefits. These benefits include protection against cancer, diabetes, inflammation, heart disease and infections.<\/p>\n Garlic not only adds flavor to dishes, it also adds nutrition. Here are the nutrition facts for three cloves of raw garlic, per the\u00a0USDA<\/a>:<\/p>\n Since the volume of garlic we typically eat is rather small, the amount of nutrients we ingest is also low. That said, garlic contains health-promoting nutrients like vitamin C, zinc, iron, potassium, magnesium and vitamin K. If you eat garlic regularly, the vitamins and minerals will add up.<\/p>\n Garlic is a kitchen staple. You can keep garlic powder in your pantry, purchase minced garlic in a jar, freeze garlic puree in an ice cube tray or buy fresh heads of garlic to crush, slice or squeeze in a\u00a0garlic press<\/a>. Here are some ways to incorporate more garlic in your diet:<\/p>\n Garlic is a common vegetable in many cultural cuisines and has been used as an herbal remedy for centuries. Not only does it add a whole lot of flavor, but it also adds a little nutrition.<\/p>\n It is important to note that many studies use garlic supplements\u2014garlic powder or oil in capsules\u2014which are more concentrated forms of garlic. Because of this, it can be difficult to know if study results apply to garlic used in cooking. With that said, one mini-review in\u00a0Frontiers in Nutrition<\/em><\/a>\u00a0only reviewed studies using raw white garlic and found plenty of evidence supporting garlic as beneficial for improving blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol; reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes; and improving liver function.<\/p>\n\n![\"repeating](\"https:\/\/www.eatingwell.com\/thmb\/9yPXBbW9Qyanc3RK_hNSmTcD12M=\/1500x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)\/what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-eat-garlic-every-day-b312de5b656b4f1dbe51078c2f9339a7.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>Health Benefits of Regularly Eating Garlic<\/span><\/h2>\n
Immune System Support<\/span><\/h3>\n
May Lower Cholesterol Levels<\/span><\/h3>\n
Blood Pressure Support<\/span><\/h3>\n
May Improve Blood Sugar Levels<\/span><\/h3>\n
Might Improve Gut Health\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Other Potential Benefits<\/span><\/h3>\n
Garlic Nutrition<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
How to Incorporate Garlic into Your Diet<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
The Bottom Line<\/span><\/h2>\n