Garlic, with its multitude of health benefits covering a wide range of conditions and very few side effects, truly is a ‘super-food’. However, despite its popularity for supporting immunity, it’s rather uncommon knowledge that it could also help alleviate hayfever and other allergy symptoms.
In this article we explain how that happens exactly and why garlic should be one of top natural remedy choices all year round.
Cultivated for centuries and recommended for many different ailments, garlic has earned its fame of a natural antibiotic. Being one of the most popular spices, garlic owes its characteristic smell and taste to its active ingredient – a sulpher compound called allicin, which exhibits antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal properties. It’s released when a clove of fresh garlic gets crushed. It helps the body to inhibit the ability of germs to grow and reproduce
What are the main benefits of garlic?
The renewed interest in alternative medicine and natural products has brought garlic to the forefront of natural remedies. Increasing daily intake of garlic might help boost immune system as well as positively influencing heart health, support digestion and protect the body from free radicals.
But it can also be used to help treat allergies naturally. In addition to being especially rich in Sulfur, Iodine, Selenium, Many B Vitamins, Vitamin C and amino acids, garlic also contains something called Quercetin, which is a natural antihistamine that provides allergy relief.
How does garlic treat allergies?
Allergies, according to the Mayo Clinic, are the immune system overreacting to normally harmless airborne particles, which become to be perceived as foreign, such as pollen, pet dander, dust or medication. In response to the perceived threat, the body releases histamines, which cause a chain of events that are meant to stop the foreign invader from causing harm. Unfortunately, minor allergies can cause chronic histamine release, leading to difficulty breathing, stuffy noses, sneezing and watery eyes.
Garlic unbelievably is an anti histamine super food that has the ability to help relieve and treat those allergy symptoms. It helps the immune system work normally by attacking those free radical cells known as allergens and removing them completely from the blood stream naturally. The high amounts of antioxidants and essential healing oils in garlic are what help boost the immune system during allergy flare-ups so it is able to fight off histamines better, reducing the severity of allergy symptoms.
Garlic is also one of the best natural decongestants you can use during allergy season to help relieve sinus pressure as well due to the strong aroma it has. Allicin, present in crushed garlic, helps thin the mucus blocking the nasal passages and it reduces the inflammation that’s contributing to clogged airways.
Other uses of garlic
Garlic is a brilliant herb for maintaining general health and boosting immunity but also has many other powerful qualities that are not as well known.
With a long history of medicinal use, it’s been found helpful with decreasing blood pressure and increasing HDL (the good cholesterol), stimulating the production of nitric oxide in the blood vessel walls and breaking up blood clots.
Due to its iodine content, garlic is great for thyroid function and can be helpful for treating hyperthyroid conditions. Being a powerful antioxidant, it also works against the free radicals that retard cells and cause ageing in the body. Toxin build-up directly influences diseases such as cardiovascular, degenerative, and cancer.
In addition to its anti-histamine properties described above, garlic can also help with clearing sinus infections and its symptoms. The allicin, ajoene and other active components in garlic exhibit curative properties and thereby clear bacteria or fungus causing sinusitis. Scordinin in garlic helps to boost the immunity and restrict the growth of abnormal cells to get rid of sinusitis. It also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that reduce the inflammatory symptoms and clears infection without any side effects.
Get garlic from renowned supplier
Available in pills, capsules, liquid and actual raw cloves, garlic is one of the most popular healthy herbs around today. At HTC, we supply high quality Garlic in 2mg and 10mg doses. Our garlic supplements that come filled with garlic powder within a smooth gelatine casing, have the same effect on health as the whole natural garlic, but are odourless and convenient to use, eliminating the strong taste and smell of whole garlic while preserving the natural goodness. For more information and an instant quote, contact us on sales@htc.co.uk or call us on (+44) 01923 652 529.
*Claims for food supplements mentioned in this article are not meant for general public, but are purely for information of food supplement industry professionals. Please note that the claims are not authorised by European Food Safety Authority for use on labels or marketing materials.