Garlic has been used for thousands of years to help treat a variety of different medical conditions. There is even historical proof that shows the famous Greek physician, Hippocrates, would recommend his patients used garlic for a number of ailments. The garlic benefits for men specifically should be seriously considered.

In a world that is obsessed with prescription drugs it is easy to understand why the garlic benefits for men have been overlooked. Next time, before you reach for that little orange prescription bottle, remember this article and the benefits of adding garlic to your diet – it could really help you out. Some of our favorite garlic dishes are served at The Sinclair Restaurant in Fairfield, CT.

What is Garlic?

Garlic is a small plant in the onion family. It can be found in nearly all parts of the world and is grown both on farms and in the wild. Garlic is made of two distinct parts, the bulb and the cloves.

The bulb is the large “head” which houses and protects all of the cloves. The cloves are the smaller individual pieces that make up the bulb. Each bulb can contain up to 20 individual cloves.

Although the ancient Greeks were the most famous garlic users of history it has been confirmed that many other ancient civilizations cultivated garlic for their health benefits. The Egyptians, Chinese, Romans and Babylonians were all known to farm or forage for garlic.

1. Garlic Contains Large Concentrations of Allicin

Allicin is an organosulfur compound that is widely known for its potent medical benefits. Although allicin is a natural defense system against predators in the wild, the human body doesn’t react badly with it. In fact, it reacts incredibly well as you’ll see below:

Vitamins & Nutrients

Garlic is actually a very nutritious food – most people don’t realize this. Garlic contains the following vitamins and nutrients:

Vitamin B6
Vitamin C
Manganese
Selenium
Fiber
Vitamin B1
Copper
Potassium
Phosphorus
Calcium
Iron

That’s pretty darn good for a small plant in the onion family. Additionally, garlic is one of the lowest calorie foods given the number of nutrients it contains. Besides cooking with garlic, it is highly recommended that you roast your own garlic bulbs and use them as a spread on bread.

2. The Original Viagra – For Men and Women Both

The ancient Greeks knew of the sexual benefits of consuming raw garlic. Garlic has long been known to be a natural aphrodisiac – a perfect addition to a romantic home cooked dinner.

Garlic achieves these benefits for men and women by increasing blood circulation. More blood circulation means more blood can get to those special parts that need it during sexual intercourse.

Just be sure that both partners are taking garlic at the same time. Not only will everyone benefit but the odor on one’s breath will usually be canceled out if both people consumed the garlic together.

3. Garlic Can Help Reduce Blood Pressure

More men die every year from cardiovascular diseases and heart attacks than anything else. Garlic is recommended to help combat cardiovascular disease by reducing blood pressure. The garlic benefits for men are nearly impossible to ignore when looking to lower your blood pressure.

One study found that garlic extract is just as effective as the prescription drug Atenolol. With no trips to the doctor and no prescription for expensive beta-blocking drugs taking a garlic supplement is an easy way to help reduce blood pressure.

Significant drops in blood pressure can be achieved by eating just four garlic cloves per day. That may seem like a lot until you make your own roasted garlic bulb spread!

4. Improve Your Prostate Health

This could be the most important garlic benefit for men. As men age many suffer from prostate enlargement, also called BPH. Although doctors are usually quick to prescribe medication it is important to know that garlic lowers your risk of developing an enlarged prostate.

In some cases regular garlic eaters saw a 28% reduction in prostate size compared to those who didn’t take garlic supplements or eat any garlic regularly.

5. Garlic Has Antioxidants

Most people have heard of why antioxidants are important – they help slow the aging process and helps the body’s cells repair themselves faster. Most people have also heard of some popular antioxidants such as green tea, wine, nuts & berries. But rarely is it mentioned that garlic also is an extremely powerful antioxidant.

Two other dangerous conditions that antioxidants help fight are Alzheimer’s and dementia. This is because these diseases are usually caused by a mix of high cholesterol and high blood pressure (and of course, genetics), both of which can be reduced with garlic consumption.

6. Improved Athletic Performance

Many consider garlic to be the original “steroid”. The garlic benefits for men are clear and doctors have recommended garlic supplements to workers and athletes alike for thousands of years.

Ancient cultures used garlic as a performance enhancing supplement. Many doctors and athletes used garlic to help reduce fatigue and enhance their performance during sporting events. Most famously, Greek Olympians used to take garlic before competing in the original Greek Olympics.

7. Garlic as a Detox

Allowing one’s body to detox every so often is becoming more and more important given the world that we live in today. Studies have shown that the sulfur compounds in garlic can help protect against organ damage and help assist the body in detoxifying itself from heavy metal toxicity.

Garlic is known to reduce symptoms of toxicity in men. These symptoms include headaches, poor blood pressure and fatigue. Garlic should be added to everyone’s detox plan.

8. Fight Sickness

This is one of the great garlic benefits for men and women – garlic will help your immune system fight a variety of illnesses. Even the effects of a common cold can be drastically reduced by supplementing your diet with more garlic.

According to the Garlic Centre in England, patients who took a daily garlic supplement contracted 63% fewer colds than their peers who did not take garlic supplements. Additionally, those who were taking daily garlic supplements saw the average cold recovery time drop to just under two days instead of five days to recover.

Anyone in colder climates should seriously consider adding garlic to their daily diet to help fight the common cold and flu. The benefits of garlic for men and women are both equally strong for fighting sickness.

9. Athlete’s Foot? Garlic Can Cure That

Athlete’s foot – the number one enemy of barefoot locker room users and gym enthusiasts alike. Most don’t know but garlic has anti-fungal properties and when applied directly to fungus can kill it entirely.

A simple warm foot bath with raw garlic can help reduce or even eliminate athlete’s foot in just a couple of days. The compound called ajoene, found in raw garlic, is what is responsible for its fungus fighting power.

10. It’s a Natural Anti-Inflammatory

Garlic oil has been cited by many doctors as a powerful treatment for sore muscles and inflamed joints. Doctor’s recommend that pure garlic oil be rubbed on the surface of the skin directly where the soreness or pain is occurring. Do not use garlic oil if you have an open wound or sore.

It is best to do this with raw, uncooked garlic oil. Heating garlic up will result in a breakdown of the powerful chemicals that give garlic its anti-inflammatory properties. The benefits of garlic are very clear when you consider this natural way to ease pain and reduce swelling.

11. Garlic is So Easy to Cook With

So there are numerous garlic benefits for men and the best part is how easy it is to take advantage of these benefits. Garlic is one of the most versatile cooking ingredients.

The best part is that adding some extra garlic is not only incredibly easy but will make your food taste absolutely delicious. Garlic works best in soups and sauces and is best either roasted or sautéed in olive oil.

The strong taste garlic gives off (especially when cooked) can make any boring dish come to life. Some people use garlic powder while cooking but it is recommended to use whole fresh garlic.

The most important thing to remember when cooking with garlic is to crush the clove before you start cooking. Allicin, the active compound in garlic that has many health benefits, doesn’t form unless the clove is crushed while raw. Cooking with an uncrushed garlic clove will not yield the same garlic benefits for men.