Last updated on May 13th, 2021 at 02:25 pm

Eating an apple a day to keep the doctor away is an easy commitment, but what about a clove of garlic? Bad breath is a small price to pay for good health. Packed with vitamins and nutrients, garlic has long been recognized for its disease prevention benefits and more. Learn to love this “stinking rose” in all its pungent glory with these tips on how to get more garlic into your daily diet.

A Superstar Superfood

Valued throughout the ages for its delicious taste, garlic is one of the oldest known plants cultivated by humans. Its scientific name is Allium sativum and it belongs to the Liliaceae family that includes chives, leeks, green onions, and shallots.

Garlic cloves are small but mighty. They’re an excellent source of vitamin B6 as well as manganese and dozens of other active compounds with extraordinary healing abilities. Allicin is the main ingredient in garlic responsible for anti-microbial properties, which helps boost the immune system to fight off viruses like the flu.

Garlic has a host of other benefits, and studies have shown it has cardioprotective effects that reduce the risk for heart disease, and prebiotic action that supports gut health. In homeopathy, garlic is used to prepare the medicine Allium sativum, which relieves acid indigestion and bloating from overindulgence.*

The Right Way to Eat Garlic

Garlic is best consumed fresh and raw so all of the beneficial nutrients like allicin are preserved. You can mix newly crushed garlic with honey to make it a little more palatable to swallow or mix with a virgin olive oil or butter and spread on toast. Try mincing or grating a clove into dips, salsas, and salad dressings just before serving. Even when cooked, garlic still has some remaining health benefits so it can be added to stir fries, sauces, soups, and stews.

Garlic packs a potent punch in nutritionist Amie Valpone’s Healing Sore Throat Shot. This quick pick-me-up is perfect when you have a sore throat or tummy troubles and is easy to make every day to get your daily dose of garlic.

Visit the Wellness Center at Oscillo.com to discover more delicious and nutritious clean-eating recipes that can help keep your body strong all year long.

*Claims based on traditional homeopathic practice, not accepted medical evidence. Not FDA evaluated.