Garlic and Women's Health

     
        Your grandmother may have not known the scientific evidence behind her recommendation to eat more garlic, but science supports her claims! Women, in particular, may have a lot to gain from incorporating more garlic into their diets. Consider the following:

• Weight Loss: One study found that garlic aided in weight loss in post-menopausal women, even among those that did not exercise. Because excess weight contributes to heart disease, the researchers concluded that taking garlic may help decrease the risk of developing this disease (Seo, et. al).
  
  
• Brain Function Improvement: Taking care of children is incredibly rewarding, but often exhausting and stressful. Basic cognitive functions can be impaired in the trenches of sleep deprivation, as new parents can attest. Why not take some garlic to help? Lab studies suggest that garlic helps with memory (Qiu, et. al), and researchers are considering how garlic can be used to help Alzheimer’s patients (Sripanidkulchai). It has even been documented as a way to help overcome hangovers (Qiu, et. al)! Talk about brain food!
  
  
• Aid in Preventing/Fighting Cancer: We are certainly not claiming that garlic is a cure for cancer. However, research shows that garlic can help in this fight. Substances in garlic form a line of defense against certain types of cancers by preventing their development. In addition, studies have also found that garlic encourages the death of cancer cells and reduces their spread in the body (Shang et. al).
  
  
• Fighting Inflammation: Garlic has been shown time and again to help with internal inflammation, an issue that is a factor in health problems as diverse as heart disease and arthritis (Shang et. al).