Benefits of Garlic
Grab a breath mint and go heavy on the garlic! Research out of the USDA finds garlic may benefit the immune system and could even be linked to cancer prevention.
In a randomized crossover study published in the Journal of Nutrition, 17 volunteers ate either a breakfast containing 5 grams of raw crushed garlic (about two cloves), or garlic-free control breakfast. Researchers analyzed participants’ blood before and three hours after breakfast. In those who ate garlic, seven genes related to immunity and cancer were upregulated—meaning the gene expression increased—after breakfast.
The affected genes have a variety of functions in the body, including cancer cell suicide, suppression of cancer formation, and immune cell development. Though gene expression is not entirely indicative of what plays out in the body, these results do suggest eating raw crushed garlic may assist in immunity and the suppression of cancer development.
Crush your own fresh garlic with just a few simple steps. Using the heel of your hand, press the flat of a knife into a garlic clove—this makes the clove easier to peel. Peel away the skin and finely chop the garlic to use in recipes.
Fresh garlic can be used in any meal of the day. Add garlic to egg-white scrambles at breakfast, to homemade soups at lunch, and to pasta sauces at dinner. Try our Caribe Banana Curry Royale made with DOLE® Bananas, DOLE Spinach, DOLE Cauliflower, and finely chopped garlic for an exotic and flavorful main dish.Published January 1, 2016
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