Garlic is a potent, aromatic vegetable belonging to the same family as onions, chives and leeks. Although garlic is often used as a flavoring for meals, it can be eaten alone---raw, cooked or roasted. The many forms of garlic make it convenient for consumption. Using garlic for medicinal purposes as a tea is not new; drinking garlic tea has been in folk remedies for thousands of years. One version of garlic tea includes 1 or 2 cloves of garlic along with 1 or 2 grams of loose-leaf green tea in boiling water. A beneficial amount of garlic for adults is 2 to 4 fresh cloves per day.
Lower Cholesterol
Garlic may help to decrease bad cholesterol---low-density lipoprotein---levels while increasing good cholesterol---high-density lipoprotein---according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Garlic may also lower triglyceride levels, states The World's Healthiest Foods website. These benefits are due to garlic's antioxidant properties. Antioxidants fight free radicals, which can damage cells, leading to diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Garlic also contains sulfur compounds that help to protect against damage to blood cells and blood vessels. The inflamed damage has been linked to a risk of cardiovascular problems.
Stabilize Blood Pressure
The sulfur compounds found in garlic create a hydrogen sulfide gas, according to the World's Healthiest Foods website. This gas, when produced and released from blood cells, helps dilate blood vessels and keep blood pressure under control. One of the sulfur compounds, allicin, blocks the small piece of protein, angiotensin II, from contracting blood vessels, according to the World's Healthiest Foods website. The allicin present in garlic helps to prevent unwanted contraction and increases in blood pressure.
Infection Fighting
Garlic is a good source of vitamin C and has antibacterial and antiviral properties. Garlic helps to control infection from bacteria, viruses, yeasts, fungi and worms, reports The World's Healthiest Foods website. Garlic can even prevent the common cold or help to fight the cold once you are sick, according to the Natural News website. Garlic tea is said to help soothe a sore throat and suppress coughing, and decrease the duration and severity of the cold.
Prevent Cancer
Moderate intakes of garlic may lower the risk of certain cancers, such as colon or stomach cancer, suggests both the University of Maryland Medical Center and the World's Healthiest Foods websites. Higher intakes of garlic, consumed on a daily basis, may lower the risk of all cancers except prostate and breast cancer. It is the allyl sulfides found in garlic that hold the benefits of preventing cancer. These sulfur compounds activate the molecule nuclear erythroid factor, which travels into the cell nucleus where it triggers a variety of metabolic activities, according to the World's Healthiest Foods website. It is in the cell nucleus where a potential cancerous cell may be created. The nuclear erythroid factor molecule helps the cell to function properly, keeping it from becoming cancerous.
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