Garlic

Lowers

regulates cholesterol and stimulates immunity.

I've talked about the heart disease risk factors.

What about the immunity? Eating garlic appears to offer the best

of both worlds, dampening the overactive face of the immune system by suppressing inflammation,

while boosting protective immunity. For example, natural killer cell immunity, which our

body uses to purge cells that have been stricken by viruses or cancer.

In World War II, garlic was evidently dubbed Russian penicillin, because after running out

of antibiotics, that's what the Soviet government turned to.

But does it actually work?

You don't know until you put it to the test.

For example, how about preventing the common cold,

perhaps the world's most widespread viral infection, with most people suffering approximately

two to five colds per year? The first double-blind placebo-controlled trial to investigate

the prevention of viral disease with a garlic supplement.

Those randomized to the garlic suffered 60% fewer colds, 70% fewer days affected,

so not only fewer colds, but faster recovery, suffering only one and a half days instead of five.

So accelerated relief, reduction in symptom severity, faster recovery to full fitness.

Okay, but this study was done nearly 20 years ago.

What about all the other randomized controlled trials?

There aren't any.

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