Garlic has been used in traditional medicine for centuries. Hippocrates, the “father of Western medicine,” considered garlic an ultimate source of natural healing. Adding garlic to your broccoli is sure to provide a mouthful of great taste and health-boosting properties every time

Garlic is a potent and flavorful addition to any dish. It has also been well documented that ancient civilizations, including the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians, used garlic to support their overall health.

Besides adding flavor and a mouth-watering aroma, garlic is full of beneficial nutrients to support heart health and more

Garlic for Your Heart

Garlic provides a number of health benefits but plays a particularly important role in heart health. There are a number of ways garlic can help support healthy heart function.

♦ Maintain healthy cholesterol: Garlic can help support healthy HDL and LDL cholesterol levels to maintain arterial health and proper circulation.

♦ Maintain healthy blood pressure: The compounds in garlic can help support healthy blood pressure levels to maintain arterial integrity and healthy blood flow.

♦ Support weight management: Garlic can support healthy energy, allowing you to burn more calories and lose weight. As part of a healthy weight management program, garlic can protect your heart and blood vessels.

Additional Health Benefits of Garlic

♦ Immune System Support: Garlic has been found to promote the immune system’s ability to defend you from numerous environmental threats. Garlic contains vitamin C, which supports the adaptive and innate immune system by strengthening epithelial tissue and promoting immune cell activity. Epithelial tissue is the lining of the digestive and respiratory tracts and is the first main defense of our immune system. By promoting epithelial health, vitamin C helps maintain this first line of defense.

♦ Natural Detoxification: Garlic contains sulfur compounds that support the body’s natural detoxification processes. The sulfur in garlic specifically helps remove heavy metals that may have been consumed through food. 

♦ Athletic Performance: The Greeks and Romans discovered that garlic could also support athletic performance by supporting a healthy heart rate. Garlic was used to reduce occasional fatigue among workers and later used to support the athletic performance of Olympians. 

♦ Bone Health Support: Powerful compounds in garlic can support healthy hormone levels as you age and help promote proper bone mineralization to help maintain healthy bone density. 

♦ Skin Health: The antioxidant properties of garlic help reduce occasional oxidative damage to promote healthy skin aging.

Caramelized Broccoli With Garlic Recipe

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
2 heads of broccoli (1 ¼ pound total), stems peeled and heads halved lengthwise 
½ cup water 
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 
Pinch of crushed red pepper 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the broccoli, cut side down, cover, and cook over moderate heat until richly browned on the bottom. This should take about 8 minutes.

2. Add the water, cover, and cook until the broccoli is just tender and the water has evaporated. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper, and cook uncovered until the garlic is golden brown.

3. Season the broccoli with salt and black pepper, drizzle with lemon juice and serve.

The Bottom Line

Folklore may tell you that garlic keeps vampires away, but in reality, it can help keep your doctor away. Garlic is as powerful to your health as it is potent to the taste buds. 

Garlic has the potential to support long-term health, as it promotes the health of several systems in your body. Promoting proper heart health and supporting healthy immune system responses, not to mention adding great flavor to every meal, means garlic is easy to add to your diet, tastes great, and can promote longevity.