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It’s no secret that spices can provide a ton of health benefits with very little effort. For example, health experts have been promoting the benefits turmeric has on your metabolism, or the plethora of antioxidants found in ginger. But we just found out an even better spice for improving health – and it’s one that you can use in just about everything you cook: garlic.
Even though garlic is technically a vegetable, it is often used as a spice in that it boosts flavor without needing to be used in large quantities. Most people are aware of just how good garlic is for you: it boosts immunity and fights inflammation.
And you get extra benefits when you use fresh garlic, compared to buying it in a powdered form.
When you chop fresh garlic, you activate something called alliinase. This is an enzyme that carries a ton of antioxidants as well as powerful antimicrobial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. So activating alliinase in your garlic can help improve your gut health for better digestion, metabolism and ultimately weight loss.
Gastroenterologist Dr. Will Bulsiewicz advised Well + Good that you should wait ten minutes between chopping garlic and cooking it, in order to get maximum health benefits. This is because it takes about ten minutes for the alliinase to fully activate and convert a sulfoxide called alliin to allicin, which is the compound that contains all of the health benefits we want so much.
If you’re not already sold on garlic, brace yourself for this next benefit the vegetable can give you: clear skin. Because allicin fights bacteria and inflammation, it can also curb breakouts to keep your skin looking healthy and clear.
It is very easy to find ways to incorporate garlic into your diet more. Take a look through some of our favorite anti-inflammatory vegetable soup recipes to find new meals to make this week, with garlic playing a major role.
