Just 1 Garlic Clove a Day May Deliver These Impressive Health Benefits

You'd be hard-pressed to find a meal that didn't benefit from a little garlic. From omelets to pasta dishes to meat marinades, a bit of garlic goes a long way in adding major flavor.

Not only is the tiny clove small but mighty in the cooking department, but consuming garlic has been shown to have promising health benefits for several health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and metabolic syndrome. As a matter of fact, garlic contains such potent antioxidants that much of the research is looking into the effects of using it in supplemental form.

Learn the nutrition facts and health benefits of garlic, plus some creative recipes to use it in everyday cooking.

Garlic Nutrition Facts

One clove of garlic has:

• 5 calories
• 0 grams protein
• 0 grams fat
• 1 gram carbohydrates

Garlic has some vitamins and minerals, but the amount in one garlic clove is minimal.

Benefits of Garlic

The amount of garlic called for in most recipes is small compared to other ingredients, but the health benefits are abundant. Garlic has phenolic compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties. Studies show that even a small amount of these plant compounds in the diet may contribute positively to overall health.

While there has been much research conducted on the health benefits of garlic, it is important to keep in mind that most of the human research observes the effects of ingesting large doses in supplemental form, rather than eating it in food.

A recent review found that supplementing with garlic has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels and the risk of atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, heart attack, and stroke. The authors attribute these findings to the antioxidant properties of garlic, which protect the heart from stress and damage.