Top 5 reasons sprouted garlic is good for your health

Sprouted garlic actually has amazing health benefits. It not only helps keep cancer at bay but also helps your heart function better. Find out how here.

Pavitra Sampath | Updated: March 16, 2015 3:52 pm

A number of people believe that vegetables and fruits that have sprouted are bad for health as they release chemicals that are toxic for the body. While this might be true for certain fruits and vegetables it does not apply to garlic. That might not necessarily be true, especially in the case of sprouted garlic. While unsprouted garlic is known to help reduce cholesterol, keep heart disease at bay, beat cancers, heal skin infections and even help in decongesting a clogged up nose; sprouted garlic has now been found to have amazing benefits for your heart health. Read more about the health benefits of garlic.

According to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry ^[1]sprouted garlic actually has stronger health benefits than unsprouted ones. They conjectured that the pod when sprouted for five days showed the maximum ability to help the human body.

Wondering how it helps? Here are the health benefits of eating sprouted garlic:

Can fight against cancer: The process of sprouting in garlic stimulates the production of phytochemicals, that have amazing properties like the ability to block the further spread of malignant cancer cells and inhibit the activity of carcinogens (cancer causing chemicals) on the body. Apart from that, garlic also produces a large amount of anti-oxidants that are very useful in scavenging free oxygen radicals – one of the main reasons for the formation of cancers.

Protects your heart: The same way that phytochemicals block the activity of carcinogens, they also boost enzyme activity and block the activities that leads to plaque formation – an important factor in the formation of blockages in the heart. This thereby helps protect you from suffering from heart disease and heart attacks.

Can prevent strokes: Garlic on its own is a rich source of anjoene a substance that prevents the formation of blood clots. It also is packed with nitrites – a compound that helps dilate (or widen) the arteries. Both these activities in tandem help prevent the onset of strokes (a condition caused by the formation of a blood clot in the blood vessels of the brain). How is sprouted garlic better in preventing strokes you ask? Well during sprouting the amount of phytochemicals present in the garlic pods helps not only enhance the activity of the already present chemicals in garlic but it also blocks the activity of blood clot forming chemicals – making it a better agent against strokes.

Helps prevent wrinkles and premature ageing: We all know that antioxidants help prevent premature ageing by scavenging free radicals in our body – the leading cause of ageing in our body. But according to the study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, garlic pods sprouted for five days have the highest antioxidant activity – making them an elixir for your body. Not only will it prevent the appearance of wrinkles but also has the potential to stop the deterioration of organs (something that takes place as we age).

Strengthens your immune system: If you suffer from frequent cold and cough or infections its time you ate some sprouted garlic. That is because sprouted garlic – especially those that have been sprouted for five days – gives your body a strong dose of anti-oxidants. These anti-oxidants in turn strengthen your immune system by protecting the very cells that kill off infections. So, if you want to stay healthy all year round, here is your chance – load up on sprouted garlic.

How to sprout garlic

Garlic normally sprouts on its own if left in the open. But if you want to sprout them at home without drying them out here is how you can do it:

Take a pod of garlic and without peeling it gently poke in two tooth picks on either side of the garlic. Make sure you place the toothpicks on the more fleshy part of the pod. Now take a small and narrow glass cup and fill it with water (tap water should do. Do not add anything to the water). Next, using the two toothpicks as stands, balance the garlic pod on the rim of the glass, such that the narrow part is partly submerged in the water.

Keep this glass on a window sill where it will get enough sunlight. Allow it to stay there for five days, making sure the tip is submerged in the water. Once it is sprouted you can wash and eat the garlic.

Disclaimer: This is an article based on the findings of the study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Please make sure you check with a practitioner before you eat sprouted garlic.

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