HOUSTON – Stinky but strong, fresh garlic cloves are not just a cooking ingredient anymore. More and more people are using it to benefit their health.
A quick Google search will bring up a variety of ailments that garlic can reportedly help cure.
Recommended Videos
Before you bite into a clove, natural health leader Dr. Joseph Mercola says it can help pretty much anything that ails you.
He says Greek and Roman soldiers used to eat it before battle to enhance strength and endurance. He says it's antibacterial, antiviral, and an antioxidant.
Mercola says it's been linked to fighting yeast infections, viruses, parasites and MRSA.
It helps with high blood pressure, heart attacks, and stroke.
So how should you eat it?
Mercola says, "The best way to eat garlic is to chop, smash, or press a whole, fresh clove and then let it sit for a few minutes before eating it. This changes the allicin into its most beneficial form. Avoid eating jarred, powdered, or dried garlic because it's not as healthy as fresh garlic."