Two Foods With Surprising Health Benefits

By Stepy Kamei

You are what you eat -- which is why you should always do your best to eat foods that provide nourishment and the nutrients your body needs to thrive. Whether you're cooking for yourself or choosing to eat out, it's always important to know the ingredients of your meal, and to do your best to choose ingredients which will boost your health. 

Fortunately, there are plenty of flavorful garnishes you can add to many different recipes in order to not only boost the flavor, but also to benefit your overall health and wellness. Two of the healthiest and most delicious ingredients you should always have in your pantry are garlic and honey. Read on to learn more about why these two meal enhancers are truly power ingredients.

The Power of Garlic

Garlic packs quite a strong flavor, and it turns out that in that flavor is a wealth of benefits for your overall health and well-being. Garlic has been revered for hundreds of years for its healthful, and even medicinal, qualities. More recent scientific studies have determined the main beneficial ingredient contained within garlic is allicin, a compound that contains chemicals such as oxygen and sulfur, which add to its antibacterial and antiviral capacities.

Garlic has also been proven to restrict the growth of harmful bacteria, such as the kind found in pneumonia and salmonella. Furthermore, studies have shown that garlic is so beneficial it can even lower blood pressure and lower high cholesterol levels, which is great for heart health.

Generally speaking, you'll get the most benefits from garlic by eating fresh, whole cloves. Crushing and chopping garlic will actually reduce the amount of beneficial nutrients it can provide. Always cook with whole cloves whenever you can, and use fresh garlic rather than preserved, minced versions if possible.

The Healthy Aspects of Honey

Honey is also extremely beneficial to your health. Honey naturally contains extremely high amounts of antioxidants, specifically flavonoids and polyphenols. These compounds are known to reduce inflammation and boost the immune system of the body. Both of these benefits improve your overall health and reduce the likelihood of developing various injuries and illnesses.

Honey is also revered for its antiviral and antifungal properties. Honey has been proven to stop the flu virus from spreading in the body.

It's best to use raw honey, rather than processed versions, as raw honey contains the most antibacterial properties and helpful nutrients.

To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Roswell, Ga.