Garlic
Garlic is a strong smelling spice that is a staple in kitchens across the world. This relative of the onion contains allicin which has a number of health benefits including boosting the immune system and lowering blood pressure. Garlic also has the ability to lower cholesterol. Unusual for a natural cholesterol remedy, garlic seems to affect largely LDL cholesterol, “bad” cholesterol, while having limited effect on HDL cholesterol, “good” cholesterol.
In addition to being heart-healthy, garlic also holds the bizarre title of “ancient performance enhancer.” This strong smelling spice was given to Olympic athletes in ancient Greece to increase their performance in the Games. Recently, studies have shown that the Greeks may have been on to something. Some studies show that garlic can increase exercise performance and lower exercise-induced fatigue. This has not, however, been proven conclusively.
Garlic can also help remove heavy metals from the body. In an age where the horrible effects of lead and heavy metal poisoning are well known, garlic
was found to reduce symptoms of heavy metal poisoning even more effectively than the modern drug d-penicillamine.