Did you know this reduces your changes of getting a cold or flu?

When I worked in an office, this was the time of the year when everyone either got the office cold or sometimes even worse flu, so I wanted to share something that can reduce your chance of getting one.

Garlic has been used for centuries as both a food ingredient and a medicine.  Garlic contains compounds that help the immune system fight germs and has show promise as a treatment for preventing colds and the flu.  Studies have shown that garlic reduces the risk of becoming sick in the first place, as well as how long you stay sick.  It can also reduce the severity of symptoms.

One study gave 146 healthy volunteers either garlic supplements or a placebo for three months. The garlic group had a 63% lower risk of getting a cold, and their colds were also 70% shorter.  Another study found that colds were on average 61% shorter for subjects who ate 2.56 grams of aged garlic extract per day, compared to a placebo group. Their colds were also less severe.

If you often get sick with a cold or flu, eating garlic can help reduce your symptoms or prevent your illness entirely.

However, a review of the evidence found that many of the studies investigating the effects of garlic on the common cold were of poor quality.

Reference

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25961060

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11238820

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22280901

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11697022

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22280901

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