Have you ever put garlic under your pillow? I’m serious. People do it. No, not to fight off vampires. . Believe it or not, there are practical reasons why people do it. Garlic has some really powerful health benefits. It’s been used forever.
Garlic contains a compound called Allicin and If you put garlic under your pillow it will help you sleep as well as having other benefits such as getting rid of your stuffy nose and scaring insects away! The antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the garlic under your pillow will help keep the body’s fluids and organs healthy and infection-free
Garlic Scares Off Insects
Nobody wants creepy insects in their bed. Depending where you are in the world, they creepy crawlies you find in your bed will vary. For a lot of the bugs you’re facing, garlic can help repel them, especially mosquitoes.
I think we can all agree that mosquitoes are annoying. Not only that, but they’re gross. When summers right around the corner, you know they’re coming!
As well as being annoying Mosquitoes never rest. They’re even a nuisance during the day. But at night, it’s a whole new level. How many times have you been lying in bed quietly, and felt that tiny bite on your leg? Their buzzing alone is enough to drive you crazy.
Luckily we have garlic here to save us! Bet you never thought you’d hear that sentence? Garlic is a part of the onion family and it contains particles that are toxic to insects, one being particularly important called allicin.
Allicin is a compound which can be found in crushed garlic. While it reduces inflammation in humans, allicin can protect you from mosquitoes. If you want to try it out for yourself, chop up some garlic and place it underneath your pillow before you go to sleep. You may very well have solved your mosquito problem, not to mention other bugs aswell.
Garlic Can Help You Sleep
Have you been getting the right amount of snooze time lately? My guess is probably not. Life can be so hectic, we often don’t get enough hours to rest our heads.
A recent study found that a third of Americans aren’t getting enough sleep. It’s recommended that adults get around 7 hours a night just to function properly. Well, guess what, garlic can help in this arena as well. Garlic has calming effects. I’m talking specifically about the Vitamin B1 which is known to assist folks who are having trouble sleeping.
Several different studies have shown that B1 improves people’s overall sleeping patterns. It can also reduce the amount of fatigue you feel throughout the day. This is particularly effective for people over the age of 65. There’s also Vitamin B6 in garlic, which has its own benefits.
Let’s switch over to melatonin for a minute. Melatonin is a hormone produced by your brain at night. This is triggered in response to the darkness. Melatonin helps you get a healthier sleep at night. Not only that, there’s also reason to believe that B6 can help you with insomnia.
For people working night shift, research has gathered some evidence that melatonin supplements can help them with their sleeping patterns. If this is true, all those forklift drivers and factory workers can really benefit. With that being said, more research needs to be done for both of these theories.
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While garlic is amazing for you, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to add it to every meal. I mean, it doesn’t exactly go well with breakfast cereal.
On the other hand, a fresh clove placed underneath your pillow is said to do the trick. It will calm your nerves and get you ready for sleep.
I know all this may seem new to you. To be honest, I knew nothing about garlic under the pillow. But not only does it help you sleep, this trick also protects you from illness.
These two things aren’t mutually exclusive, you know. Lack of sleep has been connected to higher rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. A person who isn’t sleeping enough is also more likely to suffer from mental illness. This particularly true for things like depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder. People with ADHD are also significantly affected by lack of sleep.
Garlic Can Boost Your Immune System
Yes, garlic can help with your immune system. You’ve probably heard throughout the last year how important it is to maintain healthy immunity. It’s what stands between you and catching a cold or a virus.
There are so many foods that can boost your immune system’s strength. I mean place your vegetable of choice on the dotted line. But garlic is special. Remember allicin from a moment ago?
Allicin offers up a lot of antioxidants. These go to war against inflammation and kill off bad bacteria. It acts like a nuclear bomb against harmful particles. When garlic is consumed by the body, this particle will block the bacteria from spreading.
This is how an infection is stopped. It’s this ability that makes garlic a weapon against colds and other illnesses.
About 20 years ago, scientists did a 12 week study where people were given garlic supplements. This reduced the number of colds by 63% compared to other supplements that were taken. It can help even when you’ve already caught a cold.
Another study showed that taking a garlic extract reduced the number sick days by around 60%. This is pretty cool, right. But things get even better. The effects of garlic on your immune system go far beyond fighting the common cold. There’s also reason to believe that garlic can help you live longer.
This is due to its ability to fight high cholesterol, and lower your blood pressure. Research has pointed out that garlic supplements have the same impact on reducing blood pressure than certain drugs. Now mind you, we’re talking about supplements that you ingest. Placing garlic under your pillow may not have the exact same benefits. But if you do this on a regular basis, you will likely be a lot healthier.
Garlic Can Rid You of Your Stuffy Nose
Alright, this is not quite the life threatening sickness but a stuffy nose can ruin your day. Sometimes your week. A stuffy nose serves as a distraction. It’s enough to make you want to scrap all your work for the day, and quit.
But what does garlic do? Well there are already so many ways to fight a stuffy nose.
You’ve probably heard about a humidifier before. You should also take a hot shower, and make sure you’re drinking lots of water. But when all else fails, you can always put garlic under your pillow.
I know, pretty weird right? This is once again due to the antioxidants. Yup, we’re talking about allicin once again. When the garlic is crushed, the allicin helps to thin out all the mucus build up in your nasal passages. From here, it brings down all the inflammation.
All you need to do is place a garlic clove underneath your pillow to see these benefits.
I’m not sure if you know this, but garlic has a pretty strong smell. I’m obviously being sarcastic. The aroma of too much garlic is enough to catch anyone off guard. This is why it’s recommended that you just make it a single garlic clove, instead of a whole bunch.
You don’t want to be stinking up your entire apartment floor or bedroom. Whether or not you want to chop it apart is up to you, I suppose. You don’t want to make a mess in your bed. You already have insects to worry about. Your sleeping habits are just so important.
