Garlic Powder Benefits & Nutrition Facts
Garlic powder is an excellent spice that should be kept on any spice rack. This can be an excellent replacement for fresh garlic. If you have ever cooked with garlic, then you know it is one of the most powerful flavors you can add to a dish, and garlic powder is much the same. It delivers a number of important nutrients, which provide various health benefits.
What Is Garlic Powder?
Garlic powder is the ground form of dehydrated garlic and it has a number of benefits over fresh garlic. This powder is quite easy to make, and you will find it as a seasoning in various dishes like soups, stews, pizzas, salad dressings, and in sauces like barbecue sauce.
Garlic powder can be a more subtle way of imbuing an entire dish with the flavor of garlic, rather than simply adding chopped or minced cloves. The versatility and delicious flavor of garlic powder make it a favorite spice around the world.
What’s more? When you dehydrate garlic, you extend its shelf life exponentially, so it can be stored for months or even years without losing its potency. It also delivers many of the best benefits of garlic in terms of health. Using this spice regularly can give your cooking and your overall wellness a boost.
Nutrition Facts
Garlic powder has a wide range of nutrients, including vitamin C, iron, calcium, protein, dietary fiber, and a small amount of sodium and sugar. While the concentration of these nutrients is significantly less than fresh garlic cloves, particularly in vitamin C content, there are still a number of antioxidants and organic compounds like allicin that can boost your health.
Garlic Powder Health Benefits
The most important health benefits of garlic powder include its ability to lower overall cholesterol levels, improve the immune system, prevent certain cancers, and aid in digestion, among others.
Boosts Immune System
Although the vitamin C level is significantly depleted when garlic is dehydrated, there are still immune-boosting properties of this spice, coming partially from other minerals and antioxidants present in it.
Aids in Digestion
If your stomach is upset or if you have indigestion, the organic compounds found in garlic powder, as well as the iron and dietary fiber, can help move your bowels smoothly and relieve constipation.
Balances Cholesterol Levels
Although garlic lacks allicin, it is the active ingredient in crushed garlic and has a positive effect on your cholesterol levels and reduces plaque buildup in the arteries and blood vessels. It can also help lower blood pressure!
Prevents Cancer
There are a number of antioxidants in powder that can help reduce oxidative stress throughout the body, relieve inflammation, and prevent cellular mutation, which can lead to cancer.
Side Effects
There are some dangers of consuming too much of this powder, as well as potential risks for people with certain medical conditions. The most common problems include gastrointestinal distress, problems with bleeding disorders, bad breath, muscle aches, and dizziness, among others. If you consume garlic powder in moderation, you have little risk of experiencing these side effects.
Muscle Ache – When too much of this herb is ingested, or if you suffer from a mild allergy, it could cause muscle spasms or aches.
Bleeding Disorders – For people who consume an excessive amount of garlic powder, bleeding problems have been known to worsen, so always use this spice in moderation.
Dizziness and Headache – Some people report symptoms of headaches and dizziness, as well as lightheadedness, sweating, fatigue, and nausea if they use too much of this spice at one time.
Bad Breath – As with any garlic product, this powder has a powerful smell, which can lead to bad breath, although it can also help to eliminate oral infections!
Stomach Issues – Stomach aches, cramping and bloating can happen if too much of this powder is consumed.
