Garlic offers several health benefits. While some people take time to adjust to the pungent flavor of garlic, others love it from the very first taste. Seniors who eat garlic can enjoy the following benefits.
1. Get More Nutrition with Fewer Calories
Garlic is low in calories, making it ideal for older adults who are limiting their caloric intake for weight management purposes. Each clove of garlic contains several nutrients needed to maintain good health. Manganese, vitamins B and C, and selenium are just a few of the nutritional components your aging loved one gets from eating garlic.
Seniors who need help preparing nutritious meals should consider professional in-home care. Senior care providers can benefit aging adults in a variety of ways. From cooking nutritious meals to offering timely medication reminders, the dedicated caregivers at Assisting Hands Home Care Reston are available to help your elderly loved one 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
2. Prevent & Reduce Cold Symptoms
Oranges are a great source of vitamin C, which prevents colds. However, your loved one can also receive the same benefits by adding some garlic to his or her meals. Several studies have been conducted regarding garlic’s effectiveness on colds, and each one found eating garlic reduced the length and severity of cold symptoms by more than half.
3. Lower High Blood Pressure
A special compound in garlic called allicin can boost cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure levels. Your loved one should consider eating several cloves of garlic a day, and he or she needs to consult with a physician before supplementing with any natural product. Seniors who eat garlic to reduce their blood pressure levels should see noticeable results during their regular checkups.
4. Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia
Although there’s still no way to prevent dementia symptoms completely, seniors can eat garlic to combat the effects of oxidative damage to the brain. Garlic contains antioxidants that reverse the damage caused by free radicals and reduce the risk of cognitive decline.
Certain age-related conditions can make it more challenging for seniors to age in place safely and comfortably, but Reston at-home care experts are available around the clock to help seniors manage their health. Whether your loved one is living with dementia or recovering from a stroke, you can trust the professional caregivers from Assisting Hands Home Care to enhance his or her quality of life.
5. Lower Bad Cholesterol Levels
High cholesterol levels raise the risk of developing cardiovascular conditions that reduce life expectancy. Eating garlic can lower the levels of bad cholesterol, which can reduce the likelihood of heart disease.
6. Increase Appetite
During the senior years, it’s common to experience reduced senses of smell and taste. Fortunately, garlic’s odor and taste are strong enough for seniors to detect. When your loved one is on a diet that restricts other flavoring agents such as salt or fat, garlic is a healthier substitute that may stimulate him or her to eat enough food to stay healthy. One of the best features of garlic is that it goes well with most healthy meal options.
Eating garlic is just one of the many ways seniors can boost their health and enjoy a high quality of life. Not every senior has the same care needs, which means they don’t all need the same type of elder care. Reston families can rely on Assisting Hands Home Care Reston to provide individualized care plans to meet their elderly loved ones’ unique care needs. Our caregivers help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and we offer mentally stimulating activities that can stave off cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia. To hire a compassionate, dedicated caregiver, call us at 703-556-8983 today.
