Hey there, viewers.
Let’s get weird for a few minutes.
Have you ever put garlic under your pillow?
I’m serious.
People do it.
No, not to fight off vampires.
We’re not even opening up that door.
Believe it or not, there are practical reasons why people do it.
Garlic has some really powerful health benefits.
It’s been used forever.
Here’s Why You Should Put Garlic Under Your Pillow.
Does it help you sleep?
Will it get rid of your stuffy nose?
Wait, can garlic really scare insects away?
We’re talking about all that AND more…
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 gross.
Not only that, but they’re annoying.
With summer right around the corner, you know they’re coming!
Mosquitoes never rest.
They’re even a nuisance during the day.
But at night, it’s a different story.
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 you!
Bet you never thought you’d hear that sentence…
Garlic is a part of the onion family.
It contains particles that are toxic to insects, one being particularly important.
Let’s talk about allicin (alice-in) for a second.
No, not Alison, like the name.
This one’s spelt differently.
Allicin is a compound 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.
What’s the grossest bug you’ve found in your bed?
Where exactly were you?
How did you react?
Sound off in the comment section, and start a conversation with our Bestie community...
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 Vitamin B1.
This nutrient 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.
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.
There are other illnesses that garlic can fight.
Let’s get into that, shall we?
But before we continue, are you trying to improve your health?
There are so many organs you need to take care of.
Check out our recent video on 10 Foods You Should Eat For a Healthy Pancreas.
Now back you our discussion on Why You Should Put Garlic On Your Pillow.
Garlic Can Boost Your Immune System
Told ya!
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?
Again, not Alison!
I’m talking about the compound.
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.
Are you convinced yet?
Have I made this sound a little less weird?
No?
Well maybe this will sway you.
I mean it’s something super important!
Garlic Can Rid You of Your Stuffy Nose
Alright, this is not quite the life threatening sickness we were building it up to be.
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.
But like I said, 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.
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.
There are so many neat little tricks you need to learn in order to improve it.
Have I sparked your interest?
Let’s take a look at a couple more sleep-related videos, shall we?
Check out 12 Proven Tips For a Better Nights Sleep.
Or how about 11 Weird Tricks For a Good Sleep.
Go ahead, click one.
Or better yet, watch both, and learn more about how to improve your sleep.
Are you now considering putting garlic under your pillow?
Let us know in the comments below!