5. Garlic
This bulbous herb is a great way to bring flavor and aroma to Italian recipes. When you crush the garlic cloves using a mincer or a knife, you activate the sulfur compounds found in the garlic. Allicin is the most well-known of these sulfur polyphenols, providing your body with protection against viruses, bacteria, and fungi.
The anti-pathogenic effect of eating garlic is so effective that many people use it as a preventative measure against fighting off colds and flu during the seasonal change. Garlic also contains plenty of vitamin B6 and vitamin C and combined with the allicin; it’s effective at diminishing the symptoms of a cold by up to 70%
Allicin also helps the body with regulating blood pressure, and it also works to improve your cholesterol profile. The antioxidants in garlic also show promise in treating patients with Alzheimer’s disease, a chronic wasting of cognitive functions in the brain.