For a long time I’ve avoided eating garlic and too much from the onion family in general, this was mainly due to breastfeeding and then afterwards feeling like it upset my own tummy, causing extra gas and cramps etc…plus the garlic breath that follows post meal is not ideal…
But I’ve recently rediscovered how good it is, for our health and for making things taste delicious! I got inspired from a cookbook I picked up at the library, My Darling Lemon Thyme, Everyday by Emma Galloway. She uses a tonne of garlic in her recipes, to start with I didn’t use as much as she suggested, but over the last week or two I’ve been a bit braver and added more in…It makes such a difference to the overall flavour of a dish! I forgot what I’ve been missing garlic breath and all.
My advice when reincorporating garlic back into your diet if you’ve eliminated it for whatever reason, start slow and build it up over time to not cause too much discomfort. Start with 1/4 of a clove, then 1/2, then whole etc….If you’re an avid garlic eater, disregard this.
Besides the abundant culinary benefits of Garlic, it is an amazing herbal remedy and medicinal powerhouse that has remarkable qualities for a wide variety of health complaints. And it has a good amount of research to back it up.
What are the wonders of Garlic or Allium sativum
Garlic has a number of therapeutic actions and benefits which include;
Antiviral, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Antiparasitic, Antifungal, cholesterol reducing (5)
and heart protecting to name a few..
And some of the conditions that garlic can help to treat include;
The common cold, influenza, hay fever, intestinal worms, parasites, hypertension (high blood pressure), atherosclerosis (blocked arteries)(5).
A few more good things about garlic;
Garlic can help promote the growth of healthy intestinal flora, in other words support the microbiome, and good gut bacteria, which in turn boosts your immune system(1).
It is a known infection fighter due to its antiviral and antimicrobial compounds, called Allicin(3). The perfect thing to add to your winter medicine arsenal. It also helps to reduce Candida albicans, the fungus that causes thrush.
Note//Make sure to chop and macerate your garlic before using, this stimulates enzymes to convert the compounds Alliin to Allicin which is the active form with all the goodness (3). It takes about 10minutes for this to happen (4).
Garlic has also been researched for its cholesterol lowering capabilities and it has shown to be protective against heart disease (2). And it has even shown anticancer abilities, specifically for bowel cancer (2&4).
All of this sounds pretty good to me, and I was also reading that if you chew some parsley sprigs after consuming garlic it helps neutralise the odour (1).
Garlic is part of the flavour filled plant family, the alliums (hence its latin name Allium sativum), think onions, leeks, shallots and chives. And its these same compounds that exhibit the health benefits that also make the wondrous flavour!…
There you have it. Time to get a bit more garlic in your life!!
(As long as you don’t suffer from medically diagnosed IBS as its a high FODMAP food containing Fructan, small amounts may be tolerated depending on individual sensitivity).
Disclaimer, please consult your health care practitioner before consuming garlic in a herbal tincture or tablet/capsule form at medicinal doses. The information here is for educational purposes only with no intention to diagnose, treat or influence health decisions.
References;
- P. Pitchards ‘Healing with Whole Foods, /Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition’ pp546, 3rd Edition, 2002, North Atlantic books
- M.Murray & J.Pizzorno ‘Encyclopedia of Healing Foods’ pp 200-202, 2005.
- P.A Balch ‘Prescription for Dietary Wellness’ 2nd Ed. pp 164-165, 2003 Avery.
- W.Bulsiewicz ‘Fiber Fueled’ pp 160-161, 2020 Avery.
- K. Bone ‘The Ultimate Herbal Compendium, A Desktop Guide for Herbal Practitioners’, pp35, 2007 Creed and Lang.