Although no official recommendations exist for how much garlic you should eat, studies show that eating 1–2 cloves (3–6 grams) per day may have health benefits ( 1 ). If you notice any side effects after eating more than this amount, consider reducing your intake.
To activate allicin the garlic has to be chewed (raw), crushed or sliced. You can change this and keep all the health benefits of garlic by making ONE SIMPLE CHANGE. Crush, chop or mince garlic and keep it away from heat for 10 minutes. During this time the maximum allicin is created and stays intact during cooking.
The ingestion of one to two cloves of raw garlic per day is considered safe in adults. The most common side effect of ingested garlic is breath and body odor.
Garlic can help protect against illness, including the common cold. Garlic supplements are known to boost the function of the immune system. A large, 12-week study found that a daily garlic supplement reduced the number of colds by 63% compared with a placebo ( 5 ).
“You'll get the most benefit from raw garlic,” says Jeffers. “But if you choose to cook it, don't heat it above 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius). Higher temperatures kill the allicin, so add garlic to your recipes when you're almost done cooking.”
We conclude that undamaged garlic (swallowed) had no lowering effect on lipid level of serum. But Crushed garlic (chewed) reduces cholesterol, triglyceride, MDA and blood pressure.
Garlic on empty stomach is very effective for preventing and curing different diseases. Studies have shown that garlic if eaten on an empty stomach acts as a powerful antibiotic. It is more effective when you eat it before breakfast because bacteria is exposed and cannot defend itself from succumbing to its power.
How long do you need to take garlic extract to start experiencing its benefits? Since some of the beneficial compounds in garlic extract are fat-soluble, it may take 1-2 weeks for this substance to deliver noticeable effects.
Currently, garlic is widely used for several conditions linked to the blood system and heart, including atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), high cholesterol, heart attack, coronary heart disease, and hypertension.
An intake of the half to one clove of garlic per day lowers cholesterol levels approximately 10%.
This reduces cholesterol levels and improves heart health. Regular consumption of garlic reduces the incidence of blood clots and thus helps prevent thromboembolism. Garlic also lowers blood pressure so is good for patients with hypertension. Read more on How to control high blood pressure.
Up to 25 g of garlic a day can be consumed without posing a risk of toxic side effects. Prakash cautions that it is too early to say how much allicin intake will reap intestinal rewards against VRE.
When the garlic tissues are crushed, the two mix and alliinase turns alliin into allicin, the phytonutrient thought to be responsible for many of garlic's health benefits. Cooking destroys the enzyme, though, so even if you crush your garlic, if it's thrown immediately into the pan, little allicin may be produced.
Because garlic can make blood less likely to clot, you should stop eating it 7 to 10 days before any surgery you have planned. Avoid garlic if you're already taking an anticoagulant, such as Coumadin (warfarin) or Heparin, because the blood-thinning action of the medication may be increased.
Garlic health benefits: a centuries old superfood
As if it that weren't enough to put garlic on a perennial pedestal, it is also a source of numerous vitamins – particularly C and B vitamins – as well as minerals including Phosphorous, Potassium and Selenium.
A mineral present in Garlic, called selenium can cleanse the liver. It can trigger liver enzymes, and naturally flush out the toxins from your body. The new-age superfood can cleanse the arteries, and help in gettin rid of the liver toxins.
Garlic has antibacterial , antifungal, antiviral, and antiseptic properties from allicin. Allicin helps to kill the bacteria causing acne. It also helps to reduce swelling and inflammation, and improve blood circulation. These beneficial effects allow the skin to receive more nutrients.
Amongst its other valuable nutrients, garlic contains zinc and high concentrations of sulfurous compounds like allicin, which naturally promote relaxation, helping you fall asleep faster.
Garlic has long been known for its heart benefits, however, pungent food is also good at detoxifying the body. Garlic is not only antiviral, antibacterial and antibiotic, but it contains a chemical called allicin which promotes the production of white blood cells and helps fight against toxins.
An inexpensive and relatively benign supplement may reduce OA inflammation. Dehghani and colleagues1 in Iran and Australia have discovered that garlic supplementation of 12 weeks' duration may reduce pain in overweight or obese women with knee osteoarthritis (OA).
Eating 4-5 garlic cloves in the morning can help to boost your immunity, which is essential now when we have entered the winter season. It contains compounds that help the immune system fight free radicals and disease-causing foreign pathogens.
As per the study published in the Journal of Nutrition, garlic is linked with burning fat. It also has detoxifying properties, which helps in flushing out the toxins from the body, which hinder digestion and thus weight loss.
Garlic on empty stomach can also help to maintain a good immune system. It helps in decreasing inflammation in the body. Allicin, which is present in garlic is considered to be the best agent to prevent heart diseases and cancer.
Due to its potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties garlic is a good nutritional food candidate for use in a “Food as Medicine” approach for chronic kidney disease (CKD) [6,7].