It’s very important to have a well balanced diet, focusing on many fruits and vegetables, for optimal health. Did you know that garlic, which serves as an antioxidant, has been shown to help stomach and abdominal pains and cancer, as well as lowering your blood lipids and blood pressure?
Garlic contains many sulfides, one of which is alliin. When garlic bulbs are crushed, alliin is converted into another compound known as allicin. Allicin seems to be one of the main active compounds in garlic, giving the root its health benefits.
Eating the cloves, or consuming garlic as a powder, has been shown to have health benefits; however, eating the cloves has been shown to provide the best effects. Cooking a clove of garlic or cutting it changes the amount and type of the garlic’s active compounds and because of this, some people suggest eating it raw.
Eating large amounts of garlic, especially raw, may irritate your gastrointestinal tract/stomach, causing upset stomach and gas. Using a couple of cloves in your pasta sauce, salad dressing or on garlic bread, should not be a problem or cause you distress. Noted side effects from consuming garlic include: garlic breath, body odor, gas, GI distress, and it may inhibit blood clotting.
Good Info! Garlic is a superfood for sure. I would think that using it in cooking as much as possible would be the best route instead of munching down on clove after clove. I really enjoy roasting it though…I know you say the benefits are changed after cooking, but is it that big of a difference? I like to simply cut the “scalp” of the entire head off – put it in a ramekin – drizzle a little Olive Oil on top – and sprinkle with just a pinch of Sea Salt and bake it in the oven until you see the top of the cloves turning just golden brown. Then scoop out the cloves and spread onto whole grain rosemary bread. UUmmmm. Making myself hungry. Thanks for the great info. I just joined the iowa avenue and I am excited to be here.
TR Hughes
its a taste enhancer… i really love roasted garlic ^_^
Great Article!
I’ve always wondered about the differences between eating garlic raw and in powdered form, since it seems like the powdered form is much more highly processed. I’m rally glad you answered those questions in your article.
As far as cooking with it, i generally like to put a bunch of different food components all together in a sautee pan, and get to work! Delicious (as anyone who has tried it would agree)!
Garlic is such a great food. Thanks for all of the great information!
I am a beginner “juicer”. Juicing every other day is great. One day per week I add 2 – 3 cloves of fresh garlic to my juice. I cannot tell how much the garlic and the juicing has improved my health and my outllook of life. Stress has dropped greatly.
God Bless