Ancient Chinese and Ayurveda medicines have extolled the benefits of garlic for centuries, but the humble bulb’s virtues are only just coming to light in the West.
Both cultures believe consuming garlic regularly can support the immune system, promote heart health and cut inflammation. It's also great for the digestive system and some believe it can even improve skin condition. Oh, and it can ward off rumbly-stomached vampires too. Well, supposedly. Not bad for such an odd-looking plant.
How much can garlic help your health? We spoke to London-based nutritionist Reema Pillai to find out.
First up, can garlic be considered a superfood? While it is in some respects, Pillai reminds us that the term is little more than a marketing tool with “no specific set scientific definition of what a food must contain to qualify as a superfood”. Jargon debunked, the expert concedes that garlic has “fantastic health properties”.
The biggest plus to regularly eating garlic is that it provides a source of something called glutathione. “This is an antioxidant which can support the immune system and reduce oxidative stress on cells in the body”, Pillai explains. “Garlic intake has been linked to improving blood cholesterol levels, which can support our cardiovascular health, and research shows a reduction in blood sugar levels with regular garlic consumption”. She also points out the presence of Allicin, which soothes inflammation. It’s formed when garlic is crushed or chopped, and is often the active compound found in garlic supplements, the expert reveals.
So, a fairly vital ingredient to include in meal plans, especially if you subscribe to the idea that food is medicine and fuel. What if you hate the stuff? The dietician advocates using smaller amounts or subbing in similar ingredients like “onions, leeks, shallots and even ginger. They all provide health benefits such as prebiotics, which are fibres that feed the gut bacteria.”
There is a debate between eating fresh cloves (if you can handle the taste; garlic is extremely pungent raw) and cooked. If you’re brave, up to a full clove should suffice, the expert told us. But if you’re cooking with garlic, “generally two or three cloves per day may be adequate.”
“Some people can enjoy more than this, though some may experience side effects such as heartburn and bloating”, warns Pillai. “This can be due to the type of sugars found in garlic, which can contribute to an increased production of digestive gas. If this happens, avoid raw garlic and stick to one clove or less per meal, ensuring the garlic is cooked well.” Adding garlic-infused oil to salads can also help.
The easiest, least socially offensive way to get a decent Allicin hit is with garlic supplements. The market is jostling with choice, but if you’re not sure quite where to turn, we’ve rounded up the best garlic supplements worth your coin.
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Vitabiotics Ultra Garlic Tablets
As a leading light in the supplement sphere, Vitabiotics offers a garlic option in its considerable collection. The ultra-strength and deodorised garlic tablets are analysed per batch to ensure the highest levels of quality control. Each dose gives you a hit of 7200mg of standardised allicin, giving your system the reinforcement it needs.
Buy now £5.70, Amazon
WeightWorld Black Garlic Capsules
WeightWorld uses aged black garlic extract in its pills, which include Polyphenols, Alicin and S-Allylcysteine (SAC), to dispatch several health benefits once consumed. Great for increasing your body's natural defences and helping heart, gut and brain health - and all without any taste or scent to deal with afterwards.
Buy now £17.09, Amazon
Horbäach Odourless Garlic Capsules
Few are willing to chow down on raw garlic cloves every day, health benefits or not. Horbäach has made the pill easier to swallow by turning its garlic capsules odourless, though you may still experience some garlic breath when it hits your stomach, so don't skip the gum. Each softgel holds 90mg of the good stuff. The tub of 180 capsules should provide great dietary support over a few months.
Buy now £8.99, Amazon
Natures Aid Odourless Garlic Pearls
Take garlic supplements without friends, family and acquaintances recoiling in horror from garlic-scented burps; Natures Aid’s are truly scent and taste-free. There are slightly fewer in this bottle than competitors, but the supply of 120 will see you through a few months if you take the recommended one-a-day, which should be enough time for you to start noticing the benefits (and forgive the lack of apostrophe in the brand’s name).
Buy now £4.90, Amazon
Lindens Super Garlic 6000mg
Start to see the benefits of increasing your allicin intake in as little as three months thanks to Super Garlic's high-dose garlic capsules. Each one is parcelled up in a foil packet, meaning they're easy to pack for trips too.
Buy now £6.87, Amazon
Holland & Barrett Enteric Coated Odourless Garlic 1000mg 120 Tablets
High street health store Holland & Barrett is famous for selling all sorts of health-boosting remedies from its shelves. Skip the walk to your local branch and order these odourless garlic tablets online instead. Each green tub holds 120 servings to support healthy heart function with Vitamin B1 and plenty of allicin. Take one a day with a meal.
Buy now £10.99, Holland & Barrett
Boots Max Strength Garlic + Vitamin B1, 90 Capsules
Worried about cholesterol levels? Add Boots' Max Strength Garlic capsules to your basket and, with dedicated consumption, you'll soon start to see the benefits. The box contains 90 servings, each one loaded with a high level of allicin to give your health a helping hand. Boots has also included parsley oil in the mix to stop reflux and any aftertaste, meaning you're more likely to stick with the capsules. Drink with a tall glass of water, one a day.
Buy now £12.00, Boots
Nature's Best High Strength Garlic Tablets 3000mg
Stock your cupboards with a six-month supply of high-strength garlic tablets. Only water is used in the extraction process to preserve the allicin drawn from garlic, so you can expect purity every time, along with a little peppermint oil to help the taste. Take once a day with a meal and plenty of water.
Buy now £16.95, Nature's Best
