Tis the Season
‘Tis The Season
Of Earthy Garlic
A clove or two a day is just what the doctor ordered! Garlic doesn't merely add flavour to the food but works as a health booster, making it a must-have in your diet
Text: Farzana Contractor
There is plenty of research to back claims of why garlic is that one magical component that truly helps our bodies. A potent health booster, it helps improve immunity, makes our hearts strong and even enhances sexual health. The benefits of garlic are numerous and incorporating garlic into your diet, whether raw, cooked, or in combination with other ingredients like honey, can significantly improve your overall health. So go ahead and add a clove or two to your daily routine!
Never before have we needed the health-boosting properties of this ingredient as much as we do now. With mysterious ailments affecting us, people going down with respiratory problems at the drop of a hat, coughs not leaving you for months, young people complaining of body aches and joint pains… It’s all rather baffling, incomprehensible. Especially when you start wondering if the medicines you take are working at all. To go down the antibiotic route or not, is the big question. Everyone agrees they hate taking strong medicines for the side effects they cause.
So in this scenario what is the next best thing to do? Make food your medicine, of course! For sure, it seems to be an optimal option.
And what better than garlic? If like me, you love garlic then count yourself blessed. For there are people who loathe garlic in any form. Just as much those who love it in any form. Crushed, chopped, paste, raw or cooked, it's great. Full cloves, browned slowly in olive oil and merely spread on bread with butter, is heavenly!
Ah, well. But garlic is more than just a flavourful addition to your dishes. It’s a powerhouse of health benefits. This humble bulb has been used for centuries in traditional medicine and modern research supports many of its ancient claims. Let us then expound on the goodness of garlic.
Garlic is well-known for its immune-boosting properties. It contains compounds like allicin which have been known to enhance disease-fighting responses of certain types of white blood cells in the body when they encounter viruses that cause the common cold and flu.
Combats Respiratory Issues: Garlic’s anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties make it practical for treating respiratory issues like asthma, bronchitis and coughs. It can help open up the airways and reduce inflammation, making it easier to breathe.
Supports Digestive Health: Garlic can improve digestion by stimulating the production of digestive juices and reducing stomach inflammation. It can also help prevent infections in the digestive tract and promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria.
Lowers Blood Pressure: High blood pressure is a leading cause of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks and strokes. Studies have shown that garlic supplements can significantly reduce blood pressure in people with high blood pressure. The active compounds in garlic can help relax blood vessels and improve blood flow.
Improves Cholesterol Levels: Garlic can lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol. Regular consumption of garlic has been found to reduce LDL cholesterol levels by about 10-15%. Lowering harmful cholesterol levels can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease.
Has Antioxidant Properties: Garlic is rich in antioxidants, which can help protect your cells from damage and ageing. Antioxidants in garlic can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia by reducing oxidative damage and inflammation in the brain.
Improves Bone Health: Garlic contains nutrients like calcium, phosphorus and vitamin C, which are essential for maintaining healthy bones. Some studies suggest that garlic can minimise bone loss by increasing estrogen levels in females, which is particularly beneficial for preventing osteoporosis in post menopausal women.
Detoxifies Heavy Metals in the Body: Garlic’s sulphur compounds have been shown to protect against organ damage from heavy metal toxicity. High doses of garlic were found to reduce lead levels in the blood by up to 19% in one study, as well as reducing many signs of toxicity, including headaches and blood pressure.
Garlic Benefits for Men: Garlic is also beneficial for men’s bone health. It can help increase testosterone levels, which is essential for maintaining bone density and muscle mass. Garlic has been traditionally used to enhance sexual health. It can improve blood flow and circulation, which are essential for sexual function. Some studies suggest that garlic supplements can improve erectile function in men.
Those were health-related aspects of eating garlic.
But when and how you consume garlic is as important
Consuming garlic at night can be particularly beneficial. During sleep, your body is in repair mode, and garlic can help speed up this process. Garlic may also help you sleep better due to its sulphur-containing compounds that can calm you down and improve your mood.
Eating garlic on an empty stomach can be particularly effective for digestive health. It can help stimulate digestion and detoxify the stomach, making it a great addition to your morning routine.
Eating raw garlic is one of the most effective ways to maximise its health benefits. Raw garlic retains more allicin, the active compound that provides many of its health benefits.
Crush or chop the garlic and let it sit for a few minutes before consuming it to activate the allicin which has strong anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial effects
And if you just can't bear the taste of garlic you can combine it with honey. Just wrap one tiny crushed clove in honey and swallow it! It will help solve respiratory issues. Honey has antimicrobial properties and can soothe a sore throat, while garlic fights off the pathogens causing the infection.
There is yet another unique way to use garlic. Placing it on your feet overnight, rather under your feet, and wearing thick socks to keep it in place! The soles of your feet have large pores that can absorb the beneficial compounds in garlic. This method is said to help detoxify the body, improve circulation and boost the immune system. Perhaps there are spas in some parts of the world already using this method. If you know of any, please let us know!
Aioli and toum are by far my favourite ways of eating garlic is a marriage made in heaven; olive oil and garlic! It’s quite amazing what just two ingredients can do. Apart from living together for evermore, even if each lifespan lasts just 24 hours. Yes, for that’s how long freshly-made aioli can last, traditional or modern.
So traditional first. The classical aioli consists of freshly-crushed garlic, pestle- pounded, lovingly in a mortar, and then emulsified with olive oil. You, of course, add salt and lemon juice to it, but c’est tout, that’s it! Nothing else. It’s creamy and thick, best eaten fresh but certainly within 24 hours.
It’s a great condiment, very versatile, used for dipping, spreading or drizzling over dishes.
Aioli has its origin in France, southern France, particularly Provence, but all of the Mediterranean can lay a claim to it, this flavoursome sauce is that popular all over in that region.
Of course, aioli is now famous. It has travelled the world, and apart from variations of recipes and ingredients, it also is addressed differently in different parts. Like in America, don’t be surprised if someone asks you to pass the ‘garlic mayonaisse’ bowl… and variations could include vegetable oils, mustard, pepper, even egg yolks, mayo, right?
In Greece aioli is known as allioli and is usually served with grilled meats, vegetables, or as a dip with bread. In Turkey, the closest you get to aioli is cacik (pronounced ja-jik). Except cacik is made with garlic, yogurt, cucumber and herbs. It is not identical to aioli but comes close because it shares the garlicky goodness. Pairs well with the delicious grilled kebabs of Turkey.
All of the Middle East is pretty fond of toum. It’s a Lebanese sauce made using the same ingredients, garlic, lemon juice and oil, and served with falafel, grilled meats and shawarma, which you now find in every street corner of the world from London to Tokyo, including our very own Colaba in Bombay; layers and layers of meat, mutton or chicken pierced on to a rotating skewer, cooking slowly as it turns around the heat, turning from a golden brown to a roast brown, its aroma alluringly escaping into the air, even as the fat drips on to the tray below!