Thank you to everyone who joined me yesterday for the Garlic for Intestinal Health Mini-Class. It was a lot of fun and I’m sure you were left with a lot of questions. I’m going to do my best to answer them today.
Q: Why would I want to eat garlic every day?
A: Garlic has several known therapeutic properties, including:
- Broad-spectrum anti-bacterial
- Anti-microbial
- Antioxidant
- Anti-cancer
- Anti-hypertension
- Lipid lowering
- Anti-blood coagulation
- Anti-inflammatory
- Nutrient Dense – good source of manganese, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Selenium, calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and Vitamin B1
The World Health Organization even recommends 2-5 grams of garlic a day which is about 1 clove.
Q: Other than intestinal health, are there other benefits to eating garlic?
A: Yes. There have been many scientific studies that show medical benefits to eating garlic.
- Protects against infection
- Protects against inflammation
- lowers risk of heart disease
- Anti-cancer effects
- Anti-aging properties
- Anti-microbial
- Reduces pulmonary & respiratory complaints
- Effective against edema
- Anti-clotting agent
- Supports cardiovascular health
- Provides physical vitality
- Benefits cognition
Q: How has garlic been used historically?
A: Hippocrates prescribed garlic to treat a variety of medical conditions. But garlic was also found in Egyptian pyramids and in Green temples. The Bible references garlic as do many other ancient texts in Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, India, and Babylonia. Garlic was given to laborers to provide strength and increase work capacity. It was given to Olympic athletes in Greece to enhance performance. Garlic was also given to soldiers to give them more courage.
Q: How many cloves of garlic to you use each day?
A: That depends on the size of the clove. Garlic cloves vary in size so I chop up about 1 tsp of garlic. If the clove is smaller that might mean 2 or more cloves, if it’s larger then I might get more than 1 tsp but if it’s slightly more I just take a little more. If it’s a really big clove, I might save it for the next day.
Q: How long will garlic store after you’ve chopped it?
A: After you chop the garlic and let it sit for 14 minutes, you can store it in water, refrigerated, for about 6 days. We use fresh well water because it isn’t chlorinated like most tap water is, and after you use the garlic the water will have some of the same properties as the garlic so it can be used too.
After 6 days, there’s a reduction in the nutrient content of the garlic.
Q: Where do you get your garlic? Do you just purchase it from the store?
A: If you purchase garlic from the store you want to make sure it’s organic and I would ask if it’s been sprayed with an anti-sprouting agent. Even organic vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and garlic can be sprayed and still considered organic.
We plant garlic every fall, harvest it in about June, and then use it throughout the year by keeping it in cold storage.
Q: Can you recommend any additional resources to learn more?
A: Absolutely!
Thanks again for joining me for this Garlic for Intestinal Health Mini-Class. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!
Here’s a cool info-graphic that I found that you might enjoy too!
