Is Raw Garlic a Health Booster or a Digestive Risk?

Garlic is one of the most commonly used foods in homes all over the world due to its rich culinary properties. Raw garlic though has the potential side effects, it is also known to be good for the body. Though it’s common to consume it raw, many are so eager to discover what may happen, if you decide to include it in your everyday diet (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Exploring the health benefits of raw white garlic consumption in humans: a mini review

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Improved Skin Health

Another advantage of taking raw garlic regularly in their diets is that their skin becomes clear. Garlic also contains antibacterial and antimicrobial properties which may go along way in helping to combat acne by destroying bacteria on the skin. Although there may not be a lot of scientific research based on the use of garlic improving skin health there are some positive testimonies.

A review published in the Dermatol Reports in 2011 noted that garlic possesses anti-microbial constituents but the evidence claiming that it can actually decrease acne or other skin diseases is lacking. Until this discovery, garlic is packed full with vitamins that may include vitamin C and E which are vital to skin health.

Digestive System Adaptability

Garlic on the food pyramid falls under high FODMAP group that may lead to gastrointestinal upset particularly for the IBS clients. High FODMAP foods are foods that contain fermentable carbohydrates that most individuals who experience the symptoms of bloating, gas, and other digestive disorders, should avoid.

FODMAP Diet: A Beginner’s Guide

Although not a probiotic itself, garlic is a good food for the bacteria that is good in the colon for those who do not suffer from digestive problems. At first, ingesting raw garlic could be more of an inflammation issue but over time and more so the digestive system may develop tolerance. This flexibility of the body differs from one individual to another; therefore, it is viable to take careful note on how your body reacts to garlic when taken raw.

Bad Breath: A Common Side Effect

It is widely notorious that people who consume raw garlic experience breath problems, although this is not true about processed garlic. It also contains a lot of sulfur compounds that are released when the food is broken down, hence is associated with serious and persistent halitosis. This is quite unpleasant and can linger not just till the end of the brushing, but up until the next morning. This is a familiar trend, but this is not to say that garlic will never improve your overall health.

Additional Health Benefits of Raw Garlic

In addition to having a healthy skin and ability to digest foods that may otherwise cause severe stomach upset, there are several other benefits of taking raw garlic. Garlic is a popular nutrient that has been reviewed and trusted for boosting the immune system, reducing inflammation and may in some way manage and control blood pressure and blood sugar.

Roxana Ehsani, a registered dietitian, cited that garlic is also regarded to having antiviral effects that can help the body during an illness. However, garlic is also a good source of desirable vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, E and manganese which are all beneficial for general human health.

Should You Eat Raw Garlic Every Day?

Although there are several types of benefits that customers can get by eating raw garlic every day, it is seen as too risky to consume too much. The nature of garlic and its taste is highly potent to that of some individual’s palate, the digestive system will take time to tone to. If raw garlic is being incorporated in your diet, therefore, individuals should begin with small portions and determine the effects on their body. Anyone with special dietary requirements such as digestive problems or IBS should perhaps review their diet with the doctor before trying something new.

Therefore, it might be helpful to take raw garlic, to promote the health of your skin as well as increase immunity and so on. However, it also has some negative side effects such as causing period breath and some level of stomach upset in some people. Like in the case of any food supplement one must be careful to incorporate a particular supplement in the right proportion to be able to enjoy the benefits while at the same time avoiding the vices of the supplement.

If you think that raw garlic may help you enjoy all of the potential benefits that it has to offer, then you should introduce this food to your diet carefully—make sure you have some mints nearby!

Reference:

1. Exploring the health benefits of raw white garlic consumption in humans: a mini review – (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39279902/)

Source-Medindia