I’ve been fortunate to live and travel to several countries where I’ve noticed that garlic is used in many different types of cuisines. Even my grandmother kept several garlic bulbs blooming for use in the kitchen and as ornamental plants in her flower bed.
There’s conflicting information about COVID but the benefits of superfoods is well documented. I’ve intentionally started adding superfoods to our diets to help boost immunity as well as the other incredible benefits you receive from them.
I’ve never been too fond of an onion’s acidic bite (see onion backstory). The difficult thing is, I know how healthy they are. I want to enjoy them, but I cannot bring myself to! Lucky for me, I love garlic – which is a superfoodcousin of the onion.
Garlic is an allium vegetable, and is relatively easy to plant. Their pungent, fiery flavors also have loads of health benefits. So much so that there’s no need to force myself to like onions. I can enjoy garlic with all of their advantages, and more so.
Planting and Harvesting Garlic
When to Plant + Picking Cloves
Garlic, or Earth’s “stinking rose”, is an easy vegetable to grow. Before you’re ready to dig your hands in some dirt, make sure to choose the right cloves. I have an entire blog post on getting healthy, organic seeds from friends, or even online! As an extra bonus, my friend Jessica from The Rowdy Radish has shared how she grows and stores a YEAR’S worth of garlic (see blog post)!
Though you may be tempted to use cloves from your grocery store’s garlic, it’s always better to go local and organic. Usually, the garlic at chain stores is treated with preservatives for a longer shelf-life. This chemical treatment may affect your growth success, and the overall health of your produce. So, make sure your bulbs are large, disease-free, and organic!
These alliums can be grown in the early spring, fall, and winter. However, its most ideal conditions are in the fall, or early winter. (Make sure to grow before the ground freezes, if you live somewhere extra cold!)
This means, plant around September to November for cold climates. And for temperate areas with mild winters, garlic is ideal for fall to late winter/early spring planting.
Placement and Soil
After you’ve broken the clove, and let it sprout for a couple days, you’re ready to plant! Choose a sunny spot, where your soil is well-drained. If your soil looks dry or thin, try adding in some compost.
Ensure the cloves are 2-4 inches apart, 2 inches deep, and upright. Then, plant your cloves in rows, 10-14 inches apart. Or, you can choose to grow them in a raised bed with heavy mulch (about 6 inches), for low effort maintenance. (You’ll also want 6 inches of mulch through the winter).
As your garlic grows, make sure to cut off flowers in the early spring (if you grow in the fall). Then, remove any mulch in the spring to avoid overheating. As the temperature gets warmer, I advise you to fertilize your soil again, to support the swelling garlic. As always, ensure your area is weed-free, and water every 3-5 days from mid-May to June.12
Harvesting Garlic
If you’ve planted in the fall to early winter, your garlic should be ready from late June to August. Or, if you’ve planted in the early spring, your harvest date may vary.
When you think they’re ready, look for any signs of dry, yellow foliage. This is garlic’s way of saying “I’m ready!”. Or, simply pull up your bulbs gently and check for juicy cloves, with a thickened, dry skin.
Instead, if your garlic looks thin, it may be too early to harvest. And, if it is split or looks diseased, you may have waited too long.
Fortunately, garlic is also a natural pesticide. So, garden pests are no common issue! In fact, the only disease that may pervade your garlic is white rot. White rot is a fungus that loves colder weather, which you can prevent through basic garden maintenance.12
When your garlic is ready, you are ready to use it in dishes, as an itch-reliever, or as a toothache relief. Despite its many uses, you may find its incredible benefits mostly improve your health. There are, I’ve learned, many ways in which garlic can do this!
Incredible Health Benefits
These zesty vegetables have been used as healing agents since plants have been used in medicine. They were given to Olympic athletes in Greece as performance-enhancers. Also, they were used for their healing properties by scientists and physicians (like Sir Louis Pasteur and Hippocrates). 1, 2
Now, we see garlic as a recommendation to decline colds and coughs. A study done by Journal of Nutrition shows how garlic eliminates most pathogenic bacteria, and even pervades past those resistant to the body’s own defenses (antibodies). This, I thought, was as far as garlic could go. But, the more I read, the more it’s amazing to see how vast their health benefits are.2
Prevents Neurological Disease
“A clove a day, keeps neurodegenerative diseases away!”
If you are at risk for neurological diseases – garlic is one of your best dietary options. Any overload of cholesterol leads to many risks, including developing neurological disorders later in life. Luckily, these pungent little cloves decrease the excretion of cholesterol, and have loads of antioxidants. So, they are great defenses against preventing Dementia, Alzheimer’s,and even Parkinson’s.3
There is even proof that garlic extracts have the same protecting agents as Donepezil (a drug that treats Alzheimer’s). This is because garlic has diallyl disulphide, a compound that reduces oxidative stress. (As always, please follow what your physician advises) This, along with helping reduce cholesterol, gives it those brain-protective traits. Who knew garlic was so incredible!4
Thus, these neurological benefits act out in many ways, including:
-Better short and long-term memory retention(and memory recovery).
-Increased learning ability.
–Reduces neuroinflammation and decay due to aging.
-General improved cognitive performance.6
Improves Gut Health
What’s more, eating garlic regularly maintains a healthy gut microbiome. If you want to better your health, the most significant thing you can do is balance your gut microbiome. A healthy gut means a healthy metabolism, immune system, mental health, and overall physiology! 5, 7, 8
To support our gut microbiome is to support our basic bodily functions. And, it becomes more critical to our wellbeing as we age. So, it’s significant to have a diet enriched with pro- and prebiotics.
While probiotics are live bacteria, prebiotics act as a fertilizer for your gut’s healthy bacteria. Since garlic is a prebiotic, it’ll help feed those beneficial bacterias! And, this can be accomplished with as little as one clove a day.5
Incorporating garlic as a prebiotic is a great option if you have:
-Gastrointestinal or digestive issues (bloating, constipation, heartburn).
-Decreased cognitive abilities (brain fog, poor concentration).
-Skin inflammation or acne.
-Anxiety and depression.
In fact, many other illnesses have been due to a poor gut health. A nutritionist I know, and many others, even claim it’s the sole culprit for most mood disorders. So, it’s great to know, a gloomy day can be perked up by a spicy garlic clove. 9, 10, 11
Garlic + Health Precautions
However, I would advise precaution if you suffer from GERD (acid reflux), hemophilia (thinned blood), or liver issues. Also, eating large quantities of garlic may cause vomiting and nausea. If you have these sensitivities, try not to eat garlic in large quantities, or on an empty stomach.
Although, its ability to lower blood sugar may improve liver functions. So, it’s important to do more of your own research, and consult your doctor.
But, almost everyone can benefit from garlic. And, with how easy it is to throw into most dishes, it’s a great option for your health. This little vegetable can reduce and prevent disease, and promotes overall wellness.
Best Ways to Eat Garlic
Raw Garlic
Many of the benefits of garlic are best in their raw form. You can toss a sliced clove in salad, salsa, or mixing in with butter for your morning toast!
Also, you can throw raw garlic into soups, tonics, and hot teas. This is a great boost to your day, and can be a unique addition to your meals and drinks.
Cooked Garlic
But, if raw garlic is far too intense for you (or irritates your acid reflux), there are many other ways to enjoy them. Roasted garlic, for instance, is an easy snack. Simply toss garlic cloves in the oven (at 400 degrees F), for 30-40 minutes, peeled. Try to mix in some herbs and spices, like thyme, sage, and rosemary.
Or, you may create your own medley to dilute garlic’s pungency. Garlic tastes heavenly mixed with mushrooms, potatoes, carrots, and much more. (I love the mushroom, garlic, rosemary steam bags from Publix – it is so delicious!)
Whether roasting, steaming, or microwaving, your options are endless with garlic. And, no matter what you choose, you’ll get amazing health benefits.
Closing Thoughts
Through pungent flavors, comes pungent benefits! Garlic’s intense flavors are only complimented by its intriguing health effects. The effect garlic can have on our neurological wellbeing is absolutely fascinating. I believe garlic is a beautiful embodiment of the wonders of nature, and its healing capabilities.
Since the fall is creeping closer, it is the perfect time to prepare our gardens for these incredible wonders! Besides the usual cold determent, we can use garlic to protect our brains and bodies from disease. These are the easy healing choices we can make to naturally improve our lives, from the inside out.
Let me know if you plan on growing garlic this fall, or if you’ve already been enjoying them in your garden!
Happy Planting!
DeeAnn
The Victory Garden Gal
Featuring – Brittany Haas
Research Articles
- Rivlin, R S. “Historical perspective on the use of garlic.” The Journal of Nutrition vol. 131,3s (2001): 951S-4S. doi:10.1093/jn/131.3.951S
- Sivam, G P. “Protection against Helicobacter pylori and other bacterial infections by garlic.” The Journal of Nutrition vol. 131,3s (2001): 1106S-8S. doi:10.1093/jn/131.3.1106S
- Mathew, Bc, and Rs Biju. “Neuroprotective effects of garlic a review.” The Libyan journal of medicine vol. 3,1 23-33. 1 Mar. 2008, doi:10.4176/071110
- Manral, Apra et al. “DADS Analogues Ameliorated the Cognitive Impairments of Alzheimer-Like Rat Model Induced by Scopolamine.” Neurotoxicity research vol. 30,3 (2016): 407-26. doi:10.1007/s12640-016-9625-5
- Chen, Keyu et al. “Preventive Effects and Mechanisms of Garlic on Dyslipidemia and Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis.” Nutrients vol. 11,6 1225. 29 May. 2019, doi:10.3390/nu11061225
- Borek, C. “Antioxidant health effects of aged garlic extract.” The Journal of nutrition vol. 131,3s (2001): 1010S-5S. doi:10.1093/jn/131.3.1010S
- Chen, Keyu et al. “Modulation of Allicin-Free Garlic on Gut Microbiome.” Molecules 25.3 (2020): 682. Crossref. Web.
- Shreiner, Andrew B et al. “The gut microbiome in health and in disease.” Current opinion in gastroenterology vol. 31,1 (2015): 69-75. doi:10.1097/MOG.0000000000000139
- Gareau M.G. “Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis and Cognitive Function.” The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Health and Disease vol. 817 (2014). In: Lyte M., Cryan J. (eds) Microbial Endocrinology: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology.
- Salem, Iman et al. “The Gut Microbiome as a Major Regulator of the Gut-Skin Axis.” Frontiers in microbiology vol. 9 1459. 10 Jul. 2018, doi:10.3389/fmicb.2018.01459
- Malan-Muller, Stefanie et al. “The Gut Microbiome and Mental Health: Implications for Anxiety- and Trauma-Related Disorders.” Omics : a journal of integrative biology vol. 22,2 (2018): 90-107. doi:10.1089/omi.2017.0077
- N,a. “Growing Garlic”. The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Yankee Publishing, Inc, n.d. https://www.almanac.com/plant/garlic