How to Eat Raw Garlic (and Why You Might Want To)

Chronic inflammation can harm your immunity by reducing your white blood cell count. Studies investigating the effects of garlic extract have found that it helps reduce systemic inflammation and restore white blood cell levels, per a 2021 review in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Research. This is largely thanks to allicin, a sulfur-containing compound found in allium foods like onions, chives and garlic.

What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Garlic Regularly

This pungent vegetable is packed with sulfuric compounds that may benefit your heart and immune health.

Isabel Vasquez is a bilingual registered dietitian practicing from an intuitive eating, culturally sensitive framework. Her clinical experience includes providing outpatient nutrition counseling to adults with a variety of chronic health conditions, along with providing family-based treatment for eating disorders in children and adolescents. She also offers intuitive eating coaching for Latinas to heal their relationships with food, particularly their cultural foods.

Updated on July 26, 2024
Reviewed by Dietitian

Christa Brown is a registered dietitian and business owner with a practice focus on diabetes management and content development for brands and fitness influencers. She is a licensed dietitian with a Master of Science in Nutrition Education and a certification in gut health by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.

In This Article
In This Article

If there’s one clove of garlic in a recipe, you add three. If there’s a garlicky pasta on the menu, you order it. If you have to choose a side, it’s garlic bread.

Many of us love garlic. And if you count yourself in that group, you’re in luck—because the allium provides some pretty impressive health benefits when eaten regularly. We dove into the research to find out exactly what you can expect for your heart, digestion and immune system function. Learn the nutrition facts and health benefits of garlic, plus some ideas for how to add more garlic to your diet.

Health Benefits of Eating Garlic Regularly

Helps Support Your Immune System

Chronic inflammation can harm your immunity by reducing your white blood cell count. Studies investigating the effects of garlic extract have found that it helps reduce systemic inflammation and restore white blood cell levels, per a 2021 review in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Research. This is largely thanks to allicin, a sulfur-containing compound found in allium foods like onions, chives and garlic.

Furthermore, a 2020 review in Trends in Food Science and Technology found that, thanks to its organosulfur compounds, garlic may have antiviral activity. The researchers believe garlic helps prevent viruses from entering and replicating in our cells.

You May Lower Your Cholesterol

Managing your cholesterol levels is important because high cholesterol increases your risk of heart disease and stroke, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Garlic may also improve cholesterol levels, particularly in those with high cholesterol or diabetes, finds a 2020 review in Antioxidants. However, these findings are limited, since most studies in this review found the benefits came from aged garlic extract or supplemental forms of garlic rather than the kinds of garlic used in cooking.

You Might Have Lower Blood Pressure

Garlic’s impact on immune health, along with its potential to reduce cholesterol levels, may also reduce blood pressure, per the aforementioned review in Antioxidants. A study in the review found that garlic may reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in people with metabolic syndrome—a group of health conditions that increase your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes, per the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. These benefits were found when participants consumed 100 milligrams per kilogram of body weight (mg/kg) of raw crushed garlic twice a day for four weeks. For a 150-pound person, that’s equivalent to a little over two cloves.

You May Have Better Blood Sugar Levels

Garlic may also help regulate blood sugar levels, particularly in people with diabetes. A 2019 meta-analysis in Primary Care Diabetes found that garlic was more effective than a placebo at reducing fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1C levels in people with diabetes. Fasting blood glucose levels dropped by almost 11 mg/dL, and A1C dropped by about 0.6 mg/dL—both significant improvements.

You May Have Better Gut Health

You may have heard of probiotics—live bacteria that support your gut health—but don’t underestimate the power of prebiotics. Prebiotics feed the healthy bacteria in your gut, and garlic is a good source of them. In fact, after three months of Kyolic aged garlic extract supplementation, participants in a 2020 review and meta-analysis in Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine had more diverse and healthy gut microbiomes. (Keep in mind that the people in these studies were taking garlic supplements, so results may differ if you’re consuming garlic in your meals.)

However, garlic isn’t friendly to everyone’s gastrointestinal system. Garlic is high in fructans, so it may trigger digestive symptoms like gas and bloating for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Other Potential Benefits

Garlic is also a source of antioxidants. In fact, the antioxidants in aged garlic extract may lessen neuroinflammation to support healthy brain function with age, per a 2020 study in Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine. In addition, a 2019 study in Nutrients found that among elderly Chinese people, those who consumed more garlic lived longer than those who rarely consumed garlic. This study was observational, so we can’t say for sure that garlic causes you to live longer, but there may be a connection.

Garlic Nutrition

Garlic not only adds flavor to dishes, it also adds nutrition. Here are the nutrition facts for three cloves of raw garlic, per the USDA:

Since the volume of garlic we typically eat is rather small, the amount of nutrients we ingest is also low. That said, garlic contains health-promoting nutrients like vitamin C, zinc, iron, potassium, magnesium and vitamin K. If you eat garlic regularly, you’ll get a greater amount of these important vitamins and minerals.

How to Incorporate Garlic into Your Diet

Garlic is a must-have in your kitchen. You can keep garlic powder in your pantry, purchase minced garlic in a jar, freeze garlic puree in an ice cube tray or buy fresh heads of garlic you can prep in a garlic press. Here are some ways to incorporate more garlic in your diet:

• Use it to season veggies. Cook minced garlic in a pan with oil to infuse the oil with a yummy garlic flavor. Then add your favorite veggies. Alternatively, if you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, you can use powdered garlic later in the cooking process.
• Add it to rice. Adding garlic to rice dishes, like fried rice, gives it so much flavor. Plus, it pairs well with most proteins and veggies. Our easy, step-by-step guide for making fried rice is a great place to start.
• Mix it into stews or curries. Garlic is often used in curries in parts of Asia and stews in parts of Latin America. Again, it’s all about adding flavor and nutrition. Try this Chickpea and Potato Curry for a flavorful, vegetarian curry with garlic.
• Make a homemade salsa. Salsa is one of the most underrated ways to get more veggies. You can purchase jarred salsa, but why not try making it at home? This Roasted Tomatillo Salsa incorporates plenty of veggies including tomatillos, jalapeños, onion and—you guessed it—garlic!
• Flavor proteins with it. Garlic goes well with almost every type of protein, such as fish, chicken, pork and beef. It also goes great with plant-based proteins like beans and tofu. Try the Garlic-Herb Chicken Cutlets and Garlic-Herb Tuna recipe for inspiration. You can also use a similar seasoning blend with other proteins.
• Add it to pasta. Whether you’re having pasta with a red sauce, creamy sauce or oil, garlic goes great in just about every pasta dish. If you need ideas, try this Lemon-Garlic Pasta with Salmon or this Simple, Delicious Pasta Aglio e Olio (with Garlic and Oil).

The Bottom Line

Garlic is a common vegetable in many cultural cuisines. Not only does it add a whole lot of flavor, but it also adds nutrition. Most studies have found health benefits from concentrated forms of garlic like aged garlic extract or garlic supplements. That being said, adding more garlic to your diet doesn’t typically hurt and may even provide health benefits, like lower blood pressure and cholesterol and better blood sugar control.

The exception is for those with digestive illnesses like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), since garlic may increase gas, bloating and acid reflux. You’ll also want to be careful about taking high doses of garlic if you’re taking medications for diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol or blood clots. since garlic has antihypertensive, antidiabetic and cholesterol-lowering effects. Talk to your doctor first.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I eat garlic every day?

Many cultures around the globe enjoy garlic daily, and the chances of unpleasant effects are low. You may be more likely to reap the health benefits of garlic if you eat it more often, since we tend to eat it in small quantities. However, if you have gut issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), garlic may cause gas and bloating.

Does garlic detox your body?

For the average person, garlic does not detox your body. Your liver and kidneys do so regardless of whether or not you eat garlic.

Does garlic burn belly fat?

Some people claim that garlic’s anti-inflammatory properties “burn belly fat,” but this isn’t true. Eating garlic hasn’t been shown to result in long-term sustained weight loss.

What is the healthiest way to eat garlic?

Eating garlic as close to raw as possible is the healthiest way to eat garlic, since the allicin content will be at its peak. The more garlic is processed and cooked, the lower the allicin content gets.

How to Eat Raw Garlic (and Why You Might Want To)

Ah, garlic. Whether chopped into sauces, rubbed on bread or tossed with veggies, this petite member of the Allium family is so fragrant and full of flavor, it can transform the most painfully bland plate into the star of the dinner table. In fact, it’s so flavorful, you would probably never consider eating it raw. until now. Here’s everything you need to know about how to eat raw garlic, plus a pretty compelling case for why you should. Bon appétit.

Why Would You Eat Raw Garlic?

Even in its cooked form, garlic is pretty potent: After all, it’s a well-known fact that consuming copious amounts of the stuff comes with the risk of pungent breath—but before you balk at the idea of eating raw garlic on the regular, you might want to consider the potential health benefits this habit provides. It turns out that the same organic sulfur compounds (known as allium compounds) that give garlic its signature smell are actually really good for you in many respects. Read on for a rundown of the health-boosting powers that garlic boasts.

• It may lower cholesterol. It’s no secret that high cholesterol is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but you probably didn’t know that there has been some speculation in the scientific community as to whether or not raw garlic intake can play a role in lowering LDL cholesterol levels. Some early research published in Annals of Internal Medicine yielded favorable conclusions—showing significant reductions in cholesterol levels in patients who consumed just half a clove of raw garlic a day—but subsequent studies have contradicted those findings. Bottom line: The jury is still out on this one, but it definitely won’t hurt to work the stuff into your weekly meal plan. (More on that below.)

• It helps with hypertension. More good tidings: According to a 2019 meta-analysis from Australia, raw garlic is decidedly good for your blood pressure—and that is, of course, a boon to overall cardiovascular health as well. The studies overwhelmingly suggest that daily supplementation with garlic extract significantly lowers both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients. In other words, if you put raw garlic in your stomach, it will stay near and dear to your heart.

• It can help fight and alleviate the common cold. Raw garlic has long been touted as a natural cold remedy, and one scientific study from 2014 did have a positive outcome in that it “found that people who took garlic every day for three months (instead of a placebo) had fewer colds.” Still, the research to support this claim is quite thin, so don’t expect a miracle. The more important thing to know about garlic is that it does have immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory benefits in general. In laboratory studies published in the Journal of Nutrition, garlic extract consistently proved itself to be a “promising candidate as an immune modifier, which maintains the homeostasis of immune function.” And that, friends, is good news not just for a single case of the sniffles but for your overall health.

• It’s a nutritional powerhouse. When it comes to the health benefits of garlic, much of the research is still ongoing but there’s one thing we do know for sure: Garlic is packed with important nutrients that the body needs to thrive. Despite its small size, garlic provides a big dose of vitamins B and C, as well as manganese, selenium, iron, copper and potassium.

How to Eat Raw Garlic

Don’t worry—you don’t need to swallow a whole clove of garlic to reap its rewards. Many of the benefits of raw garlic come from an enzyme called allicin that boasts anti-inflammatory, antioxidative and antibacterial properties. “When chopped or crushed, the alliinase enzyme is activated,” Dr. Amy Lee, Head of Nutrition for Nucific, tells us. That’s why she recommends smashing garlic before throwing it into the pan or on your plate. Here are some easy ways to incorporate raw garlic into your day.

1. Mix it into pastas and savory dishes

Chances are this kitchen staple is already an ingredient in almost every savory dish you eat—the only problem is that the healthy compounds in raw garlic break down at temperatures of 140 degrees Fahrenheit, dietitian Laura Jeffers, MEd, RD, LD. told the Cleveland Clinic. To make sure that your body benefits as much as your taste buds, just add this nutrient-rich superstar to your meal at the end of the cooking process (i.e., when your food is still plenty hot, but away from the heat source) and you’ll be good to go. Hint: A microplane or zester are excellent tools when it comes to adding raw garlic in a way that won’t overpower your meal.

2. Add it to a salad

Mince some raw garlic and add it to a salad dressing—you can leave it as is or give the dressing a spin in the food processor for a uniform texture—or sprinkle some thin shavings on top of your plate of greens.

3. Garnish your morning toast

Give your breakfast a flavor boost by garnishing your avocado toast with thin shavings of raw garlic. The rich and creamy flavor of avocado will significantly mellow the more potent garnish.

4. Spice up your guacamole

You’ve already got raw onion in there, so why not take things up a notch with half a clove of minced garlic, too?

The Wrong Way to Eat Raw Garlic

You can’t go too wrong when it comes to raw garlic, because it’s so darn good for you. That said, please do not sink your teeth into a whole head of the stuff because one half to one full clove of raw garlic a day is really all you need and going overboard will bring you nothing but a stomachache (and bad breath, too). The takeaway? Start eating raw garlic stat—just remember that a little goes a long way, in terms of flavor and health benefits alike.