Eating raw garlic may not sound too appealing, but MAN is it effective in kicking germs to the curb. And that’s why so many of us have at least attempted to suffer through eating raw garlic in times of dire discomfort or pain. Maybe you’re wondering:
Why Would You Eat Raw Garlic?
Well, the quick answer is that it’s a potent anti-infection remedy. I share my experience with using garlic for what was more than likely whooping cough here. And M is for Mama wrote an excellent post on using raw garlic successfully for mastitis.
Garlic is also often recommended for:
- colds & flu
- cough
- sore throat
- mastitis
- high blood pressure
- lowers bad cholesterol levels
- killing pinworms/parasites
- regulating blood sugar
- ear infection
- increasing bile flow
- immune stimulation
- anti-microbial (allicin content)
It has been an impressive and loyal little herbal healing companion that’s easy to get my hands on anytime and anywhere. Even on vacation! But what’s the best way to eat it? The interwebs are rife with what I consider bad advice. At worst, it can be dangerous and at best it’s just downright nasty. Let’s look at the wrong ways to eat garlic:
Eating Raw Garlic: The Wrong Way
Chew it up and swallow it: I’ve seen this recommended SO many times, and I can only assume that there are people who really have stainless steel mouths. <flashback to the 007 villian!>Garlic is a HOT little number, and chewing it will coat your mouth in the sulfuric flames from you know where. If you are of the teflon coated variety, then more power to you. But this does *not* work for me. <P-tooey!>
Swallowing a whole clove: This is not so uncommon…it sounds like a more pleasant way of getting all of the good potency of raw garlic without the unpleasant side effects of chewing it. But don’t do it! Last year, at least 2 people that I know personally tried this and one ended in the heimlich maneuver and the other with an ER trip. Why? Because a clove of garlic is roughly the exact circumference of your esophagus.
The BEST Ways to Eat Raw Garlic
Garlic Pills: Simply chop a clove up into small pill sized shapes, and swallow with a drink of your choice. I usually only do half a clove at a time. Since raw garlic can be a little tough on the stomach, I use a smaller amount and work up if needed.
Tip: Choosing a drink with fat in it will help blunt the flavor. A thick smoothie, milkshake, or kefir consistency makes it a lot easier to get pills down. 
Garlic Crush: So, technically, this isn’t eating garlic, but it’s been very, very effective for throat/ear/mouth type infections here. Basically, you place a whole uncut clove between your back molars (it can even be a small clove) and gently press down *just* enough to bruise or crack it a bit. You *don’t* have to chew it at all. The crushing action begins the production of allicin, the potent anti-microbial component of garlic. You do get a slight flavor, but it’s not nearly as bad as chewing a clove, since the juices are basically going down the side of the throat as you swallow, and not coating your tongue. I hold it there for about a minute, and then spit it out. It’s toast. And speaking of toast…this is our favorite way:
Fresh Garlic Toast: Dice your garlic up finely, and add to 2 teaspoons of melted butter or softened butter. Pour over or spread on toast. This idea came directly from my favorite Italian restaurant, who serves their super soft rolls drenched in melted butter with raw garlic. You may be very surprised at how the butter mellows out the flavors of garlic, and it’s SUPER yummy! Even my tender tongued kids love this garlic remedy.
I’d love to hear your raw garlic success story in the comments. What’s YOUR favorite way to use raw garlic?
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I rough chop mine, then just swallow the chunks. You can taste it a bit, but the water washes it away. Even my husband doesn’t mind this method.
I am not sure if the garlic is raw or not, but it sure tastes like it. I eat 2 garlic stuffed olives a day, lol. I love them and they make me feel like I am getting the benefits. Hopefully, I am. I guess, technically, they would be pickled, but the crunch like raw. 🙂 Yummmm-nmeeeeeeeeeee
My sister (who got the trick from her mother-in-law) boils garlic in water for just 1 minute and then cools and eats. It takes the bite out of it but keeps all the active ingredients intact. Also, my husband used to work with many Hispanic women who would swallow the clove whole, but their rule was to only use those tiny skinny cloves. Or slice a large one into 2-3 skinny smaller ones. We’ve had good results with both these methods. Usually I just make chicken soup and toss crushed garlic in right before serving.
Oooohhh…the soup! That sounds SO good! Awesome suggestion!
I had success last winter with drinking what I called “garlic tea”. I was fighting the beginings of a sinus infection and really didn’t want to go through the hassel of having an antibiotic. Sooooo I knew garlic had a lot of good properties and decided to give it a try first. I placed one beef boulion cube in a coffee cup of hot water and added one clove of crushed garlic. While it was too hot to drink at first I just breathed in the steam. As it cooled I sipped the tea and ate the garlic (which was cooked by this time and not too strong) With in an hour or two the pain in my face left. I continued drinking this about every four hours during the day for three days. The “sinus infection” cleared up and I wasn’t even sick the rest of the winter…anytime something threatened I drank the “garlic tea”.
That sounds SO yummy and comforting! Great idea!
Relate to garlic tea, although i prefer to consume it in its raw form without using any kind of heat, as this destroys some of the enzymes in garlic, i slice garlic put in a tumbler glass,cover with cleanfilm for about an hour to allow the health properties to form up, then i add 100ml of apple cider vinegar cover and leave for 15 minutes so the ACV absorbs the nutrients of the garlic, uncover add 1 tsp of honey and fill up with 100% apple juice, when i go to drink it i spoon out the raw garlic and eat it first(at this point the fire is in the juice). Then i sip the tonic, this i do twice a day, very healthy.. trying to drop a few kilo’s and maintain a healthy immune system.
My husband does what you do – cut it up into chunks and swallow. for the kids and I – I crush a clove, put it on a spoon,(for the kids, drizzle a bit of raw honey on it) and then generously sprinkle cinnamon on top, grab a glass of water and guzzle it all down.
Really smart approach for the kids! Similar to my cough syrup. 🙂
Good idea, I heard that cinnamon of the Ceylon kind is good for fighting bacteria as well as garlic.
We mince up several cloves and stir into a small jar of raw honey.
The kids will swallow a tiny spoonful of this for me, and some even ASK for it!
Love this for immune boosting when its the season for sicknesses going around.
Thanks Gwen!
do you use raw honey?
I do! 🙂 For babies under a year old, I use maple syrup in recipes calling for honey.
NEVER use raw honey for babies! i know somebody whose child contracted botulism and it attacks the central nervous system. the first symptom was that he was crawling weakly and then collapsed. Infants cannot deal with botulism spores. he was lucky – after a LOT of physical therapy and antiobiotic therapy he can crawl again but it could have resulted in lasting paralysis.
Agreed…honey only for babies over a year. Prior to that, I use maple syrup as a safe alternative. 🙂
I chop one to three cloves of garlic and through it in an avocado bowl with a little bit of olive oil and salt! Really takes the nasty taste away and seems like the avocado helps with the stomach discomfort! 🙂
Awesome! Garlic is Good for EVERYTHING practically! I’ve scheduled sharing this tomorrow on facebook.com/littlequiverblog THANKS♥
Thanks so much, Patty-Jean! Garlic is a pretty impressive little powerhouse of flavor and health. 🙂 It’s one that I try to keep on hand at all times!
Is it better to take in the morning or evening with food or empty stomach?
You can enjoy garlic anytime! If you’re sensitive to it, try it with a meal instead of on an empty stomach.
I heard eating with other food enhibits getting all of the garlic benefits due to the fact your stomach is breaking down the other food.
I have found it better to take it on an empty stomach. Stomach acids do not have anything else to digest and will attack the raw garlic before it causes any stomach upset. I also find it helpful to take the raw garlic with diluted lemon juice (also acidic) instead of just plain water. Be sure to brush your teeth very soon after drinking lemon juice though, as the lemon can erode tooth enamel.
While lemon juice does soften the enamel, this is only temporarily, and the brushing soon after consumption would be the action that would cause any erosion. The teeth soften and harden in response to hormones and the foods we eat on a daily basis. When consuming lemon juice, the acidity will temporarily soften the enamel, and if you brush right away you will damage the enamel with the bristles. Best to wait at least 30 minuets after acidic food (really consuming anything because most of the foods and drinks we take are at least slightly acidic), and then brushing very lightly is always better for the teeth. If you want to speed up the hardening of the enamel after an acidic food, you can Swish with an alkaline solution, calcium carbonate water being a good choice. Hydroxy apatite water being possibly the best.
This is a great idea! I’m going to try it soon! I follow all of your THM posts and this looks like another great health regimen to add to the mix!
Thanks,
Aubree
Great ideas, I will be tweeting this today, and remember this when I am next brewing on a cold. 🙂
Thanks, Bea! 🙂 Love the name of your blog. I’m raising a Viking. 😉
What I’ve recently learned is that the Allicin is fully released after crushing or chopping, waiting 15min up to one hour.
Yes! The allicin is the pungent sulfur smell, so as long as you have the smell, you have allicin. It continues to produce for several hours.
Empty capsules, people! Smash up a clove in a ziploc bag, then quickly use a toothpick to fill and close an empty capsule. Chase quickly with milk or smoothie before the garlic eats the capsule. This is the only way I’ll ever mess with it again!
This seems like the most sensible way to do it; besides adding it to food
I grater on small clove of garlic and swallow with orange juice or water.
I mince fresh garlic and ads it to salads. Gives it a kick.
Ooh…sounds yummy! I bet a little horseradish would get the sinuses kicking in too! 🙂
So would wasabi
I like to take the peeled clove and rub in on toast. You can top it off with butter or eat it as it is.
Oh…me too! Garlic toast is SO yum. 🙂
I know this is old, but I must be a steel mouth person because I enjoy just eating raw garlic, tho it gives me hiccups sometimes lol. I’m a spice fiend, and raw garlic gives a nice different spice than peppers do.
I chop it fine and mix with some peanut butter.
Now that’s a flavor combo I wouldn’t have thought of. 🙂 Ha!
Garlic bread of course! The littles will eat that before they even start the rest of their dinner.
I like to ferment it too. It mellows the bite a bit. Easier to eat straight up.
Love this post! i recently discovered the “chop garlic cloves into pill-sized pieces” method, and it is EVER so much better than chewing those mind-blindingly HOT garlic cloves. I also chase the garlic “pills” down with a spoonful of local raw honey. Perfection! I usually take 3 cloves (pill-sized pieces) three times a day when starting to feel under the weather. Doing this for only 24 hours cured one very pregnant lady’s UTI! I’m definitely a believer! Oh and make sure to let the garlic “pills” set for 15 minutes for maximum health benefits before swallowing with your liquid of choice.
I’m the chew on a clove type of gal. I seriously love the taste of garlic (I even put it in my mac n cheese and just about everything else, yes really) if I feel something coming on I grab a clove and chew it up, and pray I don’t need to run errands and be out in public, lol. Since I was a kid I have loved garlic, which is rather amusing since I am deathly allergic to all onions and I believe garlic and onions are related right?
They ARE related, and both have a decent amount of sulphur in them. Funny that you love one and can’t have the other. 🙂
I love garlic too! Although I usually just swallow in pill form unless my nose is running then I’ll eat it
Im allergic to onions as well but havent had any issue with garlic….weird
I usually use a garlic press to crush 2 cloves of garlic in guacamole with 2 avocados, lime juice and salt to taste. It’s my favorite snack and way to eat a lot of garlic when I feel something coming on.
LOVELY idea, Jenn! Thanks for that suggestion!
Garlic grilled cheese, hands down every time, the cheese allows you to eat a whole bunch without burning your mouth. Thickly slice the cloves, layer thickly over bread (and i mean at least five cloves) top with cheese, grill and eat. Delicious and SO good for you, i sweat i can feel my immune system ramp up immediately.
This almost makes me want to get sick just to try it! 🙂
You don’t have to be sick to eat garlic. God created garlic for us to eat regularly to keep us healthy. We don’t want to overdue it but in moderation, it’s great.
I finely mince raw garlic and mix with a bit of raw honey and maybe some cinnamon. My kids love it that way, and then it is easier to take multiple doses throughout the day and not hurt the stomach.
Yes! I do similar with my cough syrup recipe!
I smash a clove and leave it for a few minutes (I read that this releases more allicin or something), then chop it as finely as I can and scoop the tiny pieces up, swallowing them with a big glass of warm water. I do this in the morning to get the benefits of warm water and the garlic on an empty stomach. I do it before breakfast, usually 10-20 minutes prior. I figure the smaller the pieces the more benefit, kind of like chewing but without chewing?
Allicin is created by enzyme reaction, but it’s the sulfury smell- so you’re getting a good dose either way. 🙂
This is something that I only do when getting sick. I love garlic, but I like tea in the morning. 🙂
I tried swallowing the whole clove before, unfortunately it came out looking look it did when i swallowed it….ewwwwww lol, I know, TMI but lesson learned!!
Hahaha! Oops!
I love eating thin slices of raw garlic with sliced sharp cheddar cheese – yum!
Oh…now that sounds REALLY good!
I heard it is very important to crush the garlic, then wait at least 15 minutes for the allicin to activate before consuming. I then down it on a spoon and follow with lemon water or some other flavored beverage to drown out the taste. If done right, there is very little garlic taste. Quick and easy except for the 15 minute wait time.
Thanks for your input, Janet. 🙂 I’ve never waited that long, and have had great results. I think because it’s being swallowed, you don’t have as much of a taste factor.
This is an older post so I’m not sure anyone will care but it’s not just suggestion to chop and wait. It’s proven in studies the more you chop the garlic the more of the allicin is released and waiting a minimum of 15 minutes to get the maximum effects before it hits the acidity of your stomach. Swallowing it whole leaves all the good stuff inside the garlic which will usually just pass through you whole. It’s the release of allicin that begins a rapid fermentation process that gives guy the most health benefits. Heating it takes it away which is why it’s suggested to add it at the end of cooking before serving.
I drink a morning concoction of
Ginger tea (boiled ginger simmered in water for 20 or so minutes strained)
Turmeric
Black pepper
Coconut oil
Dash of roasted ginger powder
Cayenne
Honey
I like it in my 16 oz travel mug because it keeps it warmer longer… it’s given me energy. I was getting 2-4 migraines a month living on prescription and otc meds and getting sick almost every other month. Now it’s been 5 months without a single kind of medication. Well, one allergy pill from being around dogs… cats at rage groomers that I had a reaction too.
Great post glad I stumbled accrossed it. Love the idea for the kids. Mine a cry baby teens that will eat any manor if weird chip but freak out at my concoctions. Except the night one.
Hello Kitty,
For sure your comment does matter! My morning routine is very similar to yours. After cutting garlic and waiting 15 minutes, I swallow it in small amounts with warm water, which I drink daily.Garlic’s REAL benefit emerges when chopped, cut or smashed in order to release the allicin. I cook with garlic the same way, adding it at the end. I love your tea mixture, soooo many great anti-inflammatories in your cup! Turmeric and black pepper are wonderful healers. It was great hearing about the way you use garlic. It has given me enormous health benefits. Thanks Kitty!
Hi Kitty,
I’d love to see a link to the study. I’ve heard this, but have never seen a study. I also don’t believe that whole garlic passes through undigested.
One possibly related observation:
Low Allicin Release from Garlic Supplements: a Major Problem Due to the Sensitivities of Alliinase Activity
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf001287m?journalCode=jafcau
The low allicin release was found to be due to both impaired alliinase activity, mostly caused by tablet excipients, and to slow tablet disintegration, which also impairs alliinase activity. Only when tablets had high alliinase activity and disintegrated rapidly did they show high allicin release. The ability of USP 724A to estimate allicin release in vivo was validated by monitoring breath levels of the allicin metabolite, allyl methyl sulfide.
see also:
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/food-beverages/garlic
Numerous preclinical studies reported that organosulfur compounds from garlic could exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, and cardioprotective activities in various experimental settings. (More information)
Thank you Kitty! Your suggested way to consume garlic as well as the rest of your regimen is a gift to me. I will begin using it ASAP. Best wishes.
I’ve always done 5 minutes but glad to know I should wait longer. I start my morning with warm water, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, and fresh squeezed lemon. Afterwards I eat my raw garlic and raw ginger. I love staying healthy
I chop it really finely, then throw it on my scrambled eggs. Add a little mozzarella, some basil, and a chopped cherry tomato or two, and you have a delicious breakfast! If you’re really sensitive, you could pile it all on a piece of toast.
That sounds DELICIOUS, Meredith!
I am DELIGHTED to hear about raw garlic’s benefits!! I LOVE garlic! Actually for lunch earlier I pressed a clove on my sandwich. I LOVE pressed garlic on little pizzas I make with whole wheat pita, sauce, thawed and drained chopped spinach or fresh, and cheese (you see I have no allergies or sensitivities, but alter for your needs). It’s quick to make and I get to enjoy the garlic taste for a while! Thank you for your article!!
That’s a great idea, Dori! I forget about my press, but it does make it more spreadable. 🙂
I LOVE to toast rye bread on high and I take the clove and rub it all over the toast on both sides getting as much of the garlic on the toast as possible. I then out butter and salt just on one side on the toast. It’s deeeelish!!!
You’re making my mouth water!!!
I chop the garlic, put it on a piece of bread, drizzle some olive oil on top to stop the harsh flavour. Works a treat. Have stopped colds in their tracks with this method.
Thanks for the tip. I have actually been swallowing 4-5 cloves daily. Now I know its dangerous, I will cut em up.
I have had Cancer and heard this might help. Is it ok to drink tea with your garlic toast or garlic pills? I can’t seem to function in the morning without a good cuppa. I have tried just biting down on a clove and holding it there, but am unsure as to whether I swallow the juices or spit the whole thing out after a couple of minutes? Any advice would be helpful thank you
Interesting but luckily i am one with a tough mouth so i chew mine up as after living in Vietnam for 15 months and eating hot chilli with nearly everything my mouth is used to heat.
I am curious about your advice to take with a fluid as i have been advised that garlic should be taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach without any food or drink to be the most effective ?
I take with fluid for two reasons, one being that the garlic is super potent and can cause stomach upset. And the other is that the acid of the stomach can interrupt the enzyme process that makes the potent allicin compound. 🙂
Raw Garlic I add to everything: using a microplane grater, i grate it on top of salads, grate over toasted & buttered bread, grate over soup, grate over pasta and my favorite is to grate it with some italian herbs into olive oil to dip veggies and crusty breads into !
We have blended in up in V8 to drink.. as well as doing the biting on it and letting the juice drain down the throat. Since I usually don’t stock V8, we only really do it those times things are dragging out and we get to the store.. or when we have to pick up garlic because we are low anyway. Another favorite is garlic soup.. not raw.. but only lightly cooked, and it seems to work!
Hi Gwen. According to this research “http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1173136/”, in 2005, chewing raw garlic is the right thing to do., instead of swallowing it.
I’ve been doing this for a few months now (eating with food like rice and bread), and it really helps my blood pressure.
Cheers!
Exactly. Ive been chewing it with my meals at dinner for a year or so now…nothing like an alfredo or piece of meat chewed with fresh garlic. I eat one clove and bite and chew small pieces as I eat. Eat it in its rawest form.
The article does state: Ingestion of garlic by chewing (or crushed garlic)
The point is that the garlic clove needs to be crushed to release the allicin ( allowing 15 minutes before swallowing to release all of the allicin. That can be achieved by chewing or crushing before swallowing. But swallowing whole with out crushing has little benefit. Of course chewing is crushing but it also can literally burn the gums and mouth for sensitive people like myself who loves garlic but can’t eat it raw.
I had an tooth ache that was brought on by a sinus infection, I read that one should place a crushed garlic clove on the tooth and and leave it for twenty minutes, I couldn’t leave it for more than a minute with out burning my gums but like an idiot I left it for 20 minutes as it burned it’s way into my mouth. The tooth ache diminished but the intense burning sensation did not for two to three days. I then had to deal with the burn.
I should have trusted my past experience and just swallowed the crushed clove with a full glass or water.
Hello Jamie,
A toothache is indescribable! Totally understand what you experienced. I used garlic on my tooth and it worked, BUT when the burning started, I didn’t know which was worst – the toothache or garlic inferno! Believe it or not, I had already crush a garlic clove that that morning and taken it with warm water. My suffering was in vain!
We use a garlic press to mince it onto a cracker. Let it sit about 5-10 minutes to get the potency from it…then we eat it up. Yummy
I chop up 3 gloves of Garlic on a plate with a steak knife as small as i can get it mixed with 2 table spoons of Extra Virgin Olive oil.With a table spoon i swallow it down with small sips of orange juice. Started this 18 months ago every day. orange juice i found takes the stench from the garlic .you just taste the orange juice.Before this i,ve taken Garlic vitims for 17 yrs. Feeling great al the time .I,m not a lover of either one of it.Mentioned it to my Family doc. he said both of it his very good ,i don,t have any side effects and i will continue because i feel great. don
I use chopped up garlic in honey and take a bit every day. The taste is great and I know the garlic goes well for my insides..
I chop/crush a clove and pour a little honey over it, then eat it.
That works!!!
I put them in a spoonful of raw honey. Not only does it make the taste bearable but the honey also helps your throat.
Thanks for sharing! I absolutely love garlic but have low blood pressure. Every time I eat garlic I immediately feel stuffed and tired. Any ideas as to why? I won’t stop eating it, just curious if this means I have an intolerance to it, or it’s just extra strong on my digestive track.
Hmmm…my guess would be that it’s triggering an immune reaction if you’re feeling full and tired. Maybe inflammation? I’d seek out a holistic practitioner to see if you can find the root of the low blood pressure. I’ve always had that too, and have found by working with a functional medicine doctor that I had a latent, chronic infection that was taxing my adrenals, and was possibly the cause of my low blood pressure and other health issues for all these years.
I toast the bread and then inmediatedly RUB the clove of garlic on the bread until it is absorbeb. then I pour some olive virgin oil on it while it is still hot. The oil mixes with the garlic flavour and it is beautiful.
Mmmm…sounds beautiful!
hi gwen,
any suggestions for someone who can’t eat it raw. I have GERD
Hi Dave,
Try using it as a garlic compress, like this.
I have my raw garlic first thing in the morning…a cocktail of sorts. First crush three cloves in a cup, add 8 oz. V8 of choice, I use Spicy Hot. Next add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper, 1/4 tsp coriander seed powder and sometimes a good dash of cayenne. Top it all off with 2 Tbs evoo, stir and enjoy! Have been using daily for about five years, and I am never sick!!!
Whoo-doggy, that sounds like potent stuff! 🙂
Hi: I’ am Enrico I have been swallowing row garlic in the morning before breakfast, but I have been told that I still have bad breath, question: how to get rid of bad breath? thank you.
Hi Enrico,
You can eat parsley, and that will erase garlic breath. 🙂 I think they even make a gum or supplement for this use out of parsley!
Oh my gosh thanks for this advice, I plan to go get some parsley now.
I chop it up and put it on a cracker with honey seems to work
I down a clove at breakfast. I peel and slice it if it’s big.
Thanks for your post! I use a garlic press (with skin still on!) and press it into my green (or black) tea w/ turmeric, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and lemon! Keeps me healthy and gives me a boost of energy!
I’m new to your site, which, btw I’m enjoying… I’m not new to “taking” raw garlic. My husband and I have been taking it for approx 2 years now and we believe it’s the main factor in why I no longer have high blood pressure and my husband no longer has high cholesterol . The way we take it once a day… Chop 2 (1 for each of us) cloves of garlic into small pieces and let it oxidize (sit on the cutting board) for 6 to 10 minutes. This allows a good amount of time for the allicin to be released in the garlic (the allicin is where all the health benefits come from). We then put it on a spoon and swallow down with almond milk.
Glad your letting folks know of the benefits of eating raw garlic. I’m also just starting THM and your site is helping me a lot….thanks
Wow that is interesting. But question, do you all carry a garlic offensive smell? Just curious because I went to work the after taking the garlic and nearly ran everyone away.
I think some people’s body chemistry is more reactive with garlic. 🙂 My son is like this.
I find, for me, it works the BEST when I drizzle some olive oil on it. Whether I cut it into small pieces or grate it with a cheese grater, the olive oil works every time. Of course a drink is necessary always haha!
Hi Gwen. According to Dr. Michael Greger on his website, NutritionFacts.org, garlic is the number cancer fighter among vegetables. It actually kills cancer cells without harming the good cells. But here’s the kicker – it has to be RAW. The more you cook it the less potency it has. So….yesterday I took a raw clove and chewed it up. It was like I had a fire in my mouth. So today I went on line to see what answers I could find. One website said to just “man up” and do it. Well that was yesterday. Not too good. But today I did just what you suggested. I checked one up and drank it down (with some apple cider) without chewing it. Wow! Pretty darn good. Like one of your subscribers suggested, I could even have drank it down with water. Another great suggestion. Either way, thank you for this chopping it into small pieces and drinking it down method. Problem solved.
After dinner I first crush a whole bulb of fresh (organic) garlic, separate the crushed garlic into 6 to 8 mountains and swallow mountain by mountain with water, I put the mountain at the back of my mouth then swallow it.
I want your opinion about this. Am I doing it right? Has most of the allicin been destroyed by the time I swallow the crushed garlic? I take 10 minutes to half an hour to swallow the whole bulb of fresh garlic. I have been doing this everyday for the last 6 weeks.
Garlic is not *only* useful for its allicin content. As long as you are enjoying the process and seeing benefits from it, then it works for you. 🙂 I don’t take garlic daily, but use it if I feel myself feeling sick. I *do* cook with it almost daily, and I never worry about allicin content for that. It’s just a happy coincidence that food that I enjoy has beneficial properties. At least that’s my approach to natural health. To enjoy the process and to treat only what is presented itself as a problem.
This is brilliant and helpful information, and I needed it. Thank you all for the terrific advice!
I blend 20 clotes of garlic with 2 pieces of egg, then drink it up. Now my stomach is hurt… am I doing it wrong?
Um…yeah.
Lol
I guess I do have a stainless steel mouth because I tend to chew a whole clove just before I start eating 😀 it`s painful but it makes me believe it`s doing good for me!
And thanks for the garlic bread tip!
🙂 I avoid pain and go for the yum factor with remedies…it may have something to do with having to convince small children to try things…or I might just be a sissy!
Cut a clove and rubbed it on the bottom of your feet put on a pair of socks before you go to bed. You’ll still smell like garlic but it won’t upset your stomach. It works I’ve used it.
Every morning for the last 6 years before breakfast I warm up a cup of water, add a pinch of cayenne pepper, one fresh lime squeezed, last night I just started adding 1/4 TSP Turmeric powder, two weeks ago I started adding one big clove of garlic chopped in tiny pieces, drink it up all at once. My daughter got the flu over a week ago, I didnt catch it. I used to have bronchitis, not anymore. My son pointed out last night that I have not got sick for the last few years…. he is right!
Umm…I put it in my mouth, chew, then swallow. I didn’t know that anyone else had a problem doing so.
You’re a tougher woman than I am! 🙂 I don’t like things that hot. The problem with ingesting garlic cloves is when they are *not* chewed…the bullet shape can get lodged on the esophagus. It’s not as rare as you’d think for people to try swallowing them like pills. 🙂
I crush two cloves, wait five minutes for the allicin to develop, then place in a blender along with a 1/2″ piece of fresh ginger, also crushed. Add 12 oz. of water and buzz for a minute or so. A tablespoon of olive oil added at the end helps the drink go down. I drink this twice per day. Of course, the toast method sounds more yummy!
Low temp roasting garlic 180 degrees for 4 hours keeps all the raw garlic goodness…plus it is easier to eat! Delicious!
It sounds delightful! It probably preserves most of the nutrition of the garlic, but the allicin (antimicrobial property) would be lost in that length of time and temp.
I simply mince my garlic in tiny pieces and just swallow, chasing it with a drink of lemon & honey water. This has healed my strep throats and other issues. Is mincing wrong?
No ,but best to save it for the Rainbow coalition march.
Dear Gwen: I read about some studies that were being done with aged garlic a few years back. It was aged considerably, several years if I remember right and then given to the Japanese who had been caught in the atom bomb radiation and survived. It had incredible results in recuperation from the aftereffects of radiation poisoning.
It is also noted that the longer the garlic sits after either being crushed or diced, the stronger the ‘good’ parts become. I think with the molar approach you mentioned, cracking the garlic with your teeth and then waiting up to 5 minutes might be better, because the nutrients intensify over a 20 to 30 minute period.
And I also chop up my fresh garlic and try to let it set the designated 20 to 30 minutes before adding it to my sauces.
Just a heads up.
Please let me know if I’ve missed it somewhere.
Hi Suzanne,
Which substances? Garlic’s potent compound allicin that I use for infections is created by an enzymatic process as soon as a clove is crushed or cut. But garlic contains many other components, and even the allicin degrades into another sulfur based compound within a fairly short time span. So it depends on what you’re going for. 🙂 Aged garlic is probably looking at a different compound than what I’m doing, and is probably healthful in a different way.
I separate the cloves, remove the skins, and sprout my garlic in water for about 5 days, changing the water regularly. Then I chew the whole sprout raw. As a sprout, garlic has even more antioxidants as well as available nutrients and vitamin, than when they have as dormant cloves.
I cut up the raw garlic and then eat the pieces with something else – it provides great flavor this way, and is not overpowering.
My favorite is with steak – I eat a slice of raw garlic with each piece of streak. I also use it with cooked vegetables, like asparagus – I eat a slice of raw garlic with a piece or 2 of asparagus.
I’ve read that the garlic should be crushed or chopped in to small bits then let sit for 15 minutes to allow the garlic to oxidize which is supposed to make it more effective. I chop a clove up into little pieces and mix it into half an avocado with a little salt and pepper, then smear it on a piece of whole grain toast or a rice cake 🙂 It’s actually one of my favorite snacks!
Do NOT swallow raw garlic. It is poisonous in the digestive tract. Chew only, and spit out. Be disciplined to minimize any being swallowed. This based on biochemical research done in Thailand, a major garlic farming country. If you want evidence I might still have the published research.
I’d love to see your research…I’ve never heard that raw garlic is poisonous to the digestive tract. I’d be very surprised if that were true, and if the garlic is poisonous, wouldn’t the juice be as well? 🙂
Don’t listen to that non-sense. It’s extremist views of garlic that do not even hold a drop of water in weight when it comes to scientific and anecdotal evidence. Example: Would we eat an entire ghost pepper or jalapeno at once? Of course not! It has to be used as a flavoring or spice to meals. It’s incorporated into meals. Same with garlic.
Due to my reaches I’m also more interested in this lesson,HV started taking garlic&ginger last week at the same time early before eating anything but I HV a question does this work or I must take one at a time&I’m still struggling how the best way to take garlic bcz my way of grinding it in my mouth&swallow is leaving me for a quite number of minutes sore on my tongue help me please which way or shall I continue maybe as I get used the pain will evacuate
Chop 3-4 cloves of garlic down, mix with Mediterranean plain yogurt. And just eat that before bed. ( I have no trouble with my tummy if I eat that way.)
Mix it with coconut oil and a mashed banana. I think its the oil that does it. Should work with any oil.
Well, I take small bites of a clove of raw garlic, then chew it and swallow it, then quickly take a bite of some non-spicy food. As long as the clove doesn’t stay in your mouth and touch your tongue for too long, it shouldn’t be too spicy. Really, there is no right or wrong way to eat garlic.
This is wrong. To get Allicin you need to CRUSH the garlic then swallow it (chewed is ok)
Cutting then swallowing wont work. The Allicin is not products in the stomach due to acid
Hi John,
Cutting, crushing, and chewing all start the enzymatic process that releases allicin. You can tell by the tell-tale sulfuric garlicky smell that heralds the start of the process. 🙂
You are only partially correct, insofar that cutting and slicing may not be as effective as crushing or pressing to start the enzymatic process, but it is still effective. Even just strongly squeezing a clove in your hand or between fingers will get the process started.
I crush one clove of garlic and swallow it with two tsp of apple cider vinegar mix with a glass of water every morning.
Thanks so much. I wanted to find a thread like this and succeeded thanks to you Gwen. This is what I am going to do because I really need the full benefits of Allicin to fight my candida overgrowth. Every morning, I will chop one clove of raw garlic (like you said, this starts the process of creating Allicin), then swallow the chopped garlic, with a decent sized glass of water so as to prevent the stomach acids from affecting the Allicin process.
You can also slice the clover and put the slices on top of an omelet.
I usually peeled the first layer and then chew
Hi,i grate garlic finely,add greek yogurt and honey!
I hate anything that has the smell of garlic in it, but somehow I found myself in a situation whereby I MUST take garlic for atleast 2weeks. Swallowing was too difficult cause nothing goes into my mouth without being properly masticated. Then I discovered grating the garlic and adding honey to it would be the best, so I did. Infact today is my 3rd day doing it. I think it’s working fine for me.
I grate a clove,leave for 12 min’s. Then use spoon to put in mouth then swallowed with water.
My husband and I have been guilty of chewing up a whole clove and swallowing it! But our favorite ways are: roughly chop and place in the middle of an avocado half, sprinkle with olive oil, salt, pepper and yum! Or just chop and place on a slice of parm cheese with olive oil on top. We LOVE the taste of raw garlic!
Oh YUM! I love it too paired with a good oil, cheese, or avocado. 🙂
I wnt 2 say a big tanks 2 dis eye opener site dat has let us into d importance of garlic I never knew its use until I saw these write up about garlic…all tanks 2 God almighty 4 allowin garlic 2 stay av tried it nd is wrkin 4 me..
My preferred method is to mince/crush garlic, pour some raw honey over it, stir to coat thoroughly, then just take by spoon and swallow. Barely any garlic taste (assuming you don’t chew, and just swallow like medicine.)
I don’t know if someome mentioned it already, but try gazpacho!, pretty common here in Spain. 6-8 pear tomatoes (better summer tomatoes, greenhouse/out of season ones lack flavor), half to 1 cucumber without skin, half to 1 green pepper, a big piece of bread of your choice, one glass of cool water, half glass of olive oil, half glass apple vinegar or lemon juice, 2 big garlic cloves or 3 small ones, a teaspoon of marine salt. Blend thoroughly and filter, drink and enjoy this old Spanish recipe! (you can use the resulting fiber to spread on bread later)
just ate a clove of raw garlic and washed down with water. 45 minutes later. I have a mess to clean. should read this site prior to being stupid.
I actually take the garlic every morning with hall a glass of water. I choose the little ones or chop in half as you do. I can tell you I haven’t had a cold, flu, or anything actually since became my daily routine. I also drink eggplant, aubergine water with ginger everyday and I am out of diabete pills. Never felt better.
I came across this article because i have been obsessed with eating raw garlic lately!! Ive been putting it in everything and my current obsession is slicing it finely and putting it on pumpkin seed bread that has been toasted and a few drops of good olive oil then covering the bread in slices of garlic and then tomato slices salt and pepper… i cant get enough!! and i was just researching to see if there was something wrong with me… Lol… doesn’t look like it lol
Ok Gwen, you have made a great effort with this garlic thingy, the topic – how you are doing it wrong.
You have given great advice.
But let me tell you a teenie weenie secret. Raw garlic if swallowed as it is without chewing, comes out at it is.
Whether anyone likes it or not, the deary little mouth with teeth inside need to do their job-chew!
Yes, Gwen humans cannot digest raw garlic without it being chewed.
Whole in, while out. Lol 🙂
Don’t take my word for it, check it out for yourself 🙂
Farah
🙂 I’ll pass on testing that out after knowing 2 people who swallowed whole cloves and ended up having to have Heimlich or hospital removal. I don’t recommend swallowing it whole (as you can read above in the post).
My personal preference is not to chew it either. It burns my mouth. So I prefer the method I outline above. 🙂 It’s just as effective as chewing IMO.
I just chewed (before swallowing) a whole clove. I even made sure that the garlic is properly chewed. Man, what a sensation. Thanks to this post, I now have a better idea on consuming raw garlic.
I’ve found no problem chewing raw garlic. I chop clove into small pieces then throw them into mouth with pieces of sausage (like non-spicy salami or bockwurst).
Bacon or parmesan works too.
I have had a sore throat and blocked sinuses for about a week now. I just made some lemon and honey tea, and some of your recommended garlic toast! It’s still got a bit of kick, but I can feel my face glowing and my head clearing. I’ll try not to breath on anyone for the rest of the day though ! haha
Glad it’s working! 🙂
I watched some show about Korean food and saw that most places served sliced garlic cloves that had been marinating in kimchi base sauce. They would eat the marinated pieces along with bites of food. So I decided to try it and it was absolutely amazing!! It complimented food so well. I purchased a kimchi base in a bottle & it works beautifully. Just thought I’d pass the info along, just another way to enjoy some healthiness along with deliciousness 🙂
Sounds amazing, Mandy!
Thanks for the idea. 🙂 I love international foods. My favorite middle eastern restaurant has all of these incredible marinated vegetable garnishes.
I would kill to eat that garlic grilled cheese thing! Lol. I’m on a very low carb diet so I just mince up a couple cloves, put into a large spoon, and swallow with sugar free maple syrup. It really helps to have a “coating” over it. I used to use honey….
I chop mine into small pieces and swallow it with water
I chop it up & mix it with the yolk on my eggs over easy.
Wow, a whole article on this? Just use a garlic press and spread the crushed garlic on bread. So easy.
Well i just ate raw garlic. I must say raw garlic is one of worse food ever enter into my mouth, the oil the taste made me wanted to (*sorry) throw up and i had to a big glass of water to washed it down. Makes no mistake i understood the benefits for your body, and i am so glad to see many tips on how to eat raw garlic in “correct” way 🙂
🙂 I’m not a fan of just chewing it raw either…way too hot for my taste! 🙂
Here’s my way of eating raw garlic doner extremely easily and painlessly! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceBbQcdhvVk
Wrap it in foil, put a little olive oil and salt, bake it until soft 🙂
It seems like research points to eating chopped garlic being better for your heart. Just read the abstract here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1173136/
Great study find!
These are all excellent ways to consume garlic fresh from the clove. That being said, if you’re in a pinch, and all you have is minced garlic in a jar, I’ve found a way to make it useable much like fresh garlic. Since the jarred stuff is so wet, you need to dry it out a bit. I’ve taken to putting a couple teaspoons into a bowl and put it on the stove when the oven is on. When you’ve got it dried out enough without making it too dry it’s a lot like fresh, chopped garlic is. You can sprinkle it on your homemade pizza as a topping, or put it on toast with gouts of butter. A swarthy cold has been knocking me around this week until I remembered how powerful garlic is. It’s been garlic toast, garlic pizza, garlic guacamole, and I’m feeling better and better.
Thanks for the tip on cutting them into pill size. It’s not as delicious, but looks like a good way to get a lot of garlic in me quick. Thanks!
Hi Jeff, jarred garlic won’t have the active ingredient allicin in it, as it’s more time and heat sensitive. But it probably still has some health benefits! 🙂
I get two medium organic cloves and chew them at the same time, it feels very refreshing once you get used to it.
My husband loves hot food and made us try raw garlic at least once. So our whole family chews raw garlic when we are sick. It seriously works. My youngest and had an ear infection this summer and we got over it with raw garlic and an allergy pill for like 3 days… I swear by garlic. It’s amazing!
Sooo, I just came across your blog because I discovered how not to do it. After reading so many great articles on the benefits – I decided to check it out and popped a, what now I deem as a massive, clove into my mouth with a bit of a chew and swallow. Not great, but manageable. Within 30 seconds I got that old familiar feeling and my salavar glands were sweating like an aristocrat in the Texas summer. I dashed immediately to the loo and made it… just in the nick of time.
With a mouthful of salad ingredients add a bite of a garlic clove and with careful tongue manipulation everything can be chewed thoroughly. Just make sure there is enough juice of tomato and cucumber in the mix and burning the mouth can be avoided. Yogurt is also effective.
To get the best benefits from garlic you should chop it up and let it sit for 15 minutes. Allicin is derived when chopped up. The finer the chopping the more allicin is generated and the stronger the medicinal affect. Happy garlicking everyone ! :-]
instead of eating it plain I’ll add 2/3 minced cloves of garlic to soup and that also flavors it!
Garlic is a wonderful flavoring, but sadly, the heat interferes with the creation of allicin (potent anti-microbial property). It’s still healthy, but not as potent as a remedy. 🙂
Your garlic toast sounds delightful but what about the GLYPHOSATE?? Our method is to crush a clove of garlic with a garlic press and cut into a spoon. We swallow this spoonful of garlic and chase with a glass of water. IMPORTANT: To avoid “fire in the tummy” we make sure we eat food before and after the garlic. Hubby & I both take it with supper and we don’t smell each other. Also, we don’t smell like garlic when we wake up in the morning so we’re ready to go out in public! Love it!
Glyphosate is a pesticide, so I’m not following how that ties in? I have read that garlic and other allium family plants are so strong smelling that there is not much need for farmers to use pesticides on them. If you’re concerned, just buy organic. 🙂
For some reason I felt the urge to eat half a bulb of garlic daily this past month. I always have sinus problems, runny eyes, a runny nose, skin itching around the nose.
But now it’s all gone 0_0. I also have no gum pain anymore.
And my hyperpigmentation seems less bad.
And whats weirder: i would sweat alot and smell before. But since ive started eating garlic my sweat doesnt smell and when i fast an entire day my breath doesnt smell.
It also gives me a better kick than coffee..
garlic, i love thee
I take one clove garlic with Apple cider vaniger every day before breakfast in empty tommy
What about the smell though.?
Using parsley really helps cut it. 🙂
I have been swallowing a whole clove and wondering if its being digested properly? That was the reason I searched out this blog. I usually chase it down with a V-8. I used to chew it but it left a bad taste in my mouth for most of the day. I imagine I could cut it into a few pieces and chase it with a v-8.
Hi Gwen……just read about chopping raw garlic and putting into butter then on toast…. How often should one do this, like twice a day or once everyday????
Hi Bobi,
I use raw garlic when we’re coming down with something. We include it in food on a regular basis, but I don’t make it a habit to eat it raw daily. 🙂
chop the garlic, put in spoon, add honey
I love garlic too. It’s my favorite! I can’t just throw a clove in my mouth and chew it raw either. I’ve done it several times and the first time got 7 mouth ulcers. Can you imagine? One is bad enough it you eat too much salt or vinegar etc but 7! I was in so much pain for a full week. I can eat 8+ cloves but usually toast them up mildly on the stove top. I also like to chop it and put it in my enchinacea tea. If cannabis is ever legalized in arizona I would love to make cannabis infused garlic oil for stress as I do not like smoke.
In Nice I ordered Bouillabaise at a restaurant. They served it with toasted bread and a clove of garlic. When I asked what I was supposed to do with it the waiter told me to rub the toast with the garlic clove and then butter the toast. Et voila! Garlic toast. And that is how I’ve made toasted garlic bread ever since then. Warning: do not butter your bread and go back to your butter source with the used knife. The garlic flavour will transfer to the butter that you don’t use and make an unpleasant jam sandwich the next day.
I’ve heard the same tip on prepping a salad bowl before adding your salad/dressing…to rub it with a clove of garlic. 🙂
tried swallowing t without chewing en t worked for me.
will it work for me if i cut it into smaller pieces n swallow dem wid water?
Sure!
I chop it up and mix it with honey and chew and swallow the concoction….can barely taste the garlic….works great.
Can I use pre minced garlic from the store??
Another way is to rub a clove of garlic on well done toast. The toast acts like sandpaper and the garlic is absorbed onto the surface of the bread. You can apply the garlic to both sides too. Obviously apply the garlic before you soften the toast with butter.
My dad used to eat raw garlic all the time, he would chew the clove whole then swallow it. BUT there was a trick he taught me, he would stuff the clove into a piece of a banana and then chew it, apparently the banana for some reason neutralizes the harsh burning effects of chewing raw garlic and makes it extremely managable, you still get a little garlic taste but without the burn, it even tones down the garlic flavor. I didn’t believe it until I tried it!
Can I eat more then 4 clove of raw garlic
Butter, Honey and chopped garlic on freshly toasted bread…..yummy!
Wow…just amazes me that no one else (that i found anyway) does the entire head blended with a whole peeled lemon. Undiluted.
No smell. No atomach upset. Gone in three bites. Life changing, fast, easy and works.
Maybe TOO easy?
lol I must be a teflon mouthed person – I love garlic! I make what I consider medical grade pesto (2 cups greens, 1/2 cup nuts, 1 bulb (about 16 cloves) of garlic, a little sea salt and just enough olive oil to have the blender mix it all.
Eat it with eggs, fish, chicken, beef you name it! Even just drizzle it on a salad.
Sometimes I also swallow whole garlic cloves (just pick the smaller ones)
There are also so many different ways to enjoy garlic -dehydrated garlic, roasted garlic, seared garlic, steamed garlic, fermented garlic, garlic extractions (oil, salt, or vinegar based), even the aromatic properties of garlic are potent enough to just smell it!
This may be too rough for some. I don’t know. I really love raw garlic so it’s not an issue for me, but I have two preferred ways.
1. Making bruschetta with summer tomatoes topping. You can make toast or sometimes I eat it with poached eggs. Chop roma tomatoes and 2 cloves of garlic. Mix and add olive oil, diced basil (if you can get it), some salt and pepper and mix. Let it sit a bit. It’s a family recipe that we love all summer and I still make it into the winter. Most people don’t notice the raw garlic in here!
2. Sprouted grain toast with a little olive oil, sliced raw garlic, cheese and roasted peppers. Sprinkle with salt. So delicious!
Hope maybe someone enjoyed!
I chop it in half, chew it quick and swollow it with warm tea and honey.
I have a lot of digestive problems when I eat it raw by itself (mainly belching all day, but also some stomach pains), so I try a few other ways. One is mixed in with plain or vanilla yogurt. Second is to add it to a big spoonful of sauerkraut (I get the organic kind). Sometimes, I’ll add to a homemade vinagratte just before I serve it. Then, like someone suggested above, stuffing it in a big olive or adding it to a nice homemade chicken soup are also good ideas. Nice web page – I learned a few different ways to eat it raw.
Two ways for me. Firstly to crush a clove in a garlic press, mix with lemon juice and warm water. Drink it down. Make sure to rinse mouth afterwards, so lemon juice does not damage teeth. Or secondly, again crush and add to smashed avocado and sardines. A little lemon juice, salt and pepper and you have a nice lunch or snack. If bread OK for you (not for me) you could also spread this mixture on toast.
I put it in my mouth and chew it like a man, then swallow.
Is it okay to saute the garlic in olive oil? Cause thats what Im doing everyday.The strong taste of garlic gone totally and I enjoy eating it.
It’s certainly got healthy properties, but cooking deactivates the allicin (the anti-microbial part). So if you’re getting sick, try one of these other methods!
I chop my garlic up into small pieces and mix it into guacamole or salsa, and I also make omlets for breakfast top it with salsa and chopped garlic! You don’t feel the heat from the garlic and the flavors are amazing. My One year old eats it that way and he loves it !!
Eating raw garlic is not good on daily basis. Moreover adding garlic to food is not logical at cold places. Garlic is not food. People eat garlic at hot places to keep mosquitoes away. Adding it to food kills the bacteria which again is not going to survive at cold places. Why we feel thirsty after eating garlic it’s because our body wants to get rid of it. Ever wondered why garlic is not infected by anything. So eat garlic if it really helps in prevention as everyone is evolved differently. For me eating raw garlic or medicine, it’s one and the same thing. I don’t use any
Not everyone responds well to garlic. Some people really have issues with onions or garlic because of the sulfur content. I don’t think it has much to do with temperature. It is a wonderful preservative if used fresh, but the allicin that kills bacteria does time out within several hours, or if cooked. So there are cultures who eat it daily and add it to lots of types of foods.
I’ve found a jar of garlic cloves in dill in a jar and I just eat them out of the jar..
I usually cook bean or lentil soup, but since I am hispanic I add in cilantro, onions, garlic, bacon and a few other trade secrets, however once they are cooked I’ll serve some in a bowl and thinly slice raw garlic(about 3 cloves) and onions then mix them into the bean soup to steep as I eat and I do chew them prior to swallowing them.
Hi,
Here is my mode of taking garlic with empty stomach:
– peal off the wrappers skin around the clove.
– make up around 2-3 cloves,
– put all 3 cloves in a mashing stone
– ram them into paste and collect the past into a spoon
– take a full glass of water and make it to warm
– take couple of sips of water
– then take the whole spoon of mashed garlic
– then gulp the water in succession
Don’t take anything till 25-30 mins after the above consumption.
The reason for warm water is to make the body no need to spend addition team to bring it to body temperature.
Is this Okay, or does it need any modification?
Please comment.
I just chop it finely, then chew it up and eat it. One of the benefits of loving, and being able to tolerate spicy food! 🙂
EaTing it raw is not pleasant,gonna try the pill method hope it works
Crush two cloves with a flat blade, chop into small pieces, mix with honey (raw or another LOCAL product, and eat.
Which is the best time to eat garlic
Hi I always just chew two cloves and swallow, it did burn my mouth the first few times but now it never burns but I must say the toast way sounds much better.
Garlic has helped me through mastitis 3 times. The one time I did not use it I was I’ll for 3 days as opposed to one. Anecdotal of course, but I would never risk going without it again. I was once told that you need to slice it and let it breathe for a few minutes for greatest efficacy.
I chop the fresh clove in bitty pieces and just add them to pasta or spaghetti wth some olive oil. That’s a yummy meal we really enjoy. Or I buy any ready made pasta sauce and just add the fresh garlic pieces inside.
My mom back in Germany would use either Wasa bread ( scandinavean low caloric cracker bread) or it also works on a toasted whole grain bread. She would simply grate the garlic clove right on it until only a sliver is left on it. Then spread butter in it with mineral salt. Very quick,no fuss
I chop up 2 large cloves everyday wait a few minutes then put it all on top of a big spoon full of applesauce. It is so good to me.
Hahaha… I chew it all the time… I dunno about stainless steel mouths but I like how it also affects my gums with it’s juices. I put 3 cloves after removing their skill then chew all the way around 1 minute then swallow it slowly so I would feel the effect on my throat. After that I would drink my turmeric juice then brush my teeth and gargle mouthwash.
My 10-year-old son and I prefer to cut the clove of garlic into several pill-sized pieces and swallow them with water. We chase it with a spoonful of raw, unfiltered honey.
I have used raw garlic for several years now to hasten colds, the flu and even a viral infection in my lungs and always had a very positive out come. I buy it by the bottle crushed and add honey to help it go down followed by a good drink of water several times a day. It has always benefited me health wise with tremendous results but I never chew it as it just leaves such a bad bitter taste in my mouth that lingers way to long. If you want the effects of a natural antibiotic please feel free to try this natural form, plus it saves you a great deal of money and you can buy it just about any where for just a few dollars, its a must have staple in your refrigerator, especially during the long, cold winter month’s.
Depending on the size of the clove I do coat it on honey and swallow it whole, otherwise I cut it in half and do the same. This was one of the many things I did to cure myself of GBS (Group B Strep) during my preganancy. It showed up in my urine culture at 35weeks and after two weeks of a strict natural regament including eating two cloves of garlic a day, my next urine culture at 37 weeks was clear. For safety I kept up with the regament and tested again at 39 weeks and was still GBS free!
Im passionate about garlic, adding daily lots cloves in a single dish. However only recently I’ve started swallow them raw on my fast. I cut one medium thin clove in a half on the vertically way, allowing it rest for about 10min (Allicin’s coming out time). Then I take the solidy Virgin Coconut Oil and I coat well my 2 halves separately. Turning them into 2 beautiful tasting garlic/coconut pills. I swallow them very easily with plain water
This is complicated, but has to do with raw garlic. I make a specialty https://www.cooklikegreeks.com/en/recipes/pastourma-by-aunt-dora.html which is something like prosciutto but has a long processing and at the end is immersed in a paste/soup of raw garlic with condiments. After eating even a small piece the breath smells, which my daughter keeps reminding me.
I had heard, that in order for your breath not to smell of garlic you should swallow a clove of garlic before eating pastourma. I did not really believe it, but thought it was worth a try. And, amazingly both times I tried it, the last time today with a lunch of lentils and dark olives and a bit of fresh onions, (what I always accompany lentils with), my daughter smelled my breath and declared it smelling sweet!! I cannot understand it. Have you heard of anything like this? when swallowing raw garlic , does the breath smell?
I often just eat at most, two medium-sized cloves on the side with whatever I’m eating.
bruschetta!!
I chopped the garlic in half and when i swallowed the bigger half i felt like i was going to puke, and as if it were stuck in my throat the feeling was very unpleasant i wondered if i had to puke to get it out but after awhile it eased away, i still feel as if it was there though.
My mother always puts the chopped up pieces into a big spoon of honey and swallows it like a tasty sweet mouthful with a slight odour of garlic.
Hello Gwen! Live the information! Three days in a row I was swallowing a clove of garlic as a whole but I chose smaller cloves. The next day I couldn’t find the smaller one that I thought I could swallow anymore so I had to cut one on half and swallow only half! I was nervous doing that since thought it could burn my insides but I feel fine! Love garlic! I also use garlic in mincing way to prevent colds/flus when it’s in the air by sniffing on it before going anywhere in the public. Here is a link to how I do that- https://stayhealthynotes.com/2017/02/24/flu-prevention/
I use garlic by taking one large clove and cutting it into slivers. Then I grab the cream cheese spread it on a cracker and place the slivers on top and eat it. I found that using garlic that is labeled as organic is much less harsh on the guts. I used to just unpeel the regular variety and chew it up and let it absorb a bit into the tongue and then swallow it.
I chop a clove of garluc up and put it on a spoon with some peanut butter and honey. Nummy!
When my daughter and son were young we would put cream cheese on a cracker, Triscut or Wheat Thin, peel a clove of garlic and stuff it in the cream cheese and eat the whole thing in one bite. My daughter is 40 and she remembers it to this day. Must have been the heat of the garlic she remembers, plus it is so delicious!
Hi, I read once that eating raw garlic can cause irreparable damage to the esophagus and stopped immediately. I know that in some people it can cause reflux problems but I never had any side effects apart from comments about a constant garlic odour emission but that was banter. Is this a danger to me. I believe I read an article in Readers Digest which drew my intention and most people take info in Readers Digest as true. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Alan in Belfast.
Hi Alan,
I do not eat raw garlic daily. I only use it when we are coming down with an illness. I don’t think occasional use is dangerous for people who have a healthy digestion and normal protective mucosal secretions. It’s far more likely that a common infection like H Pylori would damage the stomach or esophagus.
I cut one clove and I cut it into pieces as much as possible the I coat it with honey. That is the best way to eat raw garlic so I am told. You have to do it on an empty stomach of course. The honey not only doubles the strength of the garlic, but it makes it easy to go down your throat.
The part in the garlic that burns is (unfortunately) the part that fights the infection. No burning-no results. I used to chop mine up real fine and swallow it with applesauce, but it just didn’t work. So now I put it with a cracker and cream cheese or honey and chew it real good. It hardly burns at all, and no cold stays around very long!
I chew garlic before bedtime. I do this during the flu season and allergy season. I don’t get the flu nor the colds.
It stings my mouth, I salivate, it lessens the sting, the sting last for a couple minutes. It gets rid of stuffy nose, sinusitis.
I love chewing Garlic raw before swallow because it very well for me though its very very very hot in the mouth but compared to its effectiveness the strong smell and hotness is nothing.And also i get to know if the garlic is fresh by chewing it, if its not very hot while chewing then its not fresh. Garlic is a very Strong Herb best time to take is the first thing in the morning before you even drink water and the last thing before you go to bed you sleep very well and wake very strong.
I slice organic raw garlic and put it in hummus which I eat with gluten free crackers. The healthiest and easiest option for me right now and I tried them all 🙂 The worst was crushed raw garlic with a spoon of honey on an empty stomach in the morning. Never again! 🙂
I think that honeyed garlic can be a better cure for sore throat than raw garlic since it’s suitable for everyone and high in nutrition
I like using honey and fresh garlic, but it’s not suitable for babies. I use maple syrup for little ones under a year. But yep…honey and garlic are two of the main components of my cough remedy that my kids love!
I have been routinely taking a teaspoon of the minced garlic packed in water that you buy in jars. I chew it up and swallow. It doesn’t seem that anyone else is buying the convenient and cheap already minced garlic in a jar? Is there a reason? And is this okay as part of a daily regimen?
Chop and add to soups or cup a soups when nearlly done , as a little heat takes the harsh taste away .Turmeric half a teaspoon heated also.
I top and tail the clove of garlic. I then skin it and chop the clove up into the tiniest pieces I can make. Then I understand we have to leave it for at least 10 minutes – say whilst your eating a meal – and then chew – not eat – all the pieces. It makes your mouth burn for a minute, but that soon goes away. I hear that this process of leaving it lets the air get to it and releases the Allicin which gets on with the job inside the body.( By doing this the allicin is absorbed via the tongue)
Hi! Great article. I have eaten raw garlic over several years, (one time specifically was when I had hives several years ago. I went on the Master Cleanser detox fast for 10 days and consumed raw minced garlic at the same time.) I recently have begun eating a bulb a day. Not a clove. One bulb. I have not experienced diarrhea nor any other negative side affects. I have been doing this for the past 4 days and I only plan to continue up to the 7th day. I think I am pre-diabetic and I weigh about 210. I started eating the garlic as a blood cleanser and to clean my colon some. I haven’t felt anything negative besides some mild gas and, yes, I do smell like pizza but I feel those are small prices to pay for clean arteries and overall increased health. Please don’t take this as a refutation of your article, bc that is not my intent. Just wanted to inform you of my experiences and open an avenue in case you do have some info that I need. Thank you and may God continue to bless you.
Raw garlic crosses the blood brain barrier and kills brain cells, it also can create holes in the intestines. Please stop ingesting this poison!! Watch Andreas Moritz “Eating garlic is very toxic for the body” and Dr Robert Beck’s video on youtube regarding garlic. If your aim is to kill parasites, try black walnut, cloves, and other herbs that will not cause harm.
Lexa left out an important note. According to the Medical University of South Carolina, it kills CANCER cells in the brain. “A small group of researchers at Medical University of South Carolina found something that’s useful for anyone willing to properly consume lots of garlic. They discovered that certain organosulfur compounds in garlic can in fact kill brain cancer cells without disturbing healthy cells.” The article goes on to say “These compounds are able to get through the blood brain barrier to induce cancer cell apoptosis and prevent future cell growth.”
More detials here: https://naturalsociety.com/garlic-proven-kill-brain-cancer-cells/#ixzz5trnGjZ1D
Read more: https://naturalsociety.com/garlic-proven-kill-brain-cancer-cells/#ixzz5trmOgIx9
i chew garlic and drink water in an empty stomach. is it harmful.
should i swallow it with water or should i chew and drink water. Advice me
I like to use raw garlic as a food, not introducing it to the stomach alone. We still see good results using it this way. It’s potent stuff!
I really love this
Hi,
I’v had suffered from sinuses clogged up and tired fatigue problem badly for years and had taken lots of normal medicine and herbal medicine but nothing seemed working. Until a new colleague joined at my work place who does do and is involved with alternative medicine in herbal medicine advised me to chopp up a single garlic clove and either leave it in mouth for a mintue or two then swallow it or put it inside a glass of water for an hour and then drink it in empty stomac for few weeks that will treat and clear up sinuses clogged up and get rid of any infections bacteria so I tried for two weeks now and have noticed that I feel much less tired and fatigue and the sinus is clear and clogged free and now I can feel tastes and smell fragrance were as before I could smell anything. I can walk around flowers and grass without sneezing and feeling stuff nose..I would recommend others who suffer similar problem as mine. But would always double check with your doctor first.
Wonderful results, Ali!!! Thanks for sharing!
I love garlic so much….I use my Japanese Slicer – & slice 6 cloves….you can slice it really fine and mix it with one juice of lemon…..throw in a can of rinsed chick peas, a diced carrot, 1/4 red onion….oregano, turmeric, fennel seeds…maybe a pinch of chilli flakes, capers & some black olives…….let it all sit and stir off and on for 1/2 hour……crusty bread and that is lunch or dinner….wash it down with your favourite wine….boom…done.
I always have garlic in my hand bag, at work in my pockets. When a cooworker complain of a pain I give them a glove of garlic to chew. Yes some where complaining but at last they see the results. They even joined me.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE raw garlic! I mince up a clove in the morning and down the hatch with a swallow of milk! The energy and motivation I feel is amazing! Especially with 3 littles 4yrs and younger 🙂
Mine I chop it and sprinkle some salt in it. Then swallow with water .
excellent article! although, if I may respectfully say, your article seems to certainly be targeted toward the “weaker” variety of folks, from a palate perspective at least. may a rephrase is needed. not “weak” people per se, but people with “weaker: palates, so to speak. I mean no disrespect and indeed, I greatly enjoyed this article for its promotion of raw garlic and indisputable, empirical anti-infection, anti-inflammation benefits. that said, when i got down to the part about not eating it by just chewing it up i started to chuckle. there is no doubt that it kicks you when you first chew it, but i’ve been doing it for over a year now. my method is to pop out a clove out of the wrapping or whatever that wrapping stuff is called. Then, i pop it in my mouth, give it a few chews, and wash it down with some water and occasionally I’ll grab a handful of raw sunflower seeds (earthy oiliness of sunflower seeds counteracts the garlicky-ness). then again I should make clear that I have a more “robust” palate than others. I’m the kind of guy who will drink raw cultured bulgarian buttermilk and I actually love love love the taste! I’ll also mince up whole habanero’s onto my fried over hard eggs sometimes. Yah so maybe I’m actually the weirder one when it comes to these sorts of things. At any rate, again, great article and all the best in your continued writings!
Now I know! Thank you for this useful post! the first ways I got was to chew it and its really unbearable for me.
Thank you so much!
PS: Is it okay to take up to 4 cloves a day? and is it okay to take it before going to gym?
I leak the garlic for 20 minutes and after I cut it into pieces and swallow.
I must have the Teflon coated mouth. I enjoy chewing it up everyday. Luckily, my husband loves garlic and doesn’t mind my breath 🙂
when i chew garlic, my heart pains me. so i decided to be swallowing it with a lot of water. i have done it for a week and now. i do it morning on an empty stomoch and at night before going to bed. i hope to get a good result
Garlic has naturally occurring sulphurs, and some people are sensitive to it, or allergic. Please don’t eat things that make you uncomfortable.
I chop fresh garlic and put it into my homemade salad dressing.
Can you chop the garlic up and fill a gelatin capsule and swallow the capsule? maybe add a little olive oil to the mix? Any comments are appreciated. Thanks
You sure can!
Is it okay to pickle garlc?
Sure! It won’t have the benefits of allicin, but will still have many other great properties. 🙂
I love your blog!! Great post, I soak loads of cloves in natural honey for a few days and eat one every morning, the after taste is almost nonexistent thanks to the honey, plus double health benefits 🙂
Hi Gwen,
Great post! I’ve just started eating raw garlic and love it. Especially with eggs. My question is do you know how long minced/chopped garlic retains it’s health benefits once it is chopped? I would like to food process maybe enough for 3 days at a time but not sure if it will lose it’s benefits. I’ve looked online for an answer and have found nothing so far. I appreciate any thoughts you may have. Thanks!
Fondly,
-Lisa
Hi Lisa!
Allicin is ephemeral…I would eat what I chopped within the hour.
I chop a clove finely. Let it sit for 10 minutes then place on a slice of pickle. Tastes wonderful.
I bite off a small piece of the clove as I am taking a mouthful of whatever my dinner is, that allows the nutrient release w/o killing the inside of your mouth. Adds a nice flavor to your food too!
Hi, never wrote to one of these, I use my paint stripping gun to roast the raw clove (gently I don’t burn it) I do quite a few and store them in a glass container with a lid, they smell like roasted peanut, I take one out each morning and suck on it and it gently disappears. I just keep them in a cupboard, I suppose you could store them in a fridge.
I just chopped up two cloves and mixed them in a small dish with a heaping tablespoon of honey and it was amazing in my sore throat!
Awesome read and validating!
I normally soak few peeled garlic in water,well covered ( bottle).
Over night.
I dink the water first thing in the morning in empty stomach.
It works for me
I hear honey has a lot of beneficial healing power.Could you also take a teaspoon of honey and fresh raw garlic every morning?
sounds yummy!
At a chinese restaurant, they always have a small side plate condiment of garlic which is about several table spoons. My relatives always look at me amusingly when I grab the whole plate after they use it and mix it in and decimate it along with my rice. Little do they know the superfood powers of garlic… muhahahahah… now for some Durian fruit…
I’m trying the minced garlic w/honey but I forgot if it’s supposed to sit 4/5min before or after adding honey. So I’m doing both (never bothered my empty stomach / that’s what was instructed). It said don’t chew just drink down but I have to chew a little! But then I love garlic too.
I actually use it in an egg salad sandwich. I use a mortar and pestle, crush it up and mix it with a hard boiled egg with a quarter of a teaspoon of butter and mayo. You can still taste it, but it takes the kick out of it quite a bit.
I eat raw garlic by chewing up follow by a glass of water. And this glass of water washes the hotness of Alicin down the stomach. And the bad breath remain untill I brush and take my breakfast. Now I am feeling good because of this so called moms recipes. Not only this I take 4 more cloves of garlic, first 2 cloves with my lunch and another 2 cloves with my dinner in the night.
When I was a kid, 20-25 years ago, we used to snack on garlic a lot. Hence the healthy childhood and adulthood.
One of my favorite recipe was.
-A slice of black rye bred
-Table spoon of real butter (No margarine)
-Some Salt
-Garlic clove or two.
As simple as making a sandwich. In poor country I’ve grown up, this was actually a delicious and rather healthy meal replacement.
Room temperature butter is easier to spread on bread. Creamy butter/Salt/Rye bread and chopped garlic gives melting harmony in the mouth. Such a great times was back then.
I put 2 cloves of garlic with 1 T water and 1 T honey in a blender and take it like a shot.
After reading this and being told by my doctor to eat an anti-inflammatory diet, I decided to start eating raw garlic. I had a bowl of Amy’s brown rice, black eyed pea veggie bowl. I chopped the garlic up very fine and it made the bland lunch have a little kick. I enjoy reading everybody’s ideas for eating the garlic!!!
I take raw garlic grinded with same amount of ginger juice ,about one table spoon, mixed in one glass of water on empty stomach.
I chew it raw and dance around the kitchen like a madman, the worst part is the hot lava in my gut a minute after chewing.
Well explained.
I have a really bad cold and I feel terrible! I’m going to try the garlic toast! Thank you for the tips
Sorry if this is a double comment. I use a garlic crushed and put mine the empty pill capsules. These can be bought online at Amazon and EBay for a few bucks.
Try it you’ll like it. Very healthy drink.
1cup Apple cider vinegar. (Bragg Apple cider vinegar)
1cup raw honey (Good raw unfiltered pure honey)
12-? minced garlic cloves. (You can buy minced garlic)
Shake till mixed
Put 4 tablespoons in 10/12oz.glass
Put 2 tablespoons Metamucil in glass
Fill glass with cold water or ice water
Stir till we’ll mixed.
I put more garlic in mine
Makes very healthy orange drink
You can mix it with kombucha, then super healthy
Umm umm good
I will try this I usually drink vinegar water and raw honey from our bee hives every day
The way I eat a clove of garlic everyday, is I dice it up – let it sit for 10+ minutes, then swallow it with a tsp of Manuka honey.
Crush the garlic and mix it with a bowl of rice and approx 2glass of water …. Mix them thoroughly with clean hands.. and Enjoy! That’s how I like it
I crush it with a knife. Let it stand for 30 mind to maximize all icing. Then get half a clove and chew with sugar free gum.
I chop up the garlic, mix it with a bit of onion and cream cheese and use it as a spread for ritz crackers. Super yummy. My sister chops up the garlic and uses it with cherry tomatoes and tiny mozzarella balls and one other ingredient, but I don’t remember that last one. Sorry. She puts it in the fridge until chilled and eats it that way and it’s also super delicious.
How about slicing the garlic slightly thin and soaking in pickle juice for a few days? First time consumer of garlic, on a regular basis, for health purposes. So thought I’d try it pickled. Use to dig them out of the single dill pickle package as a kid. Liked it. But not sure if it would still be beneficial.?.
This is a great idea, and would utilize other healthy properties of garlic. But this isn’t how I would use it if I wanted the results of allicin. 🙂
I just ate a Garlic clove the wrong way.
😀
Hi Gwen. I found an olive bar in my supermarket that sells roasted garlic. It tastes great and is very convenient. The cloves are not dark but light and therefore I do not think they were roasted very long. What is your opinion of roasted garlic? I can easily eat fifty cloves per day.
Enjoy! I love garlic all the ways. But I use fresh when I want the allicin benefits. 🙂
You can chop a clove into very small pieces, mix with something sticky like peanut butter and wrap a little blob of the mixture in nori. Then you can dampen the nori to seal it and create a type of capsule to be swallowed with a drink. This is my preference to avoid the lingering raw garlic taste.
To get the most benefit from garlic it should be crushed, and allowed to sit for 10-15 minutes. Then eat it raw, or mixed with something with high-fat content. Swallowing cloves or pieces of cloves may have some, but not the full benefit. Mixing crushed garlic with butter, and using that on toast is probably the best way to get the most benefits.
I grind it into a glass of water and drink it up.
Hi, I like using a lemon zester. I put the zested garlic on a spoon and cover it with Greek yogurt and swallow it. My 3 year old daughter also enjoys it like this!
I love garlic too. Unfortunately, raw garlic really irritates my mouth and stomach, so I now eat something better……….fermented garlic! All of the benefits of garlic are still there, but fermented garlic has a pleasant, mellow flavor with little to no heat. Plus, it’s loaded with probiotics!
Sounds delicious! I also like black garlic. But since allicin formation is short lived, I doubt that benefit is offered with fermented garlic. There are plenty of other health benefits to enjoy though! 🙂
How often do you do this?
I only use garlic in this way if I feel like I’m coming down with something, but I frequently cook with and enjoy it in foods. 🙂
GARLIC! GARLIC! GARLIC! I LOVE GARLIC! i chew cloves raw like bitting chilies when eating a burrito. chopped in anything. whole bulbs in my home made chikky veggie soup. chop and put in apple cider vinegar with other onions and chilies for a “magic” potion to sip on. stick in my bullet with shallots to make a paste to swish in mouth and swallow. just about any way I can eat it. YUMMMMMMM
Eating Garlic on an empty stomach will intensify the antibiotic effect.
I finely chop a few cloves and mash up an avacoado. Then mix together and havegarlic guacamole. I dip in some veggies or crackers and if it is too garlicky I drink with chocolate almond milk.
Disregard everything in this article in order to get the benefits of garlic you have to chop it up after crushing it and allow it to rest for anywhere from 7 to 17 minutes to allow the allicin to be produced maximum levels keep in mind that allicin does Decay very rapidly so suspending it in water after its production will increase its Half-Life by up to 28 days
Interesting ideas! Do you have any evidence of the things you’re suggesting? I would love to read more! 🙂
I eat 3 raw cloves of garlic a day. Not that I have anything wrong with me health wise but because it does have health benefits Like thinning of the blood and all kinds of health benefits not even all have been mentioned in your article. I buy the whole peeled raw garlic cloves from Market Basket. and I chew 3 of them a day. My question I guess is. I should chop it up into smaller pieces before eating it right? Or is it Okay to eat it whole they way I have been?
Thanks
Sincerely
Steven
Grate 3-4, carrots, 5-6 cloves, dice remaining pieces, put in a bowl, add mayo and salt and pepper to taste, chill 1 hour and put it on a good flavored triscuit!!
Rosemary works!!
I crushed 8 clove of raw garlic in my soup and boy my throat was burning and still is. This is so weird to me because I d own thie before and never in my life had my throat receive this type of reaction.
I am using a garlic press to put garlic on things to help my high blood pressure in my current pregnancy. I use a whole raw clove each time. I’ve put it in mashed potato, spaghetti, stir fry, quarter-sized rosemary potatoes. I wasn’t keen having it in a salad, but I’ll do it if needed. I love the idea of garlic on my toast! Will definitely need to try that. Thanks!
Garlic suppositories are a great way to get past the bitter taste and are even fun as a group activity to do together with the family! fun!
I was getting a cold and was determined to kill it with garlic. As you mentioned that you have seen many times it recommended to chew and swallow cloves of garlic. So I did, 3 of them. You know what! I got EXTREMELY sick within 10 minutes of consumption. It actually made me trip, my mind raced with strange thoughts, I felt like was very drunk with intense spins and shakes. I was in pain also. Took about 2 grueling hours to finally throw it up. The symptoms almost went away immediately but still shaky. I don’t think the taste will go away for days! Never ever chew and swallow garlic! homeopathic remedy gone bad.
Can i eat raw garlic on an empty stomach averyday because i use Trigestrel pill to prevent pregnancy ?
Even natural remedies and foods can interfere with how meds work. You’d want to ask your pharmacist…this is what they specialize in! 🙂
Very informative .Eating raw garlic has caused sort of bruises in throat for me so for me swallowing small cut piece of garlic will be OK. Thanks for sharing right way to eat raw garlic.
Take raw garlic and raw lemon together chew and enjoy.
Brilliant thank you. I chewed it but never thought about chopping it and swallowing it with some water. Like you say the taste is so overwhelming when you chew.
After reading all (well, not ALL) of these comments and suggestions, I just sliced a clove onto a Ritz cracker and drizzled it with some AMAZING blueberry balsamic. Popped the whole thing in my mouth and chewed it up…One of the tastiest things ever!
I cut garlic up in itty bitty pieces and put the pieces in an empty capsule. Even the kids will swallow them:)
I was already chewing the garlic when I read the part of steel mouths. Cracked me up, at the same time as I was crying from the pain… or garlic just made my eyes water? Anyhow, the next one will be in pills.
I take 3 organic cloves peeled and blend them with original V8 juice using my Ninja Blender then drink it. Taste like spaghetti sauce so it’s not bad and I think I’m getting all the health benefits.
My mom chops a large clove up & swallows it in a spoonful of tomatoe juice.
Truth be told, the most effective way really is just to chew it up and swallow. Like onions, the compounds that create the strong scent and taste–and, ultimately, the health benefits–are the result of a chemical reaction that takes place when the plant receives damage by being crushed. Intact, these chemicals are separated by cellular walls, and react with each other as a defense mechanism against most things considered invasive. The reason chopping it up and swallowing chunks of it is not as effective is because digestion also neutralizes a great deal of what makes it so great for you, as it’s being broken down. In other words, when you pulverize it in your mouth and swallow everything, it takes a greater effect because chewing causes the reaction to have already taken place in your mouth before it even gets to your stomach acid.
If any man, with impious hand, should ever
Strangle an aged parent,
Make him eat garlic, it’s deadlier than hemlock,
O you strong stomachs that cull it!
What poison is this that’s burning my entrails?
Has viper’s blood mixed with these herbs
Betrayed me? Or has Canidia been tampering
With this unfortunate dish?
Medea, intoxicated with her Jason,
That most handsome of Argonauts,
Smeared him all over with this, while he tried to yoke
Those bulls unused to the harness:
She took revenge on her rival with gifts of this,
Before mounting her winged dragon.
Never did such a vapour from any dog-star
Settle on parched Apulia:
Nessus’ gift burnt Hercules’ shoulders with no less
Effective a fiery heat.
If ever, my dear Maecenas, you aspire
To repeat the jest, I just pray
That your girl with her hands obstructs your kisses,
And takes the far side of the bed!
Horace Epode 3
I use the “down the hatch” method … after waiting for the allicin to form, I simply wash it down with a glass of water, not a fan of chewing it LOL
i may have a mild UTI and i have a strong mouth so i simply peeled a clove and ate it
use a garlic press and put a whole head or more into a jar and cover with olive oil. Shake (stirif you want, it’s not a martini)
Spread it on bread, you could add butter to keep it from sliding off.
I chop it fine and add it to some greek yoghurt (unsweetened) with lots of salt and pepper. I first tried it like this at a Turkish person’s house, so I guess it is a Turkish dish. I find it delicious.
Crushed garlic with unsweetened yogurt, a pinch of salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Use it as salsa for a hot potato or salad. It’s yum 🙂
When I get a cold, flu or digestion problem which I had inflamation of the intestine. I chopped up raw garlic clove 1 per day for 3 weeks. Cured. Also my blood pressure was normal. WOW it is a great natural remedy. Use it!!!
Question, is garlic water better for a person then swallowing the raw pieces?
Eat garlic and chew it and alternate with pieces of bread to remove the burn. That the best way. The allicin gets better absorbed.
Easy way to chew raw garlic. Chew it water in the mouth. Keep seeping water so the mouth is partially filled with water all the time during the chewing process. There will be very little burning sensation which can be further reduced by mixing the garlic with some sweet substance like honey, maple syrup etc. Even sour cream or yogurt works well.
Allicin is the powerhouse element in garlic. I read on several websites that after you peal the clove, smash it with the side of the knife, and then cut it in small chucks. Here is a critical missing element = let it sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 min. This allows the enzyme reaction to produces the valued allicin.
You can mix it with honey and butter and take it orally or you can cook with it – but not more then 15 minutes in the pan as the heat will deteriorate the allicin’s effectiveness.
Hi sorry I don’t know if I am wrong or right but I like to chew the garlic then swallow every thing down with water yes it is hot when you chew it but I think that is the best way for me what I find is it make my throat kind of dry. Is that a good thing?
I love eating raw garlic. I just think it tastes really good! I put it on chips, pizza, pasta, and toasty. It gives ita slight kick! Everyone thinks i’m weird for it though.
Question: Can you eat steamed garlic, or does it have to be raw?
Thanks.-
You can eat any type..cooked or raw, and it all has health benefits. But if you want the allicyn, it needs to be raw and recently cut or chewed up.
I just ate three cloves at once yesterday used a garlic press leave to sit for ten minutes and mix in with a spoonful of sour cream. I learned the sour cream trick for eating canned oysters from someone online, works with garlic too, I could hardly taste the garlic even with a little chewing needed. Quick and simple and heat free.
The PERFECT way to kick start a morning.
1) crush 2 cloves of garlic in any masher. Doesn’t have to be fine.
2) add a small splash of extra virgin olive oil to the dish and mix the two.
3) lightly toast a thin slice of white bread.
4) spread the garlic/olive oil over the toasted bread.
5) crack open 1 egg into a small oval dish narrowing at the bottom.
6) set in the microwave for 115 seconds – the more water in the dish the more time in the micro.
7) Use a flat spatula (with holes for draining) to lift the egg gently onto the garlic toast
8) salt and pepper to taste
9) 1 small black espresso (for me) NO large coffee mugs in any event.
I bring out my garlic every season when friends/co workers start sniffling. For me, I use my garlic press and eat 3-6 cloves a day. I simply press and put it on a piece of bread with butter. Somedays I will eat all at once at night and somedays I will do 2-3 in am and another 2-3 cloves in evening. Knock on wood but I have avoided the flu and bad colds for the last few yrs. Another quick benefit from raw garlic I found is at 40+yrs old, my cholesterol is fabulous!!(and I eat a TON of fried foods lol)
I use raw garlic in hummus. I love to dip sliced apples into the hummus for a great snack or meal. I use my food processor; I use about 3-4 raw garlic cloves to one 14 oz. can of garbanzo beans; add olive oil, a little water or liquid from the canned garbanzos, some cumin, a squeeze of lemon or lime. You can leave out the cumin and lemon/lime if you want. Sometimes I add a little bit of salt, but I found it’s just fine leaving it out.
One time I was developing an abscess tooth. It needed a root canal badly. This was going on for almost about a week and about 3 days before my root canal was supposed to be done, I started chewing up 1 clove at least a day. On the day of the canal, the infection was pretty much subsiding and barely had any pain left. Doing it again now for another issue and I think it’s working. If I haven’t eaten, I cut up a clove into small pieces and swallow, followed by a small glass of milk.
I heard at least for the use of parasites you want it chewed or crushed. Don’t swallow whole. I will say if I chew a clove 1 on my back teeth,my back tongue, it’s reminiscent of radishs. I quickly drink water and I’m fine no garlic breath. To many positives to garlic!
I’m 63 yrs old, Ive been eating raw garlic (chewing, and swallowing it with food for years).. My BP upon waking = 108/60. My combined hdl/ ldl is 119…. When I tell people I’m 63 yrs old they have a hard time believing it… Most people think I’m in my early to mid 40s… I use to eat raw garlic daily, but I recently changed it to twice weekly… My wife says she’s fed up with my body odor… It seems to seep from my pores when I am physically active, and I am a very active person…. She has nick named me, “Pepe Lepew !”
Do what I’m doing right now with dinner. Prepare your meal. Then crush your chosen lot of fresh garlic into the well of a tablespoon. Tamp down and cover with olive oil. Eat half your meal. Tip the garlic down your throat. Being crushed and encased in oil it will drop down smoothly. Eat the rest of your dinner.
Start in on this protocol gently. Small amounts at first, wait a few days between. The die off is impressive. All those symptoms are what otherwise you were burdened with. Over time, more per meal and more often. When you advance you may join the Clove A Meal Club and gain your doctorate. And well before then no pathogen of any class will be a bother and your liver will sing you an aria.
I just chew it into pulp then swallow.
It always amazes me when people do something they don’t really enjoy but the method that they’re doing it is taking out the good.
The way to get garlic to act as a healing tool, you can’t cook it or swallow it hole. You have to crush it first. The allicin is only present up until 90 minutes, so crushing it and putting it in the honey for 2 days doesn’t keep the active ingredient. Might as well just consume chocolate.
Cooking takes away the allicin.
if you truly need to rely on this to heal you, chop, crush, mince raw organic non iradiated garlic and consume it within a half hour at most. this is the way to use it. You can also bathe in it or use it in a compress on your chest or head or ear etc.
I have done quite a bit of signiifcant healing using garlic… but there is a right way and a wrong way. DONT COOK it or STORE it.
I dont know if this is weird, but i actually enjoy chewing garlic. The spiciness on my tongue and the heat in my stomach… that was awesome
I eat it by crushing a large clove and mixing it with about 1/2 cup of organic greek yogurt, 1 tsp of horseradish, a squeeze of lemon juice and dash of salt and pepper. The yogurt neutralizes the heat of the garlic and horseradish and gives you a dose of probiotics too.
I learnt that the allicin is volatile. So crushing garlic and waiting for 15 minutes still guarantees the full health benefits of this allicin? Will the allicin not escape?
Hi Myom! I cover allicin more in depth here in Heatlh Benefits of Garlic. It is volatile, but it takes time to develop and then breaks down into other compounds. So you’ll still get that good allicin content if you eat it within about an hour of crushing or cutting it.
I usually chopped it roughly and mixed it in sambal, then let it sit a while in the vinegar chilli sugar shrimp paste a.k.a sambal then i dipped a small chunk of the deep-fried fish whole-no-need-batter in it and scooped some of the roughly chopped ingredients and eat it with rice. it basically delicious just as it is and no need curry or gravy or gulai watsoever. You can add durian too to the sambal, and its the best most delicious simple organic meal you can have.
Iam a hypertensive patient who used to have high pressure values as high as 165-170mmHg. Its now three months down the road with average pressure lying between 125 to 134mmHg daily. i take 1 crashed clove of garlic every day in the morning together with 1 piece of lemon juice in warm water to kill the smell. i have a home pressure monitoring machine to check these values. Of course this is accompanied with eating foods rich in patasium and vitamin D in your diet like rice, sweet potatoes, cereals, mukene, orange juice, irish potatoes, simsim, etc.
I am new to learning about the benefits of garlic. I came down with the flu recently and diagnosed on my 3rd day so beyond the time frame for medicinal treatment. Lucky for me since my daughter shared about garlic oil tabs. Couldn’t find any readily available with non- gmo ingredients and vegan. Instead, I did some research on the internet and learned about how to prepare it. I chose to mince the garlic clove and place on my veggie chip. I add another chip for each garlic clove and it goes down easily, even with the extra chewing with the chips. It sounds relatively the same as your garlic toast idea sans the fat and provides something in my stomach along with the raw garlic. I’ve done this every 3 hours while awake. After just two days of eating garlic I am feeling so much better! Day 4 was actually my worst day with fever, headache and congestion but day 5 has been such a turnaround and I owe it to the garlic! I have also been taking a apple cider vinegar tonic so I believe that has helped as well. Also recommended by my daughter. I’m a believer! I just can’t find anywhere that tells me how long to keep doing this. One place says until I feel better…well I feel better on day 5 but am almost afraid to stop! Lol. Any advice?
I make a fresh Bruschetta with diced tomatoes, onions, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, olive oil, pinch of salt, and of course, freshly crushed garlic. Let it marinate several hours then serve it over toasted french bread slices.
I chop small pieces and mix with yogurt…goes down easy
Last winter everyday I crushed 1 clove in olive oil and a bit of salt mixed it fast and put it on whatever I was eating or pizza within a 5 min time to get the benefits. I was not sick all last winter
I would crush them to become a paste , then mix them with worm olive oil and row honey , swallow them on an empty stomach and do not eat any thing for 30 to 60 mints
QUIT with that ‘You’re doing it wrong’ crap!
It makes you look like an idiot!
Crush the garlic and swallow it with a tablespoon of honey. Garlic AND honey on an empty stomach?, my my.
Well…i just thinly sliced half a clove. Chewed it gently. Feeling the sting i immediately swallowed 3 tbsp of honey! And then…being the big wuss that i am…i drank half a glass of water.
I don’t really like the full burn either. 🙂
As you wrote in the article, oil really softens the taste of garlic. Garlic is an inexpensive but universal medicine and antiviral. As a child, I loved to eat garlic with brown bread and butter. And in the summer I could eat green leaves of garlic with sandwiches.
In Thailand, in many night markets (especially in Phuket), you can see many places selling garlic bread (fried white bread with butter and garlic). And after such a meal, the breath remains almost fresh.
I just chew up a few cloves every day. I’m addicted to how good it tastes and how good it’s making me feel. I like the burn , but I’m also a person who deeply enjoys the violently spicy foods like ghost peppers. With this virus going around, we need all the immune boosters we can get!
My Dad use to take a small knife stick through the garlic cloves and place it in a medium size jar full of water . it set for 3 days then He’ll take a swallow every morning . and I know it helped His High Blood Pressure. Doctor lower His Medicine Dose .
I use 4cloves mashed up then spread on toast with plenty of butter. I don’t eat it very often because of the stinky breath I get, even if I eat it the night before. I do love it though
It’s very nice grated and mixed with smoked mackeral, ground black pepper and natural yogurt, pressed into ramekins and chilled – serve as pate.
2 cloves well chopped, half an avocado, olive oil, mash it up and get it down with your breakfast. Delish
Your last suggestion put me in mind of this fabulous little restaurant we happened upon in Barcelona. They served us slabs of this super crusty bread with halved tomatoes and whole garlic cloves. We were killing ourselves trying to slice it all up when the proprietor, who didn’t speak English, came over and showed us the right way. He took a clove of garlic and rubbed it briskly all over the bread until it just kind of ground itself in. Then he did the same with a tomato. Heavenly!
Ooh…that was a moment to savor. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I get disturbed by the worms in my stomach and having two pieces of crushed garlic with water to swallow it down, gives me relief every night.
8/2/20 Ok I just did this for the very first time because I’ve had a sore throat. My friend recommended the garlic method. I decided to mince it and put it in a teaspoon of water and in a shot glass. I just took the shot! It burned me a little. It was the weirdest feeling.
Thanks for this. I actually chew And swallow a clove of garlic but The outcome was very bad. Thinking it’s not good for me anyway but now that I’d known about this I’ll try The chopping method. Thanks
I eat it with a tomato, it seems to nutrilize the burning of the garlic
I’m allergic to raw or lightly cooked garlic, onions, etc. It’s probably the allicin. If the garlic is boiled, as in a soup or stew, I tolerate it fine. I just bought a big bag (Costco) thinking I’d boil it so I can throw it into more quick cooking dishes. Reading through the comments, I wondering how healthy it will be. (Though I’m still looking forward to having dishes like hummus or baba ganoush WITH garlic, as I’ve had to make them without garlic since the garlic would be raw.
Anyone else who doesn’t breath right after eating raw alliums (garlic, onion, chives, etc.)? Any tips for me?
You might be allergic to sulfur, which is found in raw onions and garlic. If you are allergic, then you’d want to find alternatives. Check out oregano oil as another possible alternative. I would not attempt to use a food if you’re allergic…stick to what works for your body chemistry. Cooked onions and garlic have many other healthful properties!
I put two cloves of garlic in my strong garlic press, then let it st for 15 minutes to develop the allicin. The I hollow out the center of half a banana, then smear it with cream cheese to encase the raw garlic in the hollow of the banana. On top of this I coat it with my favorite jam. This way I can hardy taste the garlic with this tasty banana boat.
I chop it in a mini food-chopper and then mix it with grapefruit juice and swallow. For me, the juice really masks the flavor. I’ve used orange juice, too.
I’ve been chewing and swallowing garlic for more than 5yrs. It works and my skin really defies my age
I peel about half a cup or more, usually 2-3 whole cloves, and crush it all into cold filtered drinking water, making about half a gallon of rather strong garlic juice/water. When I pour a glass, I use a reusable coffee filter to strain it if I don’t feel like eating the pulp. You’d think it’s not tasty, but I’m quite addicted to it now. It remains potent for days, as I literally hold the head of the garlic crusher under water as I crush it each clove. It makes for a wonderful healing elixir, an amazing pre-breakfast drink before coffee, before bed, and throughout the day.
Believe it or not. Two years ago I was diagnosed with none small lung cancer. I ate 4-6 cloves of chopped raw garlic daily. I was on the table to start Radiation treatment when they noticed the tumors had shrunk. They postponed the treatment and in a couple of months they disappeared.
My best way of consuming garlic is to crack a clove with a knife and place it in a spoon with raw honey. Just swallow it. It destroys bronchitis. Do this for a couple days. Soon you will be a happy camper. I used to get bronchitis every year but after i did some research on natural holistic medicine di i find this process took care of my needs.
I put a tiny bit of juice in the single serving blender and chop up two to three pieces of fresh garlic as fine as possible before combining with the juice (squeeze garlic when buying from the grocery store, the firm ones are fresh). Blend and drink. This is extreme and can make you nauseous. I have been trying to cure a pin worm infection for a year and doing this is killing the infection very quickly. I have tried numerous remedies and finally something is working. I am a vegan now due to the infection so when I say I have tried EVERYTHING I mean it. I can tell the infection is clearing because my ears and scalp are barely itching. Thank God for garlic!
another good way is to dice it up then mix it with honey and eat with a spoon. local honey is best. it also helps with allergy’s.
I crush it, mince it and then put it on a spoon covered in honey and swallow. You only taste the honey.. And both are great for you.
I put a clove of garlic in my nutrabullet with a citrus juice ( I like grapefruit) & sometimes 1/2 banana blend till smooth. Best part don’t stink of garlic.
I mince mine up and place it in a pill capsule and swallow!
I once heard a story about an old guy who worked at a factory for many decades without ever being sick a day. The secret was that he ate a full bulb of garlic a day. A rarely discussed suggestion with garlic, especially when the dosage is high, is the germ (stamen) at the core of each clove. With a serrated citrus knifde, it is fairly easy to peel a full bulb, split each clove and pop out each side of the germ. It is the cause of a lot of stomach upset, extraordinary odour, flatulence and other digestibility and flavour erratics. De-germing garlic might seem too fussy or epicurian; yet it yields raw and other culinary uses in a stable state. The extra work doesn’t compromise Vampire deterrence either.
I guess I’m doing it the hard way♂️ Not wrong. So I wasted my time on this article
Awesome idea
I was required to take 3 some what large cloves or raw garlic, so I combined themilk smoothie and toast to make a healthy breakfast to spread the load.
Here’s another one to add to the Don’t list: blend two cloves up with 4oz water, pinch your nose, and drink. The flavor is surprisingly ok in the mouth, but then all that heat burns down your esophagus, and hits your stomach, and your body might say, “YOU’VE POISONED ME!” and barf it right back up.
oof! Does NOT sound fun!
How many garlic cloves do you give littles? I have a 7, 5, and 2 year old…
With littles, I use the Cough Remedy recipe, and I use a garlic press to make the pieces smaller for them. With the honey and other ingredients, it’s usually well received, and I’ll give them as much as they ask for.
You were making me nervous, thinking it was dangerous for my health somehow to pop a clove of garlic like it’s a pill.. Haven’t choked on a clove yet. lol. I’m a bit of a masochist, though. I definitely do a lot of things that would make others look at me sideways and raise an eyebrow or two. lol.
I have not eaten raw garlic since I learned in Thailand–a major grower of garlic in the world–that raw garlic is poisonous I think to the digestive system. Thai chop it finely then roast it in rice oil, to be used ass a condiment and snack–its delicious!
Several minutes ago, after reading your words and others’ I went to my kitchen to follow your directions, but spit out the close and juices for 5 minutes. Waited another 5 min. then had a tablespoon of cashew mile, only because it was on hand–no special reason. Now, another question: how many times a day for the treatment of eye floaters, I shall find out and report back.
I have taken to eating garlic, but wonder if I’m doing it right. I chop it up into small pieces (the whole bulb), very small pieces, and put them in a jar and cover it in honey. I take a teaspoonful daily, and wash it down with a mouthful of tea. This preparation lasts me for two to three weeks. My fear is this – if I leave it this long, am I losing the allicin in the process?
How long I need to wait before I can eat my break fast after eating a clove of Garlic? I was assuming ideally 15- 30 minutues
I can eat habaneros whole (with food to chase) and raw, so garlic is no problem.
I smash 2 cloves, let sit for 15 minutes, pop them whole and chew and swallow. The “hot” feeling in the mouth doesn’t last long at all. Sometimes you get a one that’s a lot spicier but I figure the spicier it is the better the clove.
Tried it with yoghurt, hid a small chopped garlic piece in a spoonful of plain yoghurt with a drop of honey on top. Swallowed like a pill and tasted no garlic. I hope this will get rid of my current cough.
Hi There,
Does this blog still exist?
I really appreciate your tips on the garlic. I have about 6 swollen lymph nodes (trying not to be scared) and I thought to my self, I have not tried everything holistically recommended. I keep reading about eating 2 -3 garlic clove a day. I thought how in the world can I do that? I will do your toast and butter idea. What a great way to enjoy it too!
I prefer to just chew a clove of garlic. It did burn when I first started but did get used to it. But the biggest trick is to take a spoonful of honey hold it in your mouth put in your garlic clove and chew them together fairly rapidly. I get very crushed garlic that way plus have a drink your favorite drink readyand wash it down. No problem at all
Makes me wonder what is going on with the garlic in Thailand…Hmmm…
Well, you are losing the allicin, but there are plenty of other great components in garlic. Allicin is what I want when treating an active infection. So if that’s not the goal of your regimen, then it should be just fine! 🙂
In my experience health benefits are the best eating garlic right after peeling it and eating it raw.
Thankyou
i just put a whole clove of garlic in my mouth, chewed it up, and swallowed it, WOAH did it burn! My mouth was on fire for about a minute. Luckily I had some yoghurt on hand to smash down. I wish I had found your helpful tips before haha
Well to those who want to boil it or heat it in anyway – even a small amount of heat destroys the allicin so some of the major benefits get destroyed right there!! the way described in the article is awesome and the best possible way to consume raw garlic while getting 100% of the benefits!!
Haha! Me too. Which is why I am here after learning a great lesson never to chew and swallow like that again. It burnt like mad and I came on the internet to search for how it’s done, lol
I just read through the comments, went home at lunch and cut up raw organic garlic and took it down with honey and a gulp of water. It is possible that my sinuses are ALREADY clearing up? Wishful thinking?
I feel the same way. I just dice 2-3 cloves up and put it on food. It tatses really good and has a slight kick like a lesser version of hot sauce.
Hi Nancy!
I’m still here. 😉 I took a break that was longer than anticipated, but I’m happy to be back!
Hope you enjoy the garlic. Lymph nodes are scary but also really normal when the body is fighting an infection. My pediatrician told me that kids almost always have at least one swollen lymph node. That being said, be sure to run it by your doctor if you don’t clear up soon.