Reason Why You Must Start Eating Garlic on an Empty Stomach
In the modern day diet, there is an emphasis on ingredient education. One of the most used ingredients worldwide is garlic. This is because it contains numerous minerals, vitamins and immune system strengthening components. In fact, the way you eat garlic can have benefits that can change your life. Eating raw garlic, for instance, can help improve various aspects of your life from combating depression to purifying your blood. Let’s learn more about these benefits.
Amazing Health Benefits of Eating Garlic on Empty Stomach
The answer to the question, “is garlic good on empty stomach?” is a comprehensive yes. Eating raw garlic on an empty stomach has numerous great benefits on your health and general life. Here are some of these benefits.
1. Helps Weight Loss
Eating a couple of pods of garlic on an empty stomach for weight loss is extremely beneficial. Garlic contains components that help with burning bad and excessive fats in your body. Studies from numerous nutritional journals also claim that garlic can speed up your metabolism in general.
2. Helps Control Blood Sugar
Garlic is an extremely useful ingredient in a sugar friendly diet. It is rich in a compound known as allicin. This component is known for controlling and lowering blood sugar levels. Allicin is further amplified when you crush or chop a garlic pod. Eating crushed raw garlic pods twice a day can help improve your sugar levels immensely.
3. Combats Depression
Garlic is a great ingredient for physical and mental health. When consumed raw and on an empty stomach, garlic is known to have natural mood-lifting properties. It is also known that garlic is great at balancing chemicals in your body, and this includes brain chemicals. Depression is caused by an imbalance of brain chemicals, and as such, garlic can help fight depression.
4. Prevents Cancer
Garlic is rich in anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and anti-carcinogenic properties. When you eat it raw on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, it can help prevent some forms of cancer. This is also in part due to the fact that garlic is very rich in detoxification and antioxidants.
5. Fights Infections
As mentioned above, garlic is a great natural antibiotic. Although it does not replace medication, garlic eaten raw daily can amplify medication functions. Eating it regularly also helps keep infections at bay for long periods of time.
6. Reduces Hypertension
Raw garlic on an empty stomach is known to help fight symptoms of hypertension. Doctors recommend eating garlic on an empty stomach every day as a preventive measure for those who may be at risk of hypertension.
7. Purifies the Blood
Eating garlic on an empty stomach is great for your blood. The detoxification agents in garlic help remove impurities in your bloodstream and can improve blood vessel health. The antioxidants, antibiotic properties and anti-inflammation properties all play a part in the purification of your blood.
8. Helps Digestion
Garlic is rich in antioxidants and pre-biotics and probiotics. These components help increase gut health. Garlic also has minerals and vitamins that play a huge role in improving liver, bladder and kidney health. This works in tandem with the anti-stress properties of garlic which stop the increase in excessive stomach acid to ensure a cleaner and more efficient digestive tract.
9. Improves Lung Health
Garlic helps clear the respiratory tract. Consuming garlic regularly can fight dangerous pulmonary diseases like – asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough and tuberculosis. It also helps ease lung congestion and improves oxygen levels in the body. Add to the fact that garlic has antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties and it becomes the perfect food for the common cold.
10. Regulates Blood Pressure
It is a well-known fact that eating garlic on empty stomach for cholesterol and blood pressure is supposed to be immensely beneficial. This is because garlic has many immune system improving components and blood purification components, it is also because garlic is rich in elements that help cholesterol absorption in the body, this helps maintain healthy blood pressure levels.
Side Effects of Garlic on Empty Stomach
There are some possible side effects of eating garlic on an empty stomach, which affect a small number of people. These may include:
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): Some foods, such as garlic, can cause stomach acids to reflux repeatedly.
Therefore, doctors do not recommend eating garlic for people who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease and acid reflux, which causes irritation and burning in the lining of the esophagus.
Also, consuming garlic can cause a number of minor side effects, especially when eating fresh garlic, or eating garlic supplements.
These side effects include:
- The risk of heartburn is often increased in people with reflux esophagitis.
- Upset Stomach Disorder.
- Bad smell to mouth and body.
- Nausea, dizziness, redness of the face, and increased blood thinners when taking garlic supplements in high doses.
Garlic allergy: Eating garlic can cause allergies for some people, in which case it should be stopped completely.This type of allergy caused by cooked or raw garlic, or both, is rare. Symptoms of garlic allergy can range from mild to severe, and may include:
- Inflammation of the skin.
- Hives
- Tingling in the lips, or tongue.
- Decongestant, runny nose.
- Itchy nose.
- Sneezing.
- Itchy eyes.
- Shortness of breath, or wheezing.
- Nausea, vomiting.
- Stomach cramps.
- Diarrhea.
Bleeding and low blood pressure: Garlic can increase the risk of bleeding in some people, especially low garlic.
It can also cause low blood pressure in people who suffer from low blood pressure, as well as it may contribute to an increased period of bleeding and affect blood pressure after surgery.
It is advised to stop eating garlic at least two weeks before the surgery.
Warning signs of eating garlic during pregnancy: Eating garlic is considered safe during pregnancy if it is used in natural quantities in food, but it may become unsafe if it is used in large quantities, such as the quantities used in medicinal products that contain garlic.
Skin irritation: Applying raw garlic to the skin can cause severe irritation.
Other side effects: Another side effects of garlic may include:
Garlic has an unpleasant odor in the mouth in the morning, so it is advised not to eat it before leaving the house.Too much garlic, especially on an empty stomach, can irritate the digestive system.Garlic causes some side effects if taken with HIV medications.
How Can You Eat Garlic on an Empty Stomach?
You can consume garlic in numerous ways when on an empty stomach, here are a few.
- Crush garlic and eat raw before breakfast
- Chop bits of garlic, make tea with it and drink it with breakfast
- Eat whole pods of garlic raw as snacks
- Pan fry garlic with butter and mix it into your omelette
- Add fresh diced garlic into chutneys and sambars and eat with idli or dosa
How Much Garlic Should You Eat a Day?
A person needs 4 grams of fresh garlic daily for life, which is equivalent to one clove once a day.
As for eating garlic extract, it may need 200-400 grams 3 times a day.
For adults, dosages of garlic generally recommended are one to two cloves (approximately 4 g) per day, 7.2 g of aged garlic extract per day or 300-mg garlic powder two to three times a day.
It is preferable to eat garlic with water and not alone when consumed on an empty stomach.
FAQs
Here are some answers to the most frequently asked questions about garlic being consumed on an empty stomach.
1. Is It Safe to Eat Garlic on Empty Stomach Daily?
Yes, in small amounts, garlic is a great ingredient to consume daily. Be it cooked or raw, garlic is safe for your body and has numerous immune system boosting elements. It is important to moderate this however, as eating too much can cause constipation, blood pressure issues and can cause heartburn.
2. How Much Garlic Should I Eat on an Empty Stomach?
It is recommended that you eat garlic based on your overall dietary needs. However, it is important to note that you should at most consume 3 pods of garlic per meal at the most if raw. This can increase to one full clove of garlic if cooked.
Remember, garlic should never be the entirety of your diet. It can help your body immensely, but having a balanced nutrition plan is essential. Talk to your doctors about garlic being incorporated into your diet. Garlic does not replace any form of medication. If you are on medication, please follow your doctor’s instructions. Garlic is simply a supplement that immensely can boost the functions of your medication and body.