How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Garlic is a spicy root known for clearing and flushes everything out of your body. One student writes, "At first taste it was like a bee stinging my tongue.... my whole body got very warm."

Clears the Respiratory System

Garlic's hot nature is penetrating, breaking up any stagnation. This is most useful in congested kapha conditions and during spring. The heat flushes out the sinuses, and you may feel your nose get tingly when you eat it. Garlic's anti-inflammatory compounds reduce swelling in the nose, sinuses, and Eustachian tube, helping to clear all the channels of the head. Garlic even flushes your eyes and tear ducts. Notice the warmth and heat that spreads to the chest, a sign that garlic is heating and clearing the lungs. One student writes, "I felt good and as if my whole lungs opened up" Your ears may even feel warm.

Supports Circulation & Immunity

With aromatic compounds that make you sweat (it's a diaphoretic), you may notice your face becomes flushed eating raw garlic. As it dilates blood vessels, it flushes the circulatory system, and cleanses your lymphatic system.

The circulatory stimulating effects of raw garlic also improves immunity, as your immune system lives in your blood. Garlic's heat and circulatory properties can help you "sweat out a fever". It is an antifungal that counteracts candida infections. One student noted, "I ate raw garlic once when I had a fever and it completely went away after I ate the garlic."

Hot & Stimulating Aphrodisiac

The heating, circulatory stimulating effects of garlic have given it fame as an aphrodisiac.

Clears the Bowels

Raw garlic clears the bowels because of its sharp pungency.

Strongly Aggravates Pitta

The hot, irritating nature of garlic can cause gurgling, gas, bloating and diarrhea. As the heat pushes blood upwards, you may notice a slight pressure in the frontal lobe, that could erupt into a headache or make you irritable. Raw garlic can make your sweat and breath smell like garlic.

One student writes, "I was burping the taste of garlic the whole day, my hot flashes flared up and it make me very uncomfortable"

If raw garlic is too strong for you, cook it, which mellows it out. Cooked garlic is more sweet. Paradoxically, garlic can make you sleepy. Cooked garlic has a strong sleepy (soporific) effect.

Garlic is considered unctuous and vitiates the blood.