Garlic
The third most anti-inflammatory food per the Dietary Inflammatory Index.
Also known as: cooked garlic, crushed raw garlic, Allium sativum, raw garlic
Active Compounds
Bioactive compounds found in Garlic, based on research from longevity science.
- Inulin
Source: How Not to Age
- Allicin
Source: How Not to Age
- Ajoene
Source: How Not to Age
- Diallyl Sulphide
Sulphides/Thiols including Diallyl sulphide found in garlic and onions support detoxification, heart, immune and gut health
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
- Quercetin
Quercetin is found in garlic.
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
Health Benefits
Health conditions and aging processes that Garlic may influence, based on the source research.
Improves
- Rheumatoid arthritisA third of a teaspoon garlic powder per day
Improved pain intensity, tender joint count, fatigue, and disease activity in women with active RA | Garlic supplementation reduces inflammatory biomarkers, fatigue, and clinical symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis patients
Source: How Not to Age
- Heart diseaseA quarter teaspoon garlic powder daily
Dramatically improved artery function, slowed atherosclerosis progression, lowered cholesterol and blood pressure
Source: How Not to Age
- Cognitive decline1/8 teaspoon garlic powder twice daily
Just an eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder twice daily for 5 weeks significantly improved memory and attention vs placebo | Meta-analysis of animal studies found garlic extract improves cognitive impairment; one human study showed improved visual memory
Source: How Not to Age
- Sarcopenia
One of only three fruits/vegetables with interventional studies for muscle quality, performance, mass, and/or strength
Source: How Not to Age
- Androgenetic Alopecia
Hajheydari 2007: topical garlic gel combined with betamethasone in treatment of alopecia areata
Source: How Not to Age
Reduces Risk Of
- Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Eating onions and garlic associated with significantly lower BPH risk
Source: How Not to Age
- All-Cause Mortality
Garlic consumption associated with reduced all-cause mortality among Chinese oldest-old individuals
Source: How Not to Age
- High blood pressure
Garlic bioactives decrease triglycerides, cholesterol and decrease hypertension
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
Protects Against
- Upper Respiratory Tract Infection
Double-blind placebo-controlled trials show garlic prevents common cold; 54 supplement capsules = 1 clove crushed raw garlic
Source: How Not to Age
- COVID-19
COVID-19 Symptom Study app data on dietary supplements during pandemic
Source: How Not to Age
- Breast cancer
Garlic came in first against breast cancer, brain cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, and stomach cancer in a Food Chemistry study of 34 vegetables
Source: How Not to Die
- Gut Dysbiosis
Garlic warms the digestive system and moves body Qi; treats food retention, cold pain in the abdomen, and diarrhea; detoxifies and kills parasites
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
Biological Mechanisms
How Garlic works at a cellular level.
- PromotesReduces inflammation
- PromotesBoosts Natural Killer Cell Activity
Garlic boosts protective immunity including natural killer cell activity while suppressing inflammation
- PromotesAntioxidant Defense
Systematic review and meta-analysis: garlic improves oxidative stress and antioxidative capacity biomarkers
- PromotesLowers LDL Cholesterol
Systematic review and meta-analysis show garlic effects on lipid profile in diabetic patients
- PromotesLowers blood pressure
Systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs shows garlic reduces blood pressure
- SupportsBoosts immune function
Garlic compounds are absorbed into the bloodstream and exhaled from lungs, potentially helping clear bacteria, serving as adjunct treatment for pneumonia.
- PromotesReduces blood cholesterol levels
Bioactives present in garlic have shown to decrease triglycerides, cholesterol and decrease hypertension
- SupportsImproves Gut Microbiota
Garlic can boost immune function.
- PromotesGlutathione Biosynthesis
Dosage Recommendations
Specific amounts mentioned in the research literature.
- A third of a teaspoon garlic powder per dayfor Rheumatoid arthritis
Improved pain intensity, tender joint count, fatigue, and disease activity in women with active RA | Garlic supplementation reduces inflammatory biomarkers, fatigue, and clinical symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis patients
Source: How Not to Age
- A quarter teaspoon garlic powder dailyfor Heart disease
Dramatically improved artery function, slowed atherosclerosis progression, lowered cholesterol and blood pressure
Source: How Not to Age
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder twice dailyfor Cognitive decline
Just an eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder twice daily for 5 weeks significantly improved memory and attention vs placebo | Meta-analysis of animal studies found garlic extract improves cognitive impairment; one human study showed improved visual memory
Source: How Not to Age
Recipes with Garlic
Sources
- How Not to Age
- Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
- How Not to Die
- The How Not to Age Cookbook
- Young Forever