Garlic is one of those vegetables that makes almost anything taste better, well at least I think so.
Whether you chop it up, mince it, or use garlic powder in your dish, you can almost immediately tell that it's improved.
There are plenty of studies floating around recognizing garlic as a healthy addition to humans' diets. But the real question today is whether garlic is acidic, neutral, or alkaline.
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Is Garlic Acidic?
Garlic is acidic and even the taste of garlic comes of acidic, even though it's delicious. Garlic has a pH of 5.8, give or take a few points. A pH of 5.8 means that garlic falls on the acidic side, but it's still not far from being a neutral vegetable.
Despite having an acidic pH, garlic isn't necessarily bad for the average person. Let's dive into some of the health benefits garlic can have and how this veggie can impact your acid reflux.
Don't know what to drink? We made a list of more than 20 most and least acidic juices and 20+ alcoholic drinks ranked by acidity levels.
Health Benefits of Garlic
Hippocrates, an ancient Greek doctor, used to prescribe garlic to treat a variety of illnesses.
With the improvement of technologies, modern science has been able to prove some of Hippocrates' theories about using garlic as a treatment.
Garlic is a common vegetable that can help boost your immune system. A stronger immune system means you won't be getting sick as often.
In fact, garlic has been used as a treatment for the common cold. For example, one study showed that a daily garlic intake reduced the number of colds participants had by around 60%.
Hypertension and high blood pressure are two of the biggest indicators of heart disease, the biggest killer worldwide.
The active properties of garlic have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease in people who took garlic supplements and incorporated the vegetable into their diet.
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There are even suggestions that the antioxidants in garlic can help prevent dementia. Oxidative damage is what contributes to brain and aging diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
Garlic has antioxidants that can help support your body against oxidative damage.
In addition to these health benefits of eating garlic, this vegetable is very low in calories and rich in nutrients.
Three grams of raw garlic is only five calories. It's the perfect vegetable to include in your meals because it acts as a seasoning too. Garlic contains important nutrients such as vitamin B6, vitamin C, selenium, fiber, and manganese.
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If you're taking garlic supplements, you'll want to be careful if you're taking any other blood thinners.
Garlic supplements are known as blood thinners, and taking them in conjunction with another one can be dangerous.
Can I Eat Garlic With Acid Reflux?
While garlic is generally a healthy vegetable and spice to include in your dishes, you may want to limit the amount of garlic you consume if you suffer from acid reflux or heartburn.
Many doctors advise their patients who suffer from these symptoms to avoid eating garlic because the acidic properties can cause them to experience uncomfortable and even painful symptoms.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with anything in moderation, but if you know this will cause you pain, it's best to avoid it all together.
RELATED: Top 15 Alkaline Foods You Should Include In Your Diet (Guilt-Free)
If you don't typically get heartburn or acid reflux, eating garlic shouldn't be an issue for you. Even if you occasionally experience these symptoms, eating garlic in your food in small quantities may not be an issue, but everyone is different.
You'll want to listen to your doctor and your body before continuing to add garlic to your meals.
What Country Produces The Most Garlic?
Garlic is native to Asia but consumed in countries all over the world. The country the produces the most garlic in the world is China.
China produces around 20 million tons of this vegetable a year. Coming in second place for garlic production, but not anywhere near close to China, is India.
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India produces around 1.25 million tons of garlic annually. Following behind China and India is South Korea producing .35 million tons a year.
How Much Garlic Do People Eat?
People eat a lot of garlic. This vegetable is fantastic for your health, and it can make any dish better by its addition.
It's estimated that each person in the world consumes two pounds of garlic a year on average. That's about 300 cloves of garlic!
While this sounds like a large number, when you think about how much we use garlic in recipes, it starts to make sense. It may even seem like too small of a number.
Delicious Garlic Forward Recipes
If you're ready to incorporate more garlic into your diet without only using garlic powder, here are some of my favorite garlic-forward recipes.
For a simple and delicious dinner, chicken and garlic with herbs is a crowd-pleaser. You'll cook your chicken and make a sauce with a lot of garlic, herbs, and you can serve it with a side of potatoes or rice.
Are you craving pasta? Garlic lemon shrimp is the perfect light pasta dish. Your shrimp will be sautéed in an impressive amount of butter and garlic, making them the star of the show.
You won't want to miss adding the juices you cooked your shrimp into your pasta sauce because that will only make it taste better.
READ ALSO: 15 Alkaline Foods You Should Include In Your Diet
If you're anything like me, you love bread of all kinds. But these onion and garlic biscuits are going to be a new addition to almost any meal.
Think of the fluffy biscuits you already love but with an extra garlicky taste. They're perfect for eating alone with butter or dipping in stews and soups.
Garlic Can Fight Acne
We already knew that garlic is great for a number of reasons, but did you know that garlic may be a solution to your acne or cold sores?
Some say that if you slice garlic cloves in half and then apply it to your skin, it can fight these irritating skin issues.
The reason people started doing this is because of the antibacterial properties in garlic can help expedite the healing process.
Don't know what to drink? We made a list of more than 20 most and least acidic juices and 20+ alcoholic drinks ranked by acidity levels.
