Garlic: Everyday Food
with a Long Medicinal History

Garlic is so common in the kitchen that it is easy to forget it has also been valued as medicine for thousands of years. Known in Chinese as dàsuàn 大蒜, garlic, Allium sativum, has long been used both as a seasoning and as a traditional remedy in China and many other cultures. That dual role makes it a natural addition to a Food as Medicine series.

Garlic probably originated in Central Asia and spread widely through China, the Middle East, and Europe. Historical sources describe its medicinal use in China going back thousands of years, while today it remains one of the most widely consumed culinary plants in the world.

Much of garlic’s distinctive smell and biological activity comes from sulfur-containing compounds. When a garlic clove is chopped, crushed, or chewed, enzymes convert naturally occurring compounds into allicin and related sulfur compounds. These substances are unstable and quickly change into other compounds, many of which are believed to contribute to garlic’s physiological effects.

Traditional Chinese medicine has used garlic for digestive complaints, intestinal parasites, infections, and other conditions. As with many traditional foods, however, its role has never been confined to the herbal pharmacy. Garlic is incorporated routinely into cooked dishes, sauces, stir-fries, dumplings, vegetables, and meat preparations.

Modern research has focused particularly on cardiovascular health. A large 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis covering 108 randomized controlled trials found that garlic supplementation was associated with modest improvements in several cardiovascular risk markers, including total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and some inflammatory markers. The average reductions were not dramatic, but they were measurable.

Earlier systematic reviews reached broadly similar conclusions, particularly for blood pressure and total cholesterol, although results have varied according to the type of garlic preparation, dosage, duration of treatment, and health of the participants.

This variation is important because “garlic” in research does not always mean ordinary garlic eaten with dinner. Clinical trials may use garlic powder tablets, oils, aged garlic extract, or standardized preparations containing specific amounts of active compounds. A 2025 analysis of aged garlic extract, for example, found modest reductions in systolic blood pressure and LDL cholesterol but less consistent effects on other measures.

Garlic has also demonstrated antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activity in laboratory research. These findings help explain why it has attracted medicinal interest for so long, but they should not be interpreted to mean that eating garlic can treat infections or replace prescribed medication.

Fortunately, garlic does not need to function as a drug to justify its reputation as a healthy food. It adds considerable flavor with very few calories and contains small amounts of vitamins, minerals, and numerous biologically active compounds. Its strong flavor may also help make vegetables, legumes, and other nutritious foods more appealing without relying heavily on salt or rich sauces.

How garlic is prepared may influence its chemistry. Crushing or chopping the cloves and allowing them to sit briefly before cooking gives the enzymes time to form allicin. Prolonged high heat can reduce some of these compounds, although cooked garlic remains a nutritious and flavorful ingredient.

Garlic fits the idea of "Food as Medicine" almost perfectly. It is not an exotic supplement and does not require a special regimen. It is an ordinary ingredient that has been eaten regularly for generations, while modern research suggests that some of its traditional reputation may have a measurable biological basis.

Its greatest value may therefore lie somewhere between nutrition and medicine: a familiar food, used frequently and sensibly, that can contribute to a healthy diet while also providing compounds that continue to interest modern science.