He Ate Garlic Every Day for 5 Months — What Happened to His Kidneys Surprised Doctors

Given how powerful fresh garlic is, it should really be consumed in moderation. There are some boundaries you should keep in mind when it comes to eating garlic daily.

Upset stomachs and acid reflux: As mentioned earlier, raw garlic can really sting when you have a particularly sensitive stomach. For those people who experience heartburn, GERD, or acid reflux, raw garlic can make the condition worse and cause burning pains in your stomach or chest area.

Trick to remember: Of course, if raw garlic just makes your stomach feel terrible, there is still hope for you. Crush or slice a garlic clove and let it stay on your countertop for about 10 minutes. After this short break, the chemical process will finish producing allicin and make all of its healthful properties resistant to heat.

Increased bleeding risks: Do you recall how garlic stops the platelets in your bloodstream from clumping up? The patient safety guidelines at the Mayo Clinic say that since it thins your blood, it may cause increased bleeding problems. If you are currently taking other blood thinning medications such as warfarin and aspirin, or if you have a surgical procedure scheduled for the future, then you need to consult your doctor before you start eating heaps of raw garlic or taking high dose suplements.

Yes,you can overdose on garlic: Toxicology data from the University of Rochester Medical Center warns that in massive quantities, garlic can actually become toxic to the human body. To keep things completely safe, a 150-pound person shouldn’t eat more than 17 grams of raw garlic a day. If you weigh around 250 pounds, your absolute ceiling is about 28.4 grams.

How much do you actually need?

No, you do not need to swallow entire cloves as capsules nor struggle eating handfuls. In a number of clinical studies, it has been proven that the same effects are produced by 1 to 2 raw cloves on daily basis. In case you really detest the taste of garlic and prefer taking it as supplements, then opt for the aged garlic extract as 3,600 mg is clinically proved to be very safe and effective.

If the idea of biting straight into a raw garlic clove makes you want to run away, don’t worry. You can easily hide it in everyday recipes while keeping all the health benefits completely intact:

• Make a piece of crunchy toast. Split the raw garlic clove, then rub it on the heated and crunchy toast directly. The juices and oils will be left behind instantly, providing everything you need from this ingredient without its pungent and burning taste.

• Mince the raw garlic finely or grate a little of it, then add to your own dressing made of olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, and a little bit of honey. The fat in the oil will help reduce the heat of garlic.

• Grate a little of the raw garlic into fresh guacamole, homemade hummus or Greek tzatziki with cold yogurt and cucumber.

While eating raw garlic could use a slight dose of strategy in case you intend to be near people soon, your heart and immune system would appreciate it.