Garlic juice is celebrated for its potent taste and myriad health advantages. It’s used by some as a natural method to fend off ailments such as the flu and common colds, and to alleviate their symptoms. There are also assertions that it can manage health issues like hypertension.
But is garlic juice really the miracle drink that some sources claim? This article explains what garlic juice is, how to make it and whether it offers some health benefits.
What is Garlic Juice?
As the name implies, garlic juice is a drink extracted from garlic cloves. This raw juice is made by juicing, blending, or pressing garlic cloves. You can choose to have it as is or enhance its flavors by adding some parsley, honey, or lemon juice.
Over the past few years, garlic juice has gained popularity from health and wellness gurus, promoting it as a way to boost metabolism, treat common infections and even treat certain cancers. This is why more and more people are looking to make their own garlic juice to benefit from its potent properties.
How to Make Garlic Juice From Garlic Cloves
Extracting garlic juice is a relatively simple process. Drinking garlic juice is highly beneficial to your health, especially preventing infections and improving your general health.
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized garlic bulb
This is enough to make 60 to 83 ml of garlic juice which is equivalent to 1/4 to 1/3 cup
Instructions
Step 1: Break Apart the Garlic Bulb
Break up the bulb of garlic into individual garlic cloves. The number of garlic cloves a bulb will have will depend on the variety of garlic as well as the size of the bulb. But, a standard medium-sized bulb usually has around 10 to 12 cloves.
Step 2: Peel the Garlic Cloves
Method 1: Placing a clove of garlic on a cutting board and crushing it with a large chef’s knife is the most basic way to peel garlic. How:
- Take a large chef’s knife and place the flat side over the garlic clove with the sharp edge facing away from you.
- Hold the knife’s handle in one hand and lightly smash the flat side of the knife with the other hand. This will remove the skin of the clove.
- Repeat this procedure with all the remaining cloves.
Method 2: Using a fresh garlic peeler
Put the garlic cloves in a garlic peeler. Turn on the garlic peeler for it to peel off the garlic skin. Once done, pour the cloves out of the garlic peeler.
Step 3: Make Garlic Puree
Wash the freshly peeled garlic cloves clean. Put the cloves in a garlic press. A blender or food processor will also work.
Using a food processor: We highly recommend using a food processor when working with many cloves of garlic, as it is easier and faster. Puree the garlic on medium to a slightly high speed. Pure until they produce a thick, creamy puree. There should be no chunks of garlic left.
Puree garlic cloves with a garlic press: Most garlic press gadgets only allow one clove at a time. But you can fit multiple cloves simultaneously if you have a bigger one. However, you will use more force when pressing multiple cloves than pressing one at a time. Hold the garlic press over a bowl. Press the handles together using both hands to crush the garlic juices. Repeat this process for the remaining garlic cloves.
Step 4: Start Extracting Raw Garlic Juice
Take the puree out of the blender and put it into a strainer or a fine sieve. Use a strainer with medium-sized gaps. A fine sieve will separate a lot of the garlic pulp from the liquid. However, it will take longer to sieve the garlic, making the process a lot slower. A strainer with medium gaps offers a nice balance between the quality of juice and the amount of time it will take you to extract it.
Put the sieve over a bowl and press the juice using a rubber spatula. Press the juice until there is no more of it left in the garlic pulp. You can discard the leftover pulp or use it to flavor your soups, stir-frys, stews, and many other recipes.
Step 5: Refine Your Fresh Garlic Juice
To achieve this, you will need a coffee filter. Running it through a coffee filter will create an even purer product. Hold the coffee filter over a clean bowl. You can use a rubber band to tightly secure the filter so that it doesn’t fall inside. Slowly pour the juice over the coffee filter for sieving. Go slowly with the filtering. If you pour the juice too quickly, some of it may spill. Continue this process until all the juice has strained into the glass bowl.
As tempting as it may be, do not pour the garlic juice through a coffee maker. This is because garlic’s pungent scent and flavor will be hard to clean and remove.
Once you’ve strained all the garlic juice, it is ready for use. You can store some garlic juice in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. If you feel this process is too tedious or do not have the time to prepare garlic juice, consider buying bottled garlic juice from your local grocery store.
Essential Factors to Consider When Making Garlic Juice
Most importantly, make sure to do the following when preparing garlic juice:
Use Fresh Garlic Cloves
We cannot over-emphasize the importance of making garlic juice using fresh garlic bulbs. This is because allicin, the most active compound in fresh garlic, degrades the longer it sits out. This is not something you want as this compound contributes the most to the health benefits of garlic juice.
Peel the Skin Off the Garlic Cloves
Make sure to remove the skin on each garlic clove you intend to extract juice from. Only peel the cloves you are using and leave the rest intact to use later
Drink in Moderation
Finally, like with any other food, too much of something is poisonous. While garlic juice has numerous health benefits, drinking too much does not mean you will reap the most. Plus, there are some potential side effects of drinking garlic juice in excess. We will cover this later in the article.
Health Benefits of Garlic Juice
While the thought of drinking garlic juice may not sound palatable to many, the health benefits associated with this drink are undeniable. Garlic juice is a rich source of allicin, the active ingredient in garlic. It also has abundant minerals and vitamins like manganese, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, potassium, and minerals like vitamin C and B. Additionally, this juice may also contain sulfuric compounds and other volatile acids. Garlic juice can be applied topically to the skin or taken orally. Some of the health benefits of garlic juice include
Reduces Your Risk of Diseases and Infections
Garlic has been proven to reduce the risk of diseases such as:
- Cancer: For many years, people have been using garlic to prevent certain types of cancer. Garlic contains an organo-sulfur compound, which induces the death of glioblastoma cells – a type of brain tumor. Also, garlic juice lowers your risk of lung cancer. You might benefit from its anti-cancer properties by drinking garlic juice – which is rich in organo-sulfur compounds.
- Bacterial infections: Garlic is hailed for its antibiotic properties, which help fight a broad spectrum of viruses, fungi, and bacteria thanks to the diallyl sulfide compounds found in garlic. This compound is 100 times more effective in fighting bacteria like Campylobacter than most antibiotics. The Campylobacter bacteria causes food-borne intestinal infections. So taking garlic juice can help protect you against this bacteria.
- Colds and Coughs: Numerous studies acknowledge garlic juice is sometimes used to prevent and treat the common cold and flu. It is believed that taking garlic regularly can help decrease the frequency of common colds in adults.
Prevents Cardiovascular Disease
Studies have found that consuming aged garlic extract lowers cholesterol levels and blood pressure, increasing your risk for cardiovascular diseases. Also, garlic juice may benefit your cardiovascular system as it helps prevent cell damage and reduces plaque buildup in your arteries.
May Improve Athletic Performance
Garlic is considered one of the best performance-enhancing substances. In the old times, it was used to treat fatigue and improve the work capacity of laborers.
Improves Skin Health
Garlic juice provides antioxidants to the skin that improve coloration, reduce signs of aging and prevent inflammatory conditions and infections. It also helps treat acne. Apply the juice to the face and wash it off after 5 minutes. Repeat this process daily until the acne disappears.
Note: Do not leave the garlic juice on your face overnight as it may burn or harm the skin.
Reduces Hair Loss
Garlic juice helps to strengthen the hair and prevent hair loss. You can achieve these benefits by consuming garlic juice orally or mixing it with other hair products.
Weight Loss
One of the purported benefits of drinking garlic juice is that it helps with weight loss. Scientists believe that garlic juice might promote weight loss in several ways, including:
- Suppress your appetite: Garlic is an effective appetite suppressant, which helps prevent overeating.
- Enhances the fat burning process: Garlic is rich in numerous compounds, including organosulfides and diallyl sulfide. These and more compounds stimulate the fat-burning process, allowing you to burn more calories.
- Stimulates digestion: A smooth digestion process can help you lose weight.
It Helps You Sleep Better
Amongst its many health benefits, garlic’s zinc and sulfurous compounds naturally promote relaxation, helping you enjoy better quality sleep. Garlic also helps clear nasal blockage, which contributes to better sleep quality by reducing snoring.
Improves Digestive Health
Maintaining a healthy digestive system is crucial because it improves overall health by bringing essential nutrients to the body. Drinking garlic juice first thing in the morning stimulates digestion and appetite. It also improves digestive health by preventing stomach issues like diarrhea caused by pathogenic bacteria. Also, garlic juice reduces your chances of experiencing uncomfortable symptoms like constipation and bloating.
Relieves Stress
Drinking garlic juice first thing in the morning also helps boost your mental health. Garlic is believed to contain mood-boosting properties that help balance chemicals in the body that regulate your mood.
Is Drinking Too Much Garlic Juice Healthy?
As much as garlic juice is healthy, drinking too much can cause adverse side effects like stomach issues. Taking too much of it can cause nausea and gastrointestinal discomfort. You may suffer headaches, cramping, excessive gas, profuse sweating, and bloating.
Additionally, garlic’s natural anticoagulant properties can exacerbate bleeding disorders. As such, garlic juice should be avoided before and after surgery. You should also avoid taking it alongside other anticoagulant drugs. In severe cases, garlic juice may lead to life-threatening hemorrhage.
You must consult your doctor and tell them if you are on any medication or have an underlying condition before you start drinking garlic juice. Otherwise, you are advised to drink this beverage in moderation and not overdo it with the cloves. To reap the most benefits from garlic juice, consider taking it first thing in the morning.
Sources
https://www.organicfacts.net/garlic-juice.html
https://www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk/growing/blog/garlic-for-insomnia-1