Garlic, a relative to the onion family, is a popular ingredient in cooking. It’s potent aroma and strong flavor adds pizazz to otherwise bland recipes.
Whether enjoyed fresh, dried, minced, roasted, aged or pickled, it’s easy to add garlic to your meal plan. Fresh garlic can be sautéed with other seasonings as a base for soups and sauces. It can also be crushed into a paste and combined with olive oil to make a variety of dips and dressings. Keep reading for a delicious, Keto-friendly recipe for garlic dip that you’re sure to love.
Throughout ancient history, garlic was also used for its medicinal properties, as it contains sulfur compounds that are believed to bring some powerful health benefits. Surprisingly, garlic can be used to treat a number of ailments, which you’ll discover later in this article.
Don’t worry about that pesky garlic breath, either. I’ve got that covered, too. In this article, discover some proven ways to freshen your breath and neutralize the odor of garlic so that you can enjoy it more often.
Is Garlic Keto Friendly?
The amount of garlic that one would typically consume is limited due to its strong taste and aroma. For example, you might use one or two cloves to flavor an entire dish.
One clove (3 grams) of garlic contains only 1 gram of carbs, making it a great fit for those following a low carb diet, like Keto.
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How Many Carbs are in Garlic?
Fresh: Each 4-gram clove of fresh garlic provides 1 gram of carbs. The calories in garlic come from carbohydrates, but since the calories are so low, the carbs in garlic are also low as well.
Dried: One teaspoon of garlic powder contains 2.3 grams of carbs. Garlic powder contains a slightly higher carb count because it is dehydrated and more condensed in when ground.
How Many Calories are in Garlic?
Fresh: A 4-gram clove of fresh garlic contains only 4 calories. Because you are likely to eat such a small amount of garlic, the calories in a clove or two are not likely to make a noticeable difference in your overall caloric intake.
Dried: One teaspoon of garlic powder contains only 10 calories. Ground, dehydrated garlic powder is slightly higher in calories than fresh cloves of garlic. Both types make healthy, low-calorie additions to your diet.
Nutrition Facts
| Amount: 1 Teaspoon (3.1 grams) of Garlic Powder | |
| Calories 10 | |
| Total Fat 0 grams | 0% |
| Saturated fat 0 grams | 0% |
| Polyunsaturated fat 0 grams | |
| Monounsaturated fat 0 grams | |
| Trans fat 0 grams | |
| Cholesterol 0 milligrams | 0% |
| Sodium 1.9 milligrams | 0% |
| Potassium 37 milligrams | 1% |
| Total Carbohydrate 2.3 grams | 0% |
| Dietary fiber 0.3 grams | 1% |
| Sugar 0.1 grams | |
| Protein 0.5 grams | 1% |
| Vitamin B-6 | 5% | Iron | 1% |
Health Benefits
Overview
Garlic contains a decent amount of vitamin B-6, along with small amounts of iron, manganese, vitamin C, and selenium. Garlic also contains trace amounts of other nutrients as well.
Brain Health
Garlic contains antioxidants that protect against cell damage and prevent age-related brain diseases. Consuming garlic regularly may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The positive effects of garlic on cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as its antioxidant properties, all contribute to lowering the risk of these common brain diseases.
Antibiotic Properties
Various laboratory studies confirm that raw garlic has antibacterial and antiviral properties. In fact, fresh, raw garlic has been proven since ancient times as an effective way to kill off bacteria and viruses. This is mainly due to the allicin in garlic, which can prevent both infections inside the body and outer infections of the skin.
Lowering Uric Acid Levels
Garlic is an excellent cure for gout because it helps remove excess uric acid from the body. The removal of uric acid from the body helps reduce swelling in the joints and relieve pain. Lowering uric acid in the body by regularly consuming garlic or garlic supplements can also prevent later flare-ups in individuals with this condition.
Lowers Cholesterol
Garlic supplements seem to reduce total and LDL cholesterol. Individuals with high cholesterol who take garlic supplements appear to reduce total and/or LDL cholesterol by about 10–15 percent.
Garlic appears to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol but has no reliable effect on HDL (good) cholesterol.
Reduces Blood Pressure
High blood pressure or hypertension is the leading cause of heart attacks and strokes.
Garlic supplements have been found to have a significant impact on reducing blood pressure. However, the supplement amount is quite high to have the desired effects. The amount needed is approximately 4 cloves of garlic per day.
Detoxifies the Blood
At high doses, the organic sulfur compounds in garlic have been shown to protect your organs from heavy metal toxicity.
A month-long study on employees of a car battery plant who were exposed to lead experienced a 20% reduction of lead levels in the blood by consuming garlic.
Improves Longevity
Garlic has the power to prevent chronic disease, which helps you live longer. Given the beneficial effects on blood pressure and cholesterol, it makes sense that garlic could lengthen your lifespan.
Doubled by the fact that garlic fights infectious diseases, viruses and harmful bacteria, garlic is especially helpful for elderly people and individuals with compromised immune systems.
Side Effects
Garlic is generally safe for most people when consumed in normal food amounts. When taken by mouth raw, garlic can cause bad breath and a burning sensation in the mouth. Garlic may cause stomach aches, heartburn, gas, nausea, vomiting, body odor, and diarrhea. Some individuals may be allergic to garlic.
Garlic may also increase the risk of bleeding. If you have a bleeding disorder or are taking blood-thinning drugs, ask your doctor if it’s safe for you to consume garlic.
Keto Garlic Dip Recipe
Ingredients:
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon, freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons full-fat mayonnaise
- Dash of pink, Himalayan seas salt and white pepper to taste.
Instructions:
- Blend all the ingredients together well in a medium-sized bowl.
- Transfer to a dip bowl.
- Garnish with sesame seeds or parsley and serve with your favorite raw veggies or low carb chips!
Related Questions:
Is Garlic Good for Weight Loss?
Garlic has the power to boost energy levels, which could help you burn more calories and shed excess body fat. Garlic is also known to boost the metabolism, further helping you drop those unwanted pounds.
Furthermore, garlic has special properties that suppress appetite. Consuming garlic helps you feel fuller for longer, which prevents overeating and snacking between meals.
Is Garlic Good for Diabetics?
Scientists have discovered that garlic supplements could have beneficial effects on diabetes.
Both raw and cooked garlic can help regulate blood glucose and potentially reduce the effects of some diabetes complications.
Other benefits for diabetics include garlic’s ability to fight infections, lower LDL cholesterol and aid blood flow.
How Can I Prevent Garlic Breath?
If you suffer from bad breath due to eating a lot of garlic or taking garlic supplements, try the following solutions to neutralize odor:
- Try snacking on certain fruits and herbs, like lemons or limes wedges, apples, or a sprig of fresh mint or parsley.
- Brush and floss after eating.
- Drink a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar diluted in a glass of water.
- Drink green tea flavored with lemon and honey.
- Suck on a strong, peppermint like Altoids or chew mint-flavored gum.
- Gargle with a minty mouthwash.
- Use a tongue scraper or brush your tongue with your toothbrush.
Can Garlic Help Treat a Cold?
Garlic supplements help prevent common colds and illnesses like the flu by boosting the function of the immune system. A year-long study found that participants given a daily garlic supplement experienced 63% fewer colds compared to subjects given a placebo.
The average length of cold symptoms was also significantly reduced by 70% as the placebo group had colds that lasted an average of 5 days, in comparison to only 1.5 days for those in the garlic group.
Another study discovered that high doses of aged garlic extract (2.5 grams per day) significantly reduced the number of days participants were sick with cold or flu by approximately 60%.
