Is Garlic the Secret to a Healthy Brain and a Happy Gut?

Garlic conjures up smells of delicious meals wafting up from the kitchen.

Probably one of the most widely used herbs to enhance meals, garlic is used in most savory dishes by most cultures. On the other hand, the dreaded garlic breath smell can haunt us. No wonder, garlic has earned the infamous reputation of the bad breath king. This occurs due to the presence of several sulfur compounds in garlic, such as allyl methyl sulfide. These compounds undergo absorption in the gut and secretion into the bloodstream before being exhaled through our breath, which contributes to the pungent odor of garlic. I can still remember my sister taking me to the The Stinking Rose in San Francisco for my birthday; we came out stinking but till this day who can forget the buttery garlic knots infused with sweet delicious garlic cloves. Garlic has truly survived the test of time. These small white bulbs are 2500 years old and were first used by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates to treat respiratory problems, fatigue, and poor digestion. Garlic is packed with essential nutrients, like vitamins B and C, and minerals, such as potassium, iron, copper, and magnesium, which cumulatively promote heart health and protection from infectious disease. Recent research studies also suggest that the compounds present in garlic can have a vital role in regulating our mood, protecting brain and gut health, and preventing neurodegenerative diseases and microbial disorders.

Garlic can play a major role in our mental health due to its antidepressant properties. Garlic inhibits monoamine oxidase levels and reduces the reuptake of dopamine and serotonin. By increasing the levels of these neurotransmitters, garlic acts similarly to antidepressants and plays an important role in uplifting mood, while helping alleviate anxiety and depression. As such, adding garlic to our daily diet can exert great therapeutic effects that could help manage depressive disorders.

Eating garlic can help our brain cells from damage to environmental stressors.

During aging, parts of our brain linked to cognitive function, memory, and learning may decline. Garlic’s anti-inflammatory properties help decrease this functional loss in the brain and improve memory and other cognitive functions. For instance, eating garlic can help our brain cells from damage to environmental stressors and make it more resilient to neurological diseases and aging. A recent study discovered that a carbohydrate derivative of garlic, called fructosyl arginine (FruArg), helps reduce the amount of nitric oxide produced by glial cells in response to stress. Microglial cells, found in the brain and spinal cord, respond to stress by multiplying and releasing nitric oxide in this process. Excessive production of nitric oxide in the brain can lead to brain cell damage and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. However, eating either raw garlic or aged garlic extracts can help reduce beta-amyloid induced neurotoxicity and cognitive impairments due to their neuroprotective role.

Garlic is incredibly beneficial to both brain functioning and a healthy microbiome

Our gut is home to about a 100 trillion bacteria that help break down components of our food and help maintain a stable gastrointestinal system. Garlic acts as a fuel for the growth of good bacteria in our gut since it contains fructan, a compound that promotes the growth of favorable bacteria, like Bifidobacteria, while diminishing the growth of pathogenic bacteria, such as Clostridia. Garlic can also help improve the microbial balance of healthy bacteria and reduce incidence of metabolic disorders by reversing the effects of a high fat diet. A high fat diet disturbs the gut microbiome composition by decreasing probiotic bacteria while increasing the pathogenic bacteria, thus making the gut more susceptible to metabolic disorders and systemic inflammation. Garlic helps attenuate iso-butyric acid levels, a compound that has been associated with hyperlipidemia. As such, consuming garlic has a major impact on our gut microbiota by inducing the colonization of probiotic bacteria while aiding the prevention of high-fat-diet induced metabolic disorders.

Garlic acts as a fuel for the growth of good bacteria

As we can see, garlic is incredibly beneficial to both brain functioning and a healthy microbiome and can make any meal delicious. Some ways to easily include garlic in your diet are to add in a few crushed garlic cloves with some extra virgin olive oil to your salad as an alternative to high-calorie salad dressings. You can also enjoy a fresh bowl of homemade salsa by adding tomatoes, onions, and a few cloves of garlic as a perfect evening snack!

We may call it the bad breath king, but garlic is the secret to a healthy brain and happy gut

Undoubtedly, garlic is a super herb. It has been eaten across numerous countries and cultures for centuries, from the builders of the Pyramid of Giza in ancient Egypt for endurance to ancient Indian physicians for heart disease and arthritis. We may call it the bad breath king, but garlic is the secret to a healthy brain and happy gut.