Garlic has a rich history dating back thousands of years, and is a staple in cultures around the world for both its culinary and medicinal uses. Ancient Egyptians,
Greeks, and Romans valued garlic not only for its flavor but also for its health-boosting properties.
Today, garlic is a cornerstone of some of the most beloved cuisines, including Italian, Indian, Chinese, and more, because it brings depth and richness to dishes like pasta sauces, garlic bread, curries, and stir-fries.
Garlic works wonders as a seasoning for grilled steak, roasted chicken, seafood, and even
vegetables like broccoli and asparagus.
Its ability to elevate the flavor of nearly any dish makes it an essential ingredient in kitchens worldwide.
But garlic is also a powerhouse for your health and performance.
Whether you’re crushing weights in the gym, chasing faster recovery, or simply looking to stay healthy, garlic deserves a permanent spot in your daily meals. This small, pungent bulb carries a big punch when it comes to benefits that impact every aspect of your fitness and overall well-being.
Why is garlic is considered a superfood?
Garlic is packed with compounds that deliver tangible benefits for athletes and anyone serious about their health. The active compound in garlic, allicin, is the secret weapon. Once garlic is crushed or chopped, allicin is released, kicking off a cascade of health benefits that range from reducing inflammation to improving cardiovascular health to reducing colorectal, breast, prostate, and gastric cancer risk(1), and more.
When your body breaks down the sulfur compounds in garlic—like allicin, diallyl disulfide, diallyl trisulfide, and S-allylmercaptocysteine—it creates hydrogen sulfide (H2S). This is what gives garlic its strong smell. But H2S does more than that. It acts as a messenger in your body, helping with blood flow, nerve function, and reducing inflammation. The sulfur compounds themselves also play a big role in protecting your heart. They support antioxidant activity, help prevent blood clots, and lower inflammation, which is why garlic is so
It also works wonders for digestion when combined with three other foods, which when combined, can make the foundation of a delicious lunch or dinner meal. More on that later.
Let’s break down why this magical ingredient is essential for your performance:
1. Boosts endurance performance.
If you’re chasing PRs or grinding through long training sessions, you need optimal blood flow. Garlic improves nitric oxide production, a molecule that helps widen blood vessels.
Better circulation means more oxygen and nutrients delivered to your muscles when they need it most. Studies have even shown that garlic supplementation can improve exercise endurance, giving you the edge when workouts get tough.
One double-blind placebo-controlled study where athletes were given 900mg of powdered garlic or a placebo three hours before the exercise session discovered a small but statistically
significant increase in VO2max in the garlic group(2). A typical bulb of garlic (depending on size and variety) can contain around 500-1000 milligrams of garlic, so you can get the amount used in this study simply by cooking with an entire bulb of garlic. The bonus is your food will be delicious too!
2. A natural anti-inflammatory.
Chronic stress causes chronic inflammation, and chronic inflammation can derail progress. Garlic has potent
anti-inflammatory properties(2) that can help your body recover faster and reduce the risk of injury.
Incorporating garlic into your meals consistently helps keep inflammation under control, so you can train harder without the lingering aches and pains.
3. Garlic supports
For anyone pushing their limits, staying healthy is half the battle. Garlic’s immune-boosting properties are legendary. It’s been shown to increase antioxidant capacity(3) and reduce the duration and severity of common illnesses, keeping you in the gym instead of bed.
4. Improved gut health.
Garlic is rich in prebiotics.
Prebiotics are foods that contain indigestible carbohydrate fibers such as inulin which can stimulate the digestive tract and relieve constipation. Garbanzo beans, onions, garlic, and mushrooms are a powerful combination of prebiotics to improve gut microbiota. Mushrooms are great as prebiotics for their ability to support beneficial microbes in the gut and inhibit the growth of pathogens(4). This combination really does work wonders fast. Less than 12 hours in most cases.
5. Heart health benefits(5).
Every rep, set, and mile relies on a strong cardiovascular system. Garlic is proven to lower blood pressure(7,8) and cholesterol levels, protecting your heart from the demands of intense training.
means you can push harder, recover better, and maintain peak performance for the long haul.
6. Garlic improves blood sugar.
Studies show that garlic can significantly lower fasting blood sugar (FBG) levels(6). In a review of eight studies, garlic reduced FBG by an average of 7.01 points. The results were highly significant, with strong evidence supporting garlic’s positive impact on blood sugar control(9).
Other research(10) shows that garlic can improve cholesterol and blood sugar levels(11), making it helpful for people with diabetes and heart conditions. In a review of 33 studies involving over 1,200 participants, garlic was found to lower “bad” cholesterol (LDL), triglycerides, and fasting blood sugar while boosting “good” cholesterol (HDL).
Here’s how garlic made a difference:
• Triglycerides (TG): dropped by 12.44 mg/dl
• Total cholesterol (TC): decreased by 16.87 mg/dl
• LDL (“bad cholesterol”): reduced by 9.65 mg/dl
• HDL (“good cholesterol”): increased by 3.19 mg/dl
• Fasting blood sugar (FBS): dropped by 10.90 mg/dl
• HbA1C (long-term blood sugar): decreased by 0.60%
Adding garlic to your meals could be a simple and natural way to support better heart health and blood sugar control.
What’s the best way to incorporate garlic daily?
While knowing garlic is great for you is one thing; making it part of your routine is another. How you do it is up to you. You can eat it raw or you can eat it cooked. While raw garlic offers the highest concentration of allicin, cooking it still retains many benefits. Raw garlic does seem to cause ‘garlic breath’ more than cooked garlic, so that’s something to consider if you’ve got a date coming up. It’s good to aim for a balance of raw and cooked garlic in your diet.
How do you get the most health benefits out of it?
Use fresh garlic. Chop, crush, or mince it, then let it sit for a 5-10 minutes before cooking it. This activates the allicin and maximizes its potency.
You can add it to almost everything you eat.
Toss garlic into your scrambled eggs, mix it with olive oil for a quick salad dressing, or sauté it with vegetables for an easy side dish. It’s versatile and pairs well with almost everything.
What about garlic supplements?
It’s always best to get your nutrients from real food, but garlic supplements are a convenient alternative. Look for high-quality options to ensure you’re getting the real deal.
The beauty of garlic is its simplicity and accessibility. You can find it in every grocery store and it’s a really affordable addition to your diet that packs an enormous punch for your health. This small addition to your daily meals pays dividends in recovery, endurance, and overall health. A bag of garlic is less than $5 in most grocery stores and can last the entire week.
For the cost of a few cloves a week, you’re investing in a tool that supports every aspect of your fitness journey. There are three other foods you can cook with garlic with to make your digestion as consistent as the sunrise.
What are they?
Garbanzo beans, mushrooms, and onions.
Here’s why…
These four foods are rich in prebiotics. Prebiotics are foods that contain indigestible carbohydrate fibers such as inulin which can stimulate the digestive tract and relieve constipation.
The combination if garbanzo beans, onions, garlic, and mushrooms are a powerful combination if prebiotics to improve gut microbiota. Mushrooms are great as prebiotics for their ability to support beneficial microbes in the gut and inhibit the growth of pathogens(12). This combination really does work wonders fast. Less than 12 hours in most cases.
If you’re looking to get your gut health in order, this is a great combination of foods you can cook together to make a delicious meal.
Cook everything together in a pan, add a jar of tomato sauce and bag of spinach, some sea salt, oregano, and black pepper, and you have yourself a delicious Italian inspired foundation for a meal. Add your preferred source of protein
(chicken, steak, fish, seitan, tofu, etc) and you’re good to go!
Look, your health and fitness success isn’t just about the hours spent in the gym—it’s about the choices you make every day. Every meal is an opportunity to fuel your body and optimize your results, and garlic is one of the most powerful
(and delicious) ingredients that you can add to your diet.
Commit to cooking with garlic every day, and you’ll see the difference it makes in your energy, endurance, and recovery. Your body (and your taste buds) will thank you.
And if you’d like to improve your gut health even further, a quick and effective way to improve your gut health and fortify your immune system is with
Pro+Flora Probiotic helps you stay on point by providing your gut flora the fuel they need to keep you healthy and strong!
References:
(1) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916523068193
(2) https://examine.com/foods/Garlic/
(3) https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-015-0084-9
(4) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30049636/
(5) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10184592/
(6) https://jhpn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s41043-024-00608-1
(7) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6966103/#:~:text=In%20summary%2C%20this%20meta%2Danalysis,to%20standard%20blood%20pressure%20medication.
(8) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8031974/#:~:text=Conclusions,garlic%20and%20change%20in%20BP.
(9) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26693740/
(10) https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/11/1692#:~:text=Impact%20of%20Garlic%20on%20Glucose,shown%20in%20Figure%202A).
(11) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30049636/
(12) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37776487/
