Garlic can treat conditions such as indigestion, abdominal bloating, distension, and pain due to cold in the epigastrium.
In addition to containing sulfur compounds, garlic also contains various sugars, amino acids, vitamins, lipids, trace elements, and calcium and phosphorus. It possesses multiple biological activities, can stimulate appetite, promote gastric juice secretion, and is beneficial for preventing and treating hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and hyperglycemia. Research has found that allicin can inhibit the synthesis of carcinogenic nitrosamines in the stomach. Further analysis has also revealed that garlic is rich in selenium and germanium, which are important components for preventing tumors. Medicinal diets using garlic as an ingredient are introduced as follows:
Sugar and Vinegar Garlic: Strengthens the spleen, stimulates appetite, resolves stagnation, and benefits the throat. Brew old mature vinegar with sugar, bring to a boil, then let it cool. Peel fresh garlic and air-dry for 1-2 days. Place the garlic in the vinegar, seal the container, and store in a cool, dark place for 10-15 days before eating. Patients with nasopharyngeal cancer undergoing radiotherapy often experience a dry throat and a bland taste in the mouth, which affects their appetite. Sugar and vinegar garlic can stimulate the secretion of saliva in the mouth, relieve dryness, and increase appetite.
Green Tea Garlic: Clears heat, resolves toxicity, promotes urination, and reduces swelling. Used for conditions such as epidemic fevers, pathogenic toxins, and sore throat. Brew 3-4 grams of green tea in 400ml of boiling water, add a little sugar, and let it cool. Mash 4-5 cloves of garlic into a paste and mix it in. Sip it frequently and finish it on the same day. Note that it should not be stored for long to prevent spoilage. When spoiled, the garlic oxidizes and turns green and should not be eaten.
Egg and Garlic Paste: Warms the stomach, dispels cold, regulates qi, and lowers counterflow. Used for stomach cold with a cold abdomen, loss of appetite, and nausea and vomiting. Boil four eggs until cooked, peel them, and simmer them over low heat with Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon bark, and dried ginger for about an hour. Remove and mash the eggs, then let them cool. Mash 6-8 cloves of garlic with salt to form a paste, mix with the eggs, and eat as a dish. This can treat stomach cold pain and failure of stomach qi to descend. Eat one egg portion at a time; eating more may affect appetite.
Garlic is acrid and warm in nature. The acrid nature can deplete qi and blood, so it should be used sparingly by those with qi and blood deficiency. The warm nature can exacerbate fire, so it should not be used extensively by those with fire in the lungs and stomach or vexing heat in the five centers (palms, soles, and chest). It is best not to consume garlic with strong, warming medicinal herbs to prevent generating heat and exacerbating fire, leading to an excess of heat. Those who usually have bad breath, bromhidrosis, or severe acne should use garlic sparingly. Acrid and warm foods like garlic and green onions should not be eaten with honey, as this may cause abdominal discomfort or diarrhea, bringing unease to the entire body.
Many of the active components in garlic are volatile and can be lost with prolonged high-temperature heating. Garlic mashed into a paste oxidizes easily and turns green, so it should not be stored for long and should be finished on the same day. Garlic can irritate the gastric mucosa, so it should not be eaten in large quantities at once or on an empty stomach.