Garlic
PH
PureHealthness Editorial Team · Health writers & reviewers
📝 Last reviewed: August 2026
✔ Transparent sourcing · Some articles are AI-drafted, then reviewed & fact-checked by our team
📝 Last reviewed: August 2026
Garlic's pungent bulbs flavour cuisines worldwide. It has been used medicinally since ancient Egypt, and modern research continues to support its heart-health and immune benefits.
🔬 Plant facts
| Scientific name | Allium sativum |
|---|---|
| Type | Bulb vegetable |
| Family | Amaryllidaceae |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Water | Moderate; dry off before harvest |
| Height | 30–60 cm |
| Flower | White or pink flower heads |
| Uses | Culinary bulb; aged extracts |
| Growth | Plant cloves in autumn, harvest summer |
| Best season | Autumn to summer |
💊 Garlic in the medicine industry
Garlic and its compound allicin are studied for lowering blood pressure and cholesterol; aged garlic extract is a popular supplement, and garlic has antimicrobial effects used in traditional medicine for colds and infections.
🌱 Growing & care tips
Plant garlic cloves pointy-end-up in autumn, 5 cm deep and 15 cm apart, in full sun; stop watering as the leaves yellow, then harvest and dry the bulbs.
🍽️ How to use it
Cloves are crushed into almost every savoury dish — curries, pasta, roasts, breads; roasted garlic becomes sweet and spreadable; black garlic is fermented and mild.
💡 Did you know? Garlic was fed to Egyptian pyramid builders to give them strength — records show 16 tonnes were spent on labourers.
⚠️ Garlic safety note: Garlic in food is safe for almost everyone, but concentrated garlic supplements can interact with blood thinners and should be stopped before surgery.
⚠️ Important: Herbal and plant remedies can interact with medicines. Always ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any plant product for health purposes — especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking prescription drugs.
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