Calories and nutrition in garlic: Is it good for you?

We often tend to overlook the nutrition in garlic, as it's usually used as a condiment in small amounts. Garlic is used across cuisines and cultures and the way it's used varies with the recipe. It has a strong, pungent flavor and is usually used in savory dishes.

Garlic was also used in traditional medicine as a herbal cure for various ailments for ages. In this article, we discuss nutrition in garlic along with its potential health benefits.

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Garlic nutrition facts

Nutrition in garlic: It's a popular condiment (Image via Unsplash/Alexander Lyubavin)

According to the data provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1 clove of raw garlic provides:

• Calories: 4.5 kcal
• Fat: 0 grams
• Sodium: 0.5 mg
• Carbohydrates: 1 gram
• Fiber: 0.1 g
• Sugars: 0 gram
• Protein: 0.2 grams
• Vitamin C: 0.9 mg
• Zinc: 0.04 mcg

It can be observed from the table above that garlic is not a significant source of sugar, minerals and dietary fiber.

Nutrition in garlic is not about the macro or micronutrients but naturally occurring beneficial compounds that have healing properties and also work as a carminative.

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Calories in garlic clove vs calories in garlic powder

If we closely take a look at the number of calories in garlic cloves and the calories in garlic powder, there's no significant difference.

Garlic is usually dried through an industrial process known as dehydration and powdered for culinary uses. Being a low-calorie condiment, garlic powder or garlic cloves do not cause weight gain. The most significant part of nutrition in garlic is its content of various beneficial compounds.

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Nutrition in garlic: Is it good for you?

Nutrition in garlic: This herb might improve heart health (Image via Unsplash/Sébastien Marchand)

Records indicate that garlic was in use 5,000 years ago, which indicates that our ancestors might have been aware of the healing and flavoring properties of this herb.

In ancient medicine, garlic was recommended for various ailments. The early Olympic athletes also knew about the nutrition in garlic and took this herb as a performance-enhancing drug.

A study published in the journal Antioxidants has explored the anti-inflammatory properties of garlic and found very significant results. Several clinical trials have seen garlic extracts have a positive effect on inflammation.

Notably, garlic extracts have been observed to reduce and regulate blood pressure. Beneficial compounds present in garlic might help prevent heart disease and heart attacks, but it needs more research to prove all these claims.

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Is garlic safe for everyone?

Garlic is considered among the foods containing FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols).

Hence garlic is not recommended for people on a low-FODMAP diet, especially those with irritable bowel syndrome and other gut disorders. However, a small amount of garlic used as a condiment or a flavor enhancer is considered safe.

Allergies to garlic are rare but might occur in some people. Symptoms range from mild to severe, including red or swollen skin, stuffy nose, breathing difficulty and skin welts.

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Indranil Biswas is a nutritionist and personal trainer with a diploma in dietetics and personal training with a specialization in sports nutrition and strength training.

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