For the last 4000 years of human history Garlic (Allium sativum) has been both cherished and reviled, both sought for its healing powers and shunned for its pungent after effects. From miracle drug to vampire repellent to offering for the gods, this unassuming plant has had an undeniably important place in many aspects of human history, and today enjoys a renewed surge in popularity as modern medicine unearths the wonders of this ancient superfood. 

Archeologists have discovered clay sculptures of garlic bulbs and paintings of garlic dating about 3200 B.C. in Egyptian tombs in El Mahasna. An Egyptian papyrus dating from 1,500 B.C. recommends garlic as a cure all for over 22 common ailments, including lack of stamina, heart disease and tumors, and it’s been said the Egyptians fed garlic to the slaves building the pyramids to increase their strength. Garlic proved itself worthy to peasant and royalty alike as Tutankhamen (Egypt’s youngest pharaoh) was sent into the afterlife with garlic at his side.

In ancient Greece and Rome, garlic enjoyed a variety of uses, from repelling scorpions to treating dog bites and bladder infections to curing leprosy and asthma. Early Greek military leaders fed garlic to their troops before battles to give them courage and promise victory and Greek Olympic athletes counted on garlic to stimulate performance. Ancient Transylvania, home of the vampire legend, found garlic to be an effective mosquito repellent as well as a way to ward off the Dracula clan!

For many years, garlic was shunned by Western cultures because of the residual stench it left behind. In seventeenth century England, garlic was considered unfit for ladies and anyone who wished to court them, and it was avoided in America even early into the 20th century, when famous chefs would substitute onion for it in recipes. As America experienced a huge influx of immigrants during the 19th century, however, garlic slowly gained a foothold in the American palette. 

Beyond superstition, modern research has confirmed what our ancestors believed about the health benefits of garlic. In 1858, Louis Pasteur documented that garlic kills bacteria and, during World War II, when penicillin and sulfa drugs were scarce, the British and Russian armies used diluted garlic solutions as an antiseptic to disinfect open wounds and prevent gangrene. Though not completely understood at the time, today’s research has confirmed that garlic’s healing powers stem from hundreds of volatile sulfur compounds found in the vegetable, including allicin, which has been shown to kill 23 types of bacteria, including salmonella and staphylococcus.

Vitamins in garlic, such as A, B, and C, stimulate the body to fight carcinogens and get rid of toxins, and may even aid in preventing certain types of cancer, such as stomach cancer. Garlic's sulfur compounds can regulate blood sugar metabolism, stimulate and detoxify the liver, and stimulate the blood circulation and the nervous system.

In many cultures, garlic is also considered a powerful aphrodisiac, a vegetarian alternative to Viagra, and some say it’s even able to raise a man’s sperm count. In Palestinian tradition, a groom who wears a clove of garlic in his buttonhole is guaranteed a happy wedding night.