Interested in trying our FREE 7-day healthy diet plan? Garlic is one of the garlic field cultivated plants in the world, and is a hardy perennial belonging to the Liliaceae family. Other members of this family include onions, leeks, chives and shallots.

They are distinguished by their pungent aroma and distinctive flavour. The bulb is the most commonly used part of the garlic plant and is typically composed of eight to 20 individual teardrop-shaped cloves enclosed in a white, parchment-like skin. This sulphur-containing compound gives garlic its pungent smell and distinctive taste. Garlic may also lower blood pressure through its ability to widen blood vessels, allowing blood to flow more freely. Russian penicillin’ to denote its antibacterial properties, which is once again attributed to the compound allicin. Studies also suggest the consumption of garlic may give some relief from the inflammatory symptoms of osteoarthritis.

They both contain a variety of compounds with medicinal properties, including antibacterial and antifungal effects. But wild garlic has been found to have an even greater effect on lowering blood pressure than regular garlic. Garlic poses few safety issues and allergies are rare. If you take garlic supplements for cholesterol management, have your cholesterol levels checked after three months.

Please note that some people may experience indigestion, intestinal gas or diarrhoea when taking high doses of garlic. Take inspiration from our garlic recipes. This article was last reviewed on 6 October 2021 by Kerry Torrens. Over the past 15 years she has been a contributing author to a number of nutritional and cookery publications including BBC Good Food. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider.