Garlic

Overview

OVERVIEW

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a perennial herb, root vegetable that is cultivated for culinary and medicinal purposes. Native to Central Asia, garlic has been cultivated for thousands of years, with recorded use dating back 5,000 years to the Ancient Middle East, Mediterranean, China, India, Japan & Korea [Petrovska & Cekovska, 2010] 🔗. Garlic cloves are rich in sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin, which contribute to its characteristic aroma and many reported therapeutic properties [Petrovska & Cekovska, 2010 🔗; Linus Pauling Institute - Garlic , 2025 🔗].

Garlic has been used medicinally across cultures for millennia, and its anti-bacterial and anti-septic properties have been noted [Petrovska & Cekovska, 2010] 🔗. Garlic was brought into Great Britain in 1548 from the Mediterranean region, and the German botanist Lonicerus (in 1564) recommended garlic against helminths, and externally for curing a range of skin diseases and dandruff [Petrovska & Cekovska, 2010] 🔗. Louis Pasteur observed (in 1858) that garlic juice had anti-bacterial properties [Sivam, 2001🔗; Rupp - National Geographic, 2024 🔗]. Garlic was used with mild success as a battlefield antiseptic in both World Wars I & II, in the last of which it picked up the encouraging nickname ‘Russian penicillin’ [Rupp - National Geographic, 2024] 🔗. The antimicrobial properties of garlic against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria are primarily attributed to its bioactive organosulphur allicin [Ankri & Mirelman et al., 1999] 🔗.

As of 2024, 38% of Australian households regularly consume fresh garlic, with 206 g purchased every shopping trip [Hort Innovation - AUS Statistics Handbook 23/24, 2024] 🔗. 3,071 tons of garlic worth $20.8 million (AUD) were produced in 2023-2024 across Australia [Hort Innovation - AUS Statistics Handbook 23/24, 2024] 🔗. Most fresh garlic production occurred in Victoria (31.7%) and New South Wales (29.7%) [Hort Innovation - AUS Statistics Handbook 23/24, 2024] 🔗.

choosing your onion

CHOOSING YOUR GARLIC

Garlic Cultivation

Garlic cultivation typically involves the application of phosphorus (45 kg/ha) and nitrogen (60–80 kg/ha), either at planting or immediately prior to planting, to support optimal…

FOOD SAFETY & ALLERGEN INFORMATION

Garlic is generally safe to consume ^{[NCCIH - Garlic, 2025]}^🔗, unless contaminated or expired ^{[FSANZ – Standard 3.2.2, 2023]}^🔗. Enteral (oral) garlic consumption…

SEASONALITY IN AUSTRALIA

Garlic is a cool weather crop, where the optimum temperature range for growing garlic is between 13 ^oC to 24 ^oC ^[^Carey^{et al}^{., 2017 - QLD Government}^]^🔗.…

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

The nutrient reference values (NRV) for garlic, both raw and fried (with no added fat), listed in the following table are sourced from the Australian Food Composition Database…

STORAGE AND COOKING

Post-harvest Storage

Garlic can be stored for periods ranging from 3 to 9 months, depending on the cultivar and storage conditions, with softneck varieties lasting up to 9…

HEALTH CLAIMS FOR MAJOR BIOACTIVES

There is a great deal of variation in the presence, concentration, and bioavailability of these bioactives among the different types of onions ^{[Slimestad, Fossen & Vågen,…}

BIOACTIVES IN GARLIC

Garlic Nutrients

Garlic is a good source of vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) and vitamin B₆ (Pyridoxine) and also contains smaller amounts of vitamin B₃ (Niacin) and vitamin B_1…

BIOACTIVE FOCUS: Garlic

CLAIM: [Dyslipidemia, N = 21 Randomised controlled trials, Meta-analysis] ^{[Du, Zhou & Zha, 2024]}^🔗: Significant total cholesterol (TC) reduction (WMD = -0.64 mmol/L), triglyceride (TG) reduction (WMD =…

BIOACTIVE FOCUS: S-allylcysteine (SAC)

CLAIM:

[Hypertension, N = 12 Open-label human clinical study] ^[Houston^{et al}^{., 2023]}^🔗: Systolic blood pressure (SBP) reduced by ~11 mmHg (p < 0.001) at two weeks…

BIOACTIVE FOCUS: Allicin