Is it toxic to eat sprouted garlic?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Dr. Phan Dinh Thuy Tien - General Internal Medicine - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.
Normally, sprouted tubers and fruits contain toxins, especially potatoes. However, sprouted garlic is not toxic but has many effects on human health.

1. Garlic sprouts edible?

Among the vegetables and tubers used for food, almost only sprouted potatoes are poisonous. And garlic - the spice used as a seasoning in daily meals has been scientifically proven to be non-toxic.
Sprouted garlic has more health benefits than normal garlic: rich in antioxidants, helps fight free radical damage, limits the spread of certain types of cancer, slows down the aging process. aging and prevent the formation of vascular plaque, effectively protect the heart.
Garlic sprouting is a sign that it is aging, not spoiling. Users can still use sprouted garlic to cook. Only remove garlic if there are black spots on the bulb as that is a sign that the garlic is spoiled. It is possible to cut and remove the green part of sprouted garlic when cooking because this part has a strong odor.

2. Benefits of eating sprouted garlic

2.1 Anti-cancer

Sprouting garlic is a natural medicine with effective cancer prevention. Specifically, the sprouting process in garlic stimulates the production of phytochemicals - a substance that has the ability to prevent the spread of cancer cells and inhibit the activity of carcinogens in the body. Not only that, garlic also produces a large amount of anti-free radicals, contributing to controlling the risk of cancer from the source.

2.2 Protecting the heart, preventing stroke

A study has confirmed that garlic bulbs that have been sprouted for 5 days have higher cardiovascular antioxidant activity than fresh garlic. Garlic sprouts promote enzyme activity, blocking the activities that lead to the formation of plaque - the cause of heart blockage. Thus, eating sprouted garlic helps protect the body from heart attacks.
In addition, sprouted garlic also provides a large amount of ajoene - a substance that prevents the formation of blood clots. In addition, the nitrites in garlic also have the effect of dilating the arteries. These two substances work in tandem to help prevent the formation of strokes.

2.3 Strengthening the immune system

Garlic sprouts are an effective remedy for people suffering from colds, coughs or infections. Garlic sprouts, especially those that have sprouted for 5 days, provide the body with abundant antioxidants, which help destroy cellular infectious agents. Antioxidants help strengthen the body's immune system. Therefore, eating sprouted garlic helps to prevent colds and eliminate food poisoning symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain,...

2.4 Anti-aging

Antioxidants have the ability to prevent premature aging by eliminating free radicals in the body. The antioxidants present in sprouted garlic help prevent the appearance of wrinkles, while minimizing the deterioration of organs in the body. Therefore, eating sprouted garlic helps to slow down the aging process effectively.
However, in daily meals, garlic is just a spice, not a significant source of antioxidants that nourish the body. Therefore, it is best for families not to intentionally let garlic sprout to eat.

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