The Benefits of Sleeping with a Garlic Clove Under Your Pillow
Sleeping with a garlic clove under your pillow may have some health benefits, according to popular belief. Where does this idea come from? Why do many of us believe it works?
Garlic has a particular flavor and aroma. For this reason, it’s been used for centuries as a condiment in many different cuisines, from oriental to Mediterranean. Moreover, it’s also an ingredient of several home remedies.
Where does the “power” of garlic come from?
As we stated above, garlic is a food with a very particular and quite strong smell and taste. Nevertheless, it’s still one of the most popular ingredients in the world, either as part of a meal or as a remedy.
Precisely due to its smell and taste, in the past, it was common used as a remedy for infections, a pest repellent, and, also, as an element to scare away demons and bad energy. However, these uses have placed on the back burner.
In recent decades, some people have claimed that its sulfur compounds could promote decongestion of the respiratory tract. However, this is a myth.
Garlic contains compounds with some medicinal potential, but this can’t be exploited in any way and more research is needed.
In any case, while it’s true that garlic is an excellent seasoning for dishes, no scientific evidence indicates it can improve your health or protect you against diseases or bad vibes, even though these benefits have been attributed to it in the past.
Garlic is a tasty condiment, but sleeping with a clove under your pillow won’t lead to better rest
Garlic can provide benefits as part of a healthy diet. However, it can’t make a significant contribution on its own.
- Garlic can contain up to 100 calories per 100 grams. However, its consumption doesn’t contribute to weight gain.
- In addition, garlic is a food that contains complex carbohydrates.
- Experts believe the calories and protein in garlic may help improve physical and mental performance.
- Its B-complex vitamins and essential minerals such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium are also said to help support health.
However, most of the health benefits are associated with its allicin content. This is a specific sulfur compound that you get when you peel and cut fresh garlic.
Although people have come to believe that the allicin in garlic could help treat various diseases and infections, in order for it to provide benefits, you must harness it in certain ways.
In other words, allicin isn’t foolproof in all cases but must be used in certain contexts to ensure it provides significant benefits. This is one of the aspects that scientists have yet to clarify, due to the lack of consensus on the evidence different studies yielded.
This article may interest you Three Easy Recipes for Garlic Soup
Sleeping with a garlic clove under your pillow
One of the ways in which some people believe you could take advantage of the benefits of this garlic is by sleeping with a clove of it under your pillow.
Supposedly, garlic would help you get a good night’s rest. This is due to the fact that the sulfurous compounds in garlic would spread (along with its smell), and exert a calming effect that would induce deep and restful sleep.
Although it would be difficult to get used to the smell at first, as the days go by, it wouldn’t represent a problem. In addition to helping you get better sleep, it’d help renew your energy and improve daily physical performance. Thus, it’d help you take full advantage of your day.
Does sleeping with a garlic clove under your pillow help you in any way?
Some believe that, by consuming the garlic drink that we’re going to comment on next, you could take advantage of the nutrients in this food and, in addition, get a good night’s sleep.
This beverage is supposed to have natural relaxing properties.
Ingredients
- A glass of milk (250 ml)
- 1 crushed garlic clove
- Optional: honey (1 teaspoon)
Preparation
- Pour the milk into a pot
- Add the crushed garlic and let the milk boil for three minutes
- After this time, let stand
- Add the honey and drink
- Reportedly, it’s best to drink this preparation at least 30 minutes before bed
Good habits do contribute to health
To stay healthy, the best thing you can do is follow good lifestyle habits and, above all, be consistent and coherent.
Although putting a garlic clove under your pillow isn’t going to make you healthier or protect you against disease, adopting a healthy lifestyle will. Therefore, bet on a balanced diet, good hydration, and an exercise routine according to your needs, without ever neglecting your doctor’s advice.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Salehi B, Zucca P, Erdogan I. Allicin and health: A comprehensive review. Trends in Food Science & Technology. 2019; 86: 502-516.
- García Gómez L, Sánchez-Muniz F. Revisión: Efectos cardiovasculares del ajo (Allium sativum). ALAN. 2000; 50(3): 1-23.
- Majewski M. Allium sativum: facts and myths regarding human health. Roczniki Państwowego Zakładu Higieny. 2014; 65(1):1-8.
- Sureda Gomila A, Marín Gómez A. Efectos del ajo sobre la tensión arterial. Universitat de les Illes Balears: 2016.
