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All About Elephant Garlic & How To Make a Wellness Paste

If you like garlic but feel like it’s too strong to eat raw, elephant garlic may be for you. It’s always a great time to try a new superfood.

Elephant garlic resembles huge garlic cloves weighing about 1 pound per bulb, and it delivers a mild flavor with a lot of great nutrition benefits. However, elephant garlic, or Allium ampeloprasum, is not really garlic. While it’s in the allium family like regular “soft-neck” garlic, it is closer in species to leeks than garlic (). Like leeks, it has a more mild flavor than traditional garlic and is favorable in taste to those who find raw garlic too strong.

Here’s everything you need to know about elephant garlic and how it stacks up.

All About Elephant Garlic

Flavor and Size

It has a mild flavor in comparison to regular garlic. In fact, many people enjoy it raw.

And, it’s huge compared to regular garlic. Elephant garlic bulbs can weight a pound each!

Nutrition

Like regular garlic, elephant garlic is full of healthy nutrients.

In fact, elephant garlic bulbs are an excellent source of vitamins E, C, and A. Similar to conventional garlic, Elephant garlic also contains allicin, which has been known for its antibacterial properties.

Many studies have been conducted on elephant garlic’s antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties.

Potential Antimicrobial and Anti-Cancer Activity

Numerous studies indicate that garlic (A. sativum L), contains antimicrobial agents named allicin-containing diallyl sulphide and thiosulfate that are highly effective against major foodborne pathogens (). Allicin is readily membrane-permeable and undergoes thiol-disulfide exchange reactions with free thiol groups in proteins. It is thought that these properties are the basis of its antimicrobial action ().

Numerous studies have found that elephant garlic, among other Allium species, contains eight different thiosulfinates. Thiosulfinatets are antimicrobial agents (). In fact, elephant garlic may be as potent as regular garlic in terms of antibiotic activity ().

What’s more, like regular garlic which has been found to have anti-cancer properties, elephant garlic may help slow down the growth of cancer cells, leading to cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and angiogenesis inhabitation ().

As more and more people learn of and use elephant garlic, more studies are being conducted to show its properties and benefits.

Current Studies on Elephant Garlic

Anti-Cancer

One lab study tested elephant garlic against osteosarcoma cell (U2OS) proliferation and cell activity. Human osteosarcoma cells and elephant garlic extract were used. It was concluded that elephant garlic exhibits antibacterial property and has an inhibitory effect on osteosarcoma cells (U2OS) proliferation and cell activity (9).

Anti-Microbial

Vibrio cholera is a major foodborne pathogen in Thailand. It is present in raw and lightly cooked foods, and it causes cholera. Natural products inhibiting it can be used to improve the safety of foods.
Another study pitted elephant garlic oil against Vibrio cholera, a major foodborne pathogen found in Thailand. In this lab study, the oil was found to kill or inhibit the bacteria, retarding the growth of the bacteria or reducing the bacterial cell load (10).

Buying, Serving, and Eating Elephant Garlic

Where to Buy Elephant Garlic

If you’re ready to try elephant garlic, you may have to work at it a bit. Some regular grocers carry it. If yours doesn’t, try a “health food store” or Asian-food specialty grocer.

You can also grow your own and can find bulbs for sale online. This is a popular bulb for vegetable gardens!

How to Serve & Eat Elephant Garlic

Since it has a more mellow taste, try slicing elephant garlic and adding straight to a salad or cooked dish. Or, saute it in recipes as you would regular garlic.

Elephant Garlic Wellness Paste

If you’d like to really test out elephants garlic’s taste and its effects on your own wellness, try this Elephant Garlic Wellness Paste recipe:

First, finely chop or mince 1-2 tablespoons elephant garlic and place it on a large spoon. Drizzle spoon with extra-virgin olive oil, preferably one with high oleocanthal levels such as Keto Zone Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add just a drop or two of low-carb sweetener (such as liquid stevia). Place the spoonful in your out and chew until it becomes a soft paste. Continue to chew as long as you can stand. Relax afterward. You may feel a slight body temperature increase and increase saliva. Enjoy elephant garlic’s potent benefits!

Bottom Line

Elephant garlic is a great choice for a high-nutrition, mild-tasting, vegetable. Use it in salads, recipes, roasted, or as a wellness paste.  It goes great with Keto Zone Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil.And if you want even more Keto Zone recipes, tips, and guidance, join the Keto Zone 21-Day-Challenge today!

 

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