As any sulfur-rich ingredient, onions and garlic are very heating. They aggravate Pitta on both physical and emotional levels. For someone suffering from acid reflux, ulcers, colitis, heartburn, intestinal inflammation, skin rashes or redness, etc. eating these two substances aggravates the aforementioned.
Food intolerance symptoms typically only occur if you eat a large amount of the food. Intolerance to onion or garlic can be a considerable problem for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). If your problem is an intolerance rather than an allergy, the treatment will be different. Discuss this with your doctor.
Ayurveda recognizes onions and garlic as blood purifiers. Moreover, garlic is used to prepare various ayurvedic medicines. But Ayurveda does not support their excessive usage as it considers onion as tamasic in nature (makes people irritable) and garlic to be rajsic (disturbed sleep and drained energy) in nature.
In short, it's based in a traditional belief that alliums, the plant family that includes garlic and onions, adversely stimulate emotional and sexual excitement. Some Jains, Buddhists and Taoists also follow this.
The Jain cuisine is completely lacto-vegetarian and also excludes root and underground vegetables such as potato, garlic, onion etc., to prevent injuring small insects and microorganisms; and also to prevent the entire plant getting uprooted and killed. It is practised by Jain ascetics and lay Jains.
Hindu devotees believe that onions and garlic make it difficult to differentiate between desires and priorities since garlic is known as Rajogini - a substance believed to make one lose grip over their instincts while onions produce heat in the body.
Garlic is a natural blood thinner, so we shouldn't consume large quantities of garlic along with blood-thinning medicines like warfarin, aspirin etc. This is because the combined effect of blood thinning medication and garlic is dangerous, and it may increase the risk of internal bleeding.
In fact, the only culture that totally eschews onions are Jains, followers of an ancient Indian religion. Jains keep a number of unique cultural practices, the core tenet of which is non-violence. But that doesn't just mean no fighting or no meat eating (though it does mean both of those things).
Eating lots of them can cause gastrointestinal distress for people with sensitive GI tracts or conditions like irritable bowel syndrome and acid reflux, resulting in symptoms like gas, bloating, diarrhea and constipation, Jones says. Even garlic and onion powder may cause these reactions.
Garlic and Onions
These pungent vegetables are considered anti-inflammatory superstars for good reasons. Organosulfur compounds derived from garlic may lower the production of substances in the blood that boost inflammation, according to a 2020 review published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition.
In Bhagavad Gita (17.9) Krsna states that 'Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning are dear to those in the mode of passion. Such foods cause distress, misery and disease. ' Onion and garlic fall in this category.
These forbidden ingredients, including garlic (Allium sativum), Chinese leek (Allium tuberosum), Chinese onion (Allium senescens), green onion (Allium fistulosum), and onion (Allium cepa), are known as the “five forbidden vegetables” (FFVs) and are not allowed in an ASVM, even though they are considered vegetables and ...
Following Buddhist philosophy, the dishes at Bodhi avoid the use of the five pungent vegetables - onions, garlic, green onions, chives and leeks.
Theravada and Mahayana: often do not eat meat and fish, some are vegan. Theravada and Mahayana from China and Vietnam: do not eat garlic, onion, chives, shallot or leek (five pungent spices – believed to increase one's sexual desire and anger) Tibetans: never eat fish, usually will not eat foul.
Garlic has long been associated with health benefits – from curing a cold to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Garlic contains vitamins C and B6, manganese and selenium, but it's a chemical called allicin, a type of antioxidant, which is thought to be responsible for its positive effects.
High doses of garlic may induce liver damage and trigger nausea, vomiting, heartburn, bad odor, gastric issues, sweating, dizziness, headaches, vision changes, and yeast infections. It may also lower blood pressure and interact with certain medications.
Side effects include breath and body odor, heartburn, and upset stomach. These side effects can be more noticeable with raw garlic. Some people have allergic reactions to garlic. Taking garlic supplements may increase the risk of bleeding.
In Bhagavad Gita (17.9), Krishna states:
“Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning are dear to those in the mode of passion. Such foods cause distress, misery and disease.” Onion and garlic fall in this category.
If the animal is treated poorly or tortured while being slaughtered, the meat is haram. Forbidden food substances include alcohol, pork, carrion, the meat of carnivores and animals that died due to illness, injury, stunning, poisoning, or slaughtering not in the name of God.
In traditional Chinese medicine, garlic is used to improve cardiovascular health and immunity as well as to treat cancer (2, 4). Garlic was used in daily Chinese diet since around 2000 B.C. or earlier where it was consumed especially with raw meat (2).
In fact, it's their neighbor China that consumes the most garlic per capita. It also produces the most garlic, producing 80% of the global supply.
One reason is cultural preference. Japanese cuisine values the subtle and delicate flavors of ingredients, and the strong, pungent flavor of garlic can overpower other flavors in a dish. Another reason is that garlic was not native to Japan and was not introduced to the country until relatively recently in its history.
Onion and garlic came from the dead body of a murdered cow and therefore they are considered like eating meat. As per the story below (the scriptural source is not known) onion and garlic came from the dead body of a murdered cow and therefore they are considered like eating meat.