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.
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.
The foundation, an initiative of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness or ISKCON, has a religious prerogative of “advocating a lacto-vegetarian diet, strictly avoiding meat, fish and eggs” and considers onions and garlic in food as “lower modes of nature which inhibit spiritual advancement”.
Jains do not eat root vegetables including potato, garlic, onion, carrots, beets, radish and leeks. The rationale behind this is that avoiding these foods prevents the injuring of small insects and microorganisms when they are plucked from the earth. Honey is avoided as this would amount to violence against bees.
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.
* Onions are mentioned in the Bible, in Numbers 11:5, by the children of Israel during the Exodus lamenting the lack of sweets: "We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic."
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.
Following Buddhist philosophy, the dishes at Bodhi avoid the use of the five pungent vegetables - onions, garlic, green onions, chives and leeks.
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.
Ancient Vedic texts also regard salty, spicy, strong and pungent foods to take away one's focus from the devotion of the Lord. According to Vaishnav tradition, people are weary of eating anything that grows underground and therefore, Vaishnav-Hindus particularly refrain from eating onions.
Try other spices and vegetables: celery and fennel have an onion-like texture while diced carrot and capsicums make a tasty flavour base instead of garlic and onion.
Devout bhakti-yogis of the Hare Krishna tradition choose a vegetarian diet that also includes the avoidance of onion and garlic. While many Krishna devotees know the basic reasons behind this, we often struggle to explain this to friends, family or even people that are new to Krishna consciousness.
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.
Even in small quantities, onions and garlic can cause bloating and other digestive issues. Some people may have an allergy to garlic or onions , which further increases the likelihood of bloating, belching, and gas after consuming them. People can substitute celery, collard greens, leeks, and fennel for onions.
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.
In one narration the Prophet said, “He who eats of this offensive plant must not approach our mosque, for the angels are harmed by the same things as men.” and in another version, “let him keep away from our mosque and stay in his house till its odour dies.”
In Japan, there are few dishes that use meat or oil, so the flavor is too strong and it was used as a medicine, not for cooking. Because the strong scent of garlic will erase all the delicate scent of Japanese food.
Garlic is a common ingredient worldwide and is also included in many Japanese dishes.
Food is prepared as a spiritual exercise with attention to balance, harmony, and delicacy. Conscious eating is followed among all Buddhists. Buddha advised monks to avoid eating 10 kinds of meat for self-respect and protection: humans, elephants, horses, dogs, snakes, lions, tigers, boars and hyenas.
All leafy vegetables were permitted as well as lotus root, gourds, cucumbers, and eggplant but garlic and leeks were to be avoided presumably because of their offensive odor and because they are allgedly aphrodisiacs. However, those two vegetables could be taken in case of illness.
Some Buddhist monks don't count cocoa as food so can eat dark chocolate even when they're fasting. Buddhists often don't drink alcohol.
Improves Brain Functioning
Garlic promotes brain health because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is effective against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia. Also, read more on the best brain foods to include in your diet.
Due to presence of different healthy compounds like allicin in garlic, it is used to treat different health conditions. Garlic benefits for men are one of them. It helps in improving male sexual health, prevent or treat erectile dysfunction, improve sperm count, and enhance sex drive in men.