You’ve probably heard a lot of things about garlic over the years. Maybe your grandma told you to hang it by the door to keep bad spirits away, or a friend swore that eating raw garlic cured their cold. With all this advice floating around, it’s hard to know what’s true and what’s not. Garlic has been used for thousands of years in cooking and medicine, but many common beliefs about it are just plain wrong. Let’s cut through the confusion and set the record straight on some garlic myths that need to go.
Garlic without roots is always imported from China
Have you ever noticed some garlic in the store has no roots while others do? There’s a popular idea that if garlic doesn’t have roots, it must be imported from China and treated with chemicals. This simply isn’t true. Many people check for roots before buying, thinking they’re avoiding something harmful. The truth is that rootless garlic is common in both domestic and imported varieties. Removing roots is a standard practice to clean up the garlic and has nothing to do with where it comes from.
This myth has caused many shoppers to pass up perfectly good garlic. The reality is that all imported food, including garlic, must meet the same safety standards as domestic products. Many farmers, both in the U.S. and abroad, trim the roots of their garlic to make it look better for sale. Next time you’re at the store, don’t worry so much about whether your garlic has roots or not – it’s not a reliable way to tell where it came from or if it’s been treated with chemicals.
You can’t grow garlic from store-bought cloves
Have you ever heard that you can’t grow garlic from the cloves you buy at the grocery store? This myth has stopped many home gardeners from even trying. The truth is, you absolutely can grow garlic from store-bought cloves. Many gardeners have had great success with it. While it’s true that some store-bought garlic might be treated to extend shelf life, this doesn’t always prevent sprouting. In fact, you’ve probably noticed store garlic sprouting in your kitchen before.
What you should know is that while it’s possible to grow from store garlic, you might get better results with seed garlic specifically grown for planting. Store garlic might not be adapted to your local growing conditions, and you won’t know what variety you’re getting. It might also carry diseases that could spread to other plants. But if you want to experiment, go ahead and plant those store-bought cloves! Just select the largest, healthiest-looking ones, and plant them in fall for harvest the following summer.
Garlic wards off mosquitoes when you eat it
It’s a common belief that if you eat lots of garlic, mosquitoes won’t bite you. This myth is especially popular in summer when everyone’s looking for ways to avoid itchy bites. People think that when you eat garlic, you sweat out compounds that mosquitoes hate. Sounds great in theory – eat something tasty and keep bugs away! Unfortunately, scientific studies don’t back this up. Even though garlic has a strong smell that we notice, eating it doesn’t make your skin give off enough of those compounds to keep mosquitoes from biting you.
While ingesting garlic won’t protect you from mosquitoes, there is some evidence that applying garlic directly to your skin might help. Some people make garlic sprays or rub crushed garlic on their skin as a repellent. This works better because it puts the compounds directly where they’re needed. But be careful – putting raw garlic on your skin can cause irritation and even burns for some people. You’re better off using proven mosquito repellents with ingredients like DEET or picaridin, or wearing long sleeves when mosquitoes are active.
Garlic detoxifies your blood
You might have seen claims that garlic “detoxifies” your blood or cleanses your system. This sounds impressive, but it’s not how the human body works. Your body already has built-in detoxification systems – mainly your liver and kidneys – that filter out waste products and toxins. No food, including garlic, can magically clean your blood. This myth likely started because garlic does have some legitimate health benefits that got exaggerated over time into this idea of “detoxification.”
While garlic won’t detoxify your blood, it does have real health benefits. Research shows that it may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure when eaten regularly as part of a healthy diet. Garlic contains compounds with antioxidant properties that support overall health. These actual benefits are impressive enough without making exaggerated claims about detoxification. So enjoy garlic for its taste and legitimate health properties, but don’t expect it to purify your blood or replace what your organs already do very well on their own.
Putting garlic in your ear cures ear infections
Have you seen social media posts suggesting you can cure an ear infection by putting a whole clove of garlic in your ear? This dangerous myth keeps making the rounds despite doctors warning against it. The theory goes that garlic’s antimicrobial properties will fight the infection. But ear infections typically occur behind the eardrum, where a garlic clove can’t reach. Even worse, a garlic clove could get stuck in your ear canal, causing serious problems and possibly damaging your ear drum.
Instead of risking harm with this myth, see a doctor for proper treatment of ear infections. They can determine if you need antibiotics or other appropriate treatments. If you’re drawn to home remedies, there are safer options like warm compresses on the outside of the ear to relieve pain. Although garlic does have some antimicrobial properties when used in other ways, putting food items in your ears is never a good idea. Your ears are sensitive, and introducing foreign objects or substances can lead to more problems than solutions.
Organic garlic is always better than regular garlic
Many people automatically reach for organic garlic, assuming it’s always better, healthier, and more flavorful than conventionally grown garlic. While organic farming has many benefits, the “organic is always better” myth oversimplifies a complex topic. The quality of garlic depends on many factors beyond whether it’s organic or conventional – things like the soil it was grown in, the specific variety, how fresh it is, and how it was stored all make a big difference in taste and quality.
What really matters more than the organic label is the farming practices used to grow the garlic. Some conventional farmers use excellent growing methods and produce outstanding garlic. Meanwhile, some organic garlic might travel long distances to reach your store, losing freshness along the way. For the best garlic, try to find out how recently it was harvested and how it was grown, regardless of whether it’s labeled organic. Local farmers markets are great places to find fresh, high-quality garlic where you can ask the farmer directly about their growing practices.
Garlic applied to skin cures acne
You might have heard that rubbing raw garlic on pimples will clear them up quickly. This myth is popular among people looking for natural acne remedies. The reasoning seems logical at first – garlic has antimicrobial properties, and acne involves bacteria, so maybe garlic could help. Unfortunately, this home remedy can do more harm than good. Raw garlic contains compounds that are too harsh for direct skin contact, especially on already irritated skin. Many people who try this end up with painful skin irritation, redness, and even chemical burns.
Instead of risking damage to your skin, stick to proven acne treatments recommended by dermatologists. These include ingredients like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, which are specifically formulated to fight acne safely. If you prefer natural approaches, there are gentler options like tea tree oil products designed for skincare use. While garlic does have some antibacterial properties, those properties don’t translate well to topical skincare use. What works as an antimicrobial in a test tube doesn’t necessarily work the same way on your skin without causing irritation.
Garlic cures colds and fever
When cold season hits, you might hear advice to eat raw garlic or even apply it to your feet to cure a cold or reduce a fever. While garlic has been used in folk medicine for centuries, the idea that it can cure an active cold or break a fever isn’t supported by scientific evidence. Some people even suggest putting garlic on the feet with socks overnight, claiming toxins will be drawn out through the skin. This isn’t how the human body works – your feet can’t extract viruses or bacteria causing illness elsewhere in your body.
Garlic does contain compounds that may support immune function when consumed regularly as part of a healthy diet. Some studies suggest it might help prevent colds, but prevention is different from curing an active infection. As for applying garlic to the skin to reduce fever, this can actually be dangerous and cause burns or skin damage. If you have a fever, especially a high one, proper medical care and approved fever reducers are much safer and more effective options. Enjoy garlic in your food for its potential preventative benefits, but rely on proven treatments when you’re actually sick.
Garlic is amazing stuff – it’s delicious, has some real health benefits, and makes almost any dish better. But it’s not magical, and it can’t do all the things myths claim it can. By understanding what’s true and what’s not about garlic, you can enjoy its real benefits without falling for exaggerated claims. Next time someone tells you to stick garlic in your ear or that you can’t grow it from store-bought cloves, you’ll know better!
