Onion and Garlic vs Turmeric and Ginger

“Dear Vaidya first I would like to express my gratitude for all the precious knowledge that you have made available, this is a wonderful service.
May I ask you a question about onions and garlic?
Most of the Ayurvedic views on onions and garlic dissuade one from their use due to their tamasic nature. You speak of the scientific point of view: onions and garlic kill the beneficial bacteria inOAGVTAG-img1 the intestine.
May I ask you: 
-Is this equally the case for cooked garlic and onions and raw garlic and onions?

Cooked vs. raw
Dear Aaron: yes, it is true that cooked garlic and onion have less of an effect – both therapeutic and harmful – because in the process of cooking much of the sulfur content evaporates since it is volatile in nature. However, enough of it remains to still harm the friendly bacteria in one’s gut, particularly if one does not already have a good colony and good environment for the bacteria to thrive in the colon. And, it will not be an overstatement to say that most individuals nowadays do not have a good environment because most of us thrive on an acidic diet, stressful lifestyle, and minimal sleep. So when you add ingredients high in sulfur content, such as onion and garlic, it only aggravates an already precarious situation. However, if an individual falls within the minority of those who do take care of their friendly bacteria, and do keep a good routine and diet, then in that case it will depend on actually how much onion and garlic that individual is consuming, how frequently, and what is eaten along with the onion and garlic – foods that buffer and balance the deleterious properties or aggravate them further. Taking such factors into consideration, cooked onion and garlic may be incorporated in the diet if desired.

Garlic as Prebiotic?
“I have found some references that cite garlic itself as a prebiotic, including even a very respected manufacturer of probiotics, Theralac, that recommends taking garlic, as a prebiotic, along with their probiotic! I did some research on this a while ago, and I found a study done by people who actually tested the effect of garlic on the intestinal flora: they found that raw garlic does indeed kill both harmful and beneficial bacteria in the body, whereas cooked garlic does not have this effect.”

This is only half the picture. Yes, garlic does contain prebiotics but it also has an anti-biotic effect. It is a common tendency nowadays to promote half-truths! This is part of the reason I always stress “satya sampurn gyan” – complete unadulterated (truthful) knowledge as the shastra-s stress. Whatever prebiotic molecules or properties garlic and onion may carry is nullified by their sulfur content. But again, thisOAGVTAG-img2 depends on various factors, it is not a straightforward answer: it depends on whether cooked or raw, if so, how much, cooked how and with what, consumed with what other ingredients that will buffer or accentuate, plus what is the state of the colon etc.

Garlic in Ayurveda
Otherwise, there seem to be about an equal number of information sources that consider garlic and onions to be prebiotics that are good for the beneficial bacteria, and sources that say they kill both the harmful and beneficial bacteria. The scientific view on this subject thus seems to be divided, as far as I have been able to learn.
The Ayurvedic view on the problematic nature of garlic and onions, as I understand, does not seem to be connected to their effect on beneficial bacteria, but on their subtle/energetic properties. Is my understanding right here?

We have all been misinformed! That is why I always stress, with SVA, the journey is from Sutra to Science, as well as science to sutra…. SVA emphasizes the holistic nature of knowledge. And it is all already always there in Ayurveda. That we know for sure. In Ayurveda, the name for a friendly bacteria is “yogini.” You are right to the extent that no ayurvedic books or experts discuss or mention this. In my lineage, however, the yogini-s get front and center attention. Whether it is in the discussion of the probiotic effect of yogurt, as well as coconut yogurt, or the harmful effect of foods that deplete the gut of yogini-s or friendly bacteria. My father used to discuss at length the importance of friendly bacteria, and he used the phrase: “the brain of the brain resides in the gut” to express his conviction of the key role that friendly bacteria play for our total health. Even more than that, in our SVA lineage, this is exactly the reason why garlic and onion are notOAGVTAG-img3 consumed as part of our daily regular meals, because they are known to harm the colonies of friendly bacteria in our gut. Classical Ayurveda may not stress this out in the exact same way but it does it by emphasizing the importance of consuming foods that help nurture the friendly bacteria. The field of bacteriology in Ayurveda, “Bhoot Vidya” is a branch of that discusses the specifics of friendly and harmful bacteria, thousands of years before the invention of the microscope. But perhaps the best way to understand that garlic and onion are harmful for us despite beneficial properties they carry is metaphorically from the purana-s (the Sanskrit sacred writings containing Hindu legends and folklore), through the story of the genesis of garlic. When the gods were lined up to drink Amrit, the nectar of immortality, the demon Rahu snuck in with a cape pulled down over his features and got a bowl full of nectar to drink up. Just as he was about to swallow the nectar, he got caught and his head was cut off by Mohini, the femal avatar of Vishnu. Blood from his decapitated head fell onto earth, and since his blood was mixed with the nectar he was swallowing it sprouted into garlic, a dravya or food ingredient, that carries both beneficial and harmful properties, both “demon’s blood” and “nectar of immortality”! When one consumes garlic, one gets both this and that property…

Vs Turmeric and Ginger
– Turmeric and ginger are also antibacterial. From the point of view of effect on beneficial bacteria, would they differ from garlic and onions?

Turmeric and ginger are antibacterial due to their content of specific essential oils. Turmeric and ginger enhance the intelligence of the immune system, so that the immune system can distinguish between good and bad bacteria. Both turmeric and ginger are known to be immuno-modulators. So turmeric and ginger support the immune system by discouraging the growth of bacteria and that is why they are considered antibacterial.
OAGVTAG-img4.pngBut you can see this from another angle as well, from the perspective of the gunas or properties: rasa, guna, virya, vipak, and prabhava. These are the main 5 properties (which have sub-properties themselves) according to which we can categorize every edible thing under the sun. For ginger and turmeric, on the first step or rasa (taste) level, you can say that there are antibacterial properties, but by the time the turmeric or ginger cross the first level to go deeper in the body and display “guna, virya, vipak” properties in the stomach, intestine etc, they no longer carry any antibacterial effect. However, onion and garlic do.
Onion and garlic have an antibacterial effect in their vipak and prabhava, while turmeric and ginger are only antibacterial directly on the rasa level, and indirectly by supporting the immune system. This is why turmeric and ginger are not considered antibiotics, but garlic and onion can be.
When ingredients are understood on the level of the pharmacodynamics of Ayurveda, not just through the perspective of modern neutraceutical logic, where it’s more a focus on the ingredient content and immediateOAGVTAG-img5.png chemical constitution and effects, then things can be understood in their total picture. With the “rasa, guna, virya, vipak, and prabhava” of Ayurveda, something sour and originally acidic can be known and used as an alkaline ingredient. An easy example is lime. Lime is a citrus fruit acidic in nature, and we know that any acidic food kills friendly bacteria, but lime actually does not, because its acidity is only on the rasa or taste level, once it is ingested and digested, it has not an acidic but actually an alkaline vipak or post-digestive effect. Same goes for the amla berry. Sour at first, it carries a “madhur” or sweet “vipak” or postdigestive effect which is alkaline so it supports the friendly bacteria.

I would be very grateful for any additional light you could shed on this subject. It is important for me to know, since I often incorporate cooked garlic and onions into my meals for their benefits (according to many ayurvedic sources) on physical health, with the idea that once the physical health is in good shape, they will no longer be necessary.
Thank you, Vaidya Mishra, for your time and attention in reading this, and with warmest wishes from France.
Sincerely, 
Aaron E.”

Dear Aaron, I hope I was able to show you that it is better for you to avoid onion and garlic. There are so very many other ingredients – particularly spices – that can be used to enhance and support health overall. And even if the argument for or against the role of garlic and onion is not conclusive for you, at least you can remember that they are confirmed “tamasic” food agents that can shroud spiritual insight, and when our spiritual antennas are blocked, health can’t but suffer as we may start to make unwholesome decisions…

Disclaimer

The sole purpose of this blog is to provide information about the alternative healing modalities of Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda (SVA) as practiced in Vaidya Mishra's ancestral family tradition. The information contained herein is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention or cure of any disease. If you have any serious, acute or chronic health concern, please consult a licensed health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. Otherwise, for more information, you may call Vaidya Mishra's Prana Center toll free in the USA at 1.888.3CHANDI (888.324.2634). or 1.818.709.1005 globally, or email us at: info@prana-center.com. You may also visit: www.vaidyamishra.com, or www.chandika.com

Comments

  1. Jeffrey Cohen says

    I have heard that if you cut out the greenish sprig in the middle of a garlic clove, that this eliminates the rajasic element of garlic and leaves it as a completely beneficial substance..a rasayana, in fact.

  2. Brett & Jane says

    This was so helpful and informative, and easy to read!

    Thank you!

  3. Margot Suettmann says

    Dear Vaidya-ji, I have had some good experiences with onions – although I use them quite rarely – at winter times and when a flue or heavy cold was on the verge of affecting me. … I usually use green chives, the more tender members from the onion family then. I also have to admit that I like their taste in awinter foods at times. They seem to warm the body and settle down and give a rounded, well nourished feeling of ease. Can chive sbe helpful at those times to make you feel more settled and warmed from inside and to counteraCT the arrival of a flue? Would it better then to use other stuff then then like maybe roasted mustard seeds in vegetables?

  4. Many thanks for such a detailed and subtle insight into this often discussed topic!
    L. Ramsonius

  5. Jeffrey Cohen says

    Is there any substance to the notion that garlic can be much better for people if you remove the yellowish/greenish sprig from the middle of the clove?

  6. Thank you for the insight, i will keep an open mind ( allthough id hate to think the analogy of garlic being unhealthy because of a demons blood caused the CURSE of garlic ) maybe these religions are based on the interpretation of ancient man actually witnessing aliens versus gods ( or are they the same?????) hmmm

  7. This is great. As you know, SVA is not against the use of onion and garlic as medicine. It is only when these ingredients are used as daily common additions to your meals. What you are doing is also great. The chives in winter are ok to use to warm your physiology and to give you defense from viruses.

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