Not every one should take garlic

Several years ago, people talked about the benefit of garlic to our health. It is just as the current talking as one should take at least 8 cups of water every day.

It is not a proper recommendation to everyone. Someone may need it, and others may not need at so much garlic or water.

In the Traditional Chinese Medicine, garlic belongs to a Hot food. It means that it can make the body into warm: increased heart beat, hot face, warm hands or feet, etc. It is good for those of people whose body constitution belong to Cold (Cold body), but it could be bad to those of people whose body constitution belongs to Hot (Hot body).

Cold body means that the body is in a “winter” condition. People have cold hands and feet. They dress more than ordinary people. They like to drink less water and if they drink, they prefer to drink warm water. They feel tired and dislike to talk or to act more physically and emotionally. Overall they look as “quiet” and “cold” in many aspects.

Hot body means that the body is in a “summer” condition. People have warm or hot hands. Tend to dress less. They feel dry and thirsty and want to drink more water, especially cold or ice water. Typical condition for the Hot body is as a normally health people have acute neumonia.

In clinic, a Cold people may show as a false Hot: hot flash, hot feeling in feet at night, easy to have ulcer in mouth, easy to have constipation etc. However, their face is pale, or slight pink (note, it means pink, not strong red in color). Their tongue is also pink, or even with purple tint, not as typically as dark red. Tongue is also wet, not as typically dryness. Their pulse feel thin or deep, not as typically stronger or bigger. It needs a experienced doctor to identify the truth.

In practice, more people belong to the Cold. It can be said that 8 out of 10 people is currently as the Cold, rather than the Hot. However, it does not means that most of the people should take the garlic to balance the Cold in the body. This is because that, the fire, or the Hot from the garlic need the help from something else, such as cereal, bread, rice, ect.,  to make the Hot into the useful for the body. Other wise, the garlic will not be readily used by the body and becomes “floating” fire in the body, showing as frequent ulcers in the mouth, rectum, eyes, game, etc..

Ask your TCM doctor if you should take it or not.