A viral Instagram video posted by Bollywood actress Soha Ali Khan has stirred a fresh health trend online—chewing raw garlic on an empty stomach for a myriad of supposed health benefits that range from boosting immunity and improving gut health to reducing inflammation. The reel, which has close to 70,000 likes and about 1 crore views, shows Khan biting into and chewing on a raw garlic clove. The caption exalts the benefits of a morning ritual she has started following the past four weeks- biting and chewing on raw garlic.

“Why? Because this tiny clove is a powerhouse for immunity, gut health, inflammation, and overall balance. It’s ancient wisdom that still holds strong,” she writes, and goes on to explain what the morning ritual looks like.

“I take one raw clove on an empty stomach, chew for as long as I can to activate the magic compound allicin (tell me your best time!) and then swallow with water. If you are not brave enough to chew, you can crush it and let it rest for ten minutes,” she writes.

Khan, to her benefit, does warn that it may not be “for everyone,” and advises people to check with their doctor first “if you’re on blood thinners, have tummy sensitivity, or are planning surgery.”

Does garlic have health benefits?

Garlic is a staple in many kitchens around the world, including many in India. Traditional wisdom has also often spoken about its health benefits, and some studies have also corroborated this. A 2020 review of 83 human interventional trials “summarised the anticancer, cardioprotective, antihyperglycemic, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, and other effects of the administration of garlic and its preparation through their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and lipid-lowering activities.”

The US’ National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicinewhile listing the benefits of garlic, said it “may reduce levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol to a small extent in people who have high blood cholesterol levels,” “may reduce blood sugar to a small extent in people with diabetes,” and that there is “limited evidence… that garlic supplements may reduce blood pressure to a small extent in people who have high blood pressure.”

Many of these benefits seem to be linked to allicin,  the key bioactive compound in garlic. However, according to a 2018 research article titled “Allicin Bioavailability and Bioequivalence from Garlic Supplements and Garlic Foods”, allicin is not naturally present in intact cloves. It forms only when garlic is crushed or chopped, triggering an enzymatic reaction. Allicin is unstable, and its transformation products are responsible for many of the biological activities attributed to garlic, the study notes.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine also said that while “dietary supplements that contain garlic have been promoted as boosters for the immune system, particularly during cold and flu season,” there is “very little research has been done on this topic.” “A 2022 review identified only two studies that suggest a possible benefit, and both studies included only small numbers of people and had weaknesses in the research,” it added.

This call for more research was shared by the 2020 review as well. “Garlic has been shown to modulate several biomarkers in different diseases in multiple ways; however, to understand the exact mechanisms, it is necessary to perform large, long-term, fully blinded and well-controlled studies to obtain more precise and consistent findings,” it said.

Expert opinion

Dr (Prof.) Anil Arora, Senior Gastroenterologist & Hepatologist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, echoed these sentiments and said that while garlic is widely used in Indian households to enhance flavour, its therapeutic benefits, especially when consumed raw, remain scientifically unproven.

“There is some anecdotal evidence that raw garlic may slightly lower cholesterol or blood pressure, and may have some immune-boosting properties. But these effects are mild and not enough to justify using garlic as a standalone treatment,” added Dr Arora, who has over 35 years of experience in the medical field.

He also cautioned that chewing raw garlic, particularly on an empty stomach, may irritate the stomach lining, cause nausea, or even lead to intestinal bleeding — especially in people taking blood thinners like aspirin. “Garlic is a strong chemical agent. Without solid, undisputed scientific data on how much allicin is absorbed when raw garlic is chewed or swallowed, any health claim remains speculative,” he added.

This story is done in collaboration with First Checkwhich is the health journalism vertical of DataLEADS.