Earlier this year I was laid low by what my family calls an "oookie foonkie" disease -- copious nasal secretions, coughing, and so on.. I knew it was not influenza because (a) I'd been vaccinated, (b) not so much in the fever department --under 100 degrees F and (c) not so much with the overall body aches and malaise. While I was ill I saw this:
This 52-clove HEALING GARLIC SOUP RECIPE is 100 times more efficient than conventional antibiotics
Savvy health experts increasingly promote eating whole foods as a foundational healing method as opposed to taking supplements, especially when it comes to garlic. Eating fresh, raw garlic is by far the best way to ensure garlic’s numerous health benefits. The very best way to eat garlic for health purposes is to first press a fresh clove with a garlic press, or chop it, or smash it with the back of a knife. Then wait about 5 minutes or so before consuming.
At the time, I did not feel like eating anything, let alone the amount of garlic peeling and processing the recipe required, so I thought, "I'll put it off for another day. " Besides, I was pretty sure what I had was not bacterial (ie, responsive to antibiotics) but viral. But I digress.
It turns out this "52 clove garlic soup" recipe is ubiquitous on crunchy or natural health pages.
So today I decided to make the "Healing Garlic Soup recipe". I followed the recipe to the letter (well, except for the organic butter from grass-fed cows). Cut to the chase: the end result is not particularly edible (and I love ginger and onions and garlic). I ask you, a half-cup of ginger? It might make an edible soup base, though -- about 1 cup of the broth with maybe rice and some chicken and some celery... I'll get back to you.
Can consuming garlic stave off illness or reduce symptoms? Looking through PubMed for research on garlic's antibiotic properties reveals a few in-vitro studies and some animal studies that do seem to show that garlic can inhibit microorganisms. But the claim that this garlic-ginger-tumeric-lemon broth is "100 times more efficient than conventional antibiotics" is clearly woo.
I think I will stick with my go-to soup for feeling poorly: Hot and Sour.
I am fortunate to have a good Chinese restaurant within walking distance, Yat Sing. Their version is just fine. If you want to make it at home, though, I recommend the version from Serious Eats: Hot and Sour.
My other go-to Chinese restaurant locally, Su Hong, closed last fall; the new Palo Alto location is out of my usual orbit...but I might have to take a drive just for TanTan noodles...
Updated to add: Cochrane Review looked at garlic pills for the common cold.
There is insufficient clinical trial evidence regarding the effects of garlic in preventing or treating the common cold. A single trial suggested that garlic may prevent occurrences of the common cold but more studies are needed to validate this finding. Claims of effectiveness appear to rely largely on poor-quality evidence.
The best medicinal hot and sour is at Chef chu's. Thank you and I will test this garlic recipe this next week. Sounds crazy healthy and bold!!
Posted by: Bob berry | Sunday, April 03, 2016 at 06:22 PM
Our local Chinese restaurant has been closed for several months, but they should be opening soon after a long needed remodel. It may depend on what you are used to, but we did not like the hot and sour soup of the restaurant that is ten blocks away.
Oooh, thanks for the Serious Eats link. I tried to make it from a Chinese cook book we own. The first hurdle was getting the ingredients. After wandering around the international grocery store, we did get help. But then the cookbook was not clear on the quantities --- so I ended up putting in too much of the dried tofu, and it was horrible.
I might try Kenji's recipe, since I still have dried mushrooms and lily bulbs. I make my own chicken stock, so I'll take that and simmer it with garlic and ginger (though not a half a cup each!).
Posted by: Chris | Monday, April 04, 2016 at 12:09 PM
I make cheater Hot Sour when I have a cold; chicken broth (Swanson's), a tablespoonful of rice vinegar, some broken linguine noodles, and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes.
This is necessary because I live 25 miles from the nearest Chinese restaurant.
Posted by: Shay Simmons | Monday, April 04, 2016 at 09:09 PM
I could, perhaps, see the 52-clove garlic soup helping to keep you healthy. It would certainly do wonders to keep people at a good distance from you, thereby reducing the risk of getting a respiratory infection from them.
Posted by: Todd W. | Thursday, April 07, 2016 at 05:58 AM
edited because I do not allow this kind of plain-text language here
Lizzditz is nothing but a liar and fraud who has nothing better to do other than spread her garbage on the internet and slander my name! F^CK YOU B!TCH!!!!
Go to dougcopp.me!!!
Posted by: Doug Copp | Monday, April 11, 2016 at 07:39 PM
edited, because I do not allow this kind of language here
LIZDITZ IS POSESSED BY SATAN HIMSELF! DON'TLISTEN TO ANYTHING SHE WRITES BECAUSE SHE SUPPORTS THE DEATHS OF INNOCENT CHILDREN!
SCREW YOU C^NT! LICK MY F)CKING BALLS!!!!!
Go to dougcopp.me
Posted by: Doug Copp | Monday, April 11, 2016 at 07:55 PM
These are the posts that are arousing Mr. Copp's ire. Judge for yourself.
Posted by: Liz | Monday, April 11, 2016 at 08:55 PM