According to Ayurveda, India's classic medical science, foods are grouped into three categories - sattvic, rajasic and tamasic - foods in the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. Onions and garlic, and the other alliaceous plants are classified as rajasic and tamasic, which means that they increase passion and ignorance.
Those that subscribe to pure brahmana-style cooking of India, including myself, and Vaishnavas - followers of Lord Vishnu, Rama and Krishna - like to only cook with foods from the sattvic category. These foods include fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs, dairy products, grains and legumes, and so on. Specifically, Vaisnavas do not like to cook with rajasic or tamasic foods because they are unfit to offer to the Deity.
Rajasic and tamasic foods are also not used because they are detrimental to meditation and devotions. "Garlic and onions are both rajasic and tamasic, and are forbidden to yogis because they root the consciousness more firmly in the body", says well-known authority on Ayurveda, Dr. Robert E. Svoboda.
Some branches of western medicine say that the Alliums have specific health benefits; garlic is respected, at least in allopathic medical circles, as a natural antibiotic. In recent years, while the apparent cardiovascular implications of vegetable Alliums has been studied in some detail, the clinical implications of onion and garlic consumption from this point of view are still not well understood.
Nevertheless, there are still many adverse things to say about garlic and onions. Not so well known is the fact that garlic in the raw state can carry harmful (potentially fatal) botulism bacteria. Perhaps it is with an awareness of this that the Roman poet Horace wrote of garlic that it is “more harmful than hemlock".
It should be pointed out that Garlic and onion are avoided by spiritual adherents because they stimulate the central nervous system, and can disturb vows of celibacy. Garlic is a natural aphrodisiac. Ayurveda suggests that it is a tonic for loss of sexual power from any cause, sexual debility, impotency from over-indulgence in sex and nervous exhaustion from dissipating sexual habits. It is said to be especially useful to old men of high nervous tension and diminishing sexual power.
The Taoists realized thousands of years ago that plants of the alliaceous family were detrimental to humans in their healthy state. In his writings, one sage Tsang-Tsze described the Alliums as the "five fragrant or spicy scented vegetables" - that each have a detrimental effect on one of the following five organs - liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, and heart. Specifically, onions are harmful to the lungs, garlic to the heart, leeks to the spleen, chives to the liver and spring onions to the Kidneys
The Taoists realized thousands of years ago that plants of the alliaceous family were detrimental to humans in their healthy state. In his writings, one sage Tsang-Tsze described the Alliums as the "five fragrant or spicy scented vegetables" - that each have a detrimental effect on one of the following five organs - liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, and heart. Specifically, onions are harmful to the lungs, garlic to the heart, leeks to the spleen, chives to the liver and spring onions to the kidneys.
Tsang-Tsze said that these pungent vegetables contain five different kinds of enzymes which cause "reactions of repulsive breath, extra-foul odour from perspiration and bowel movements, and lead to lewd indulgences, enhance agitations, anxieties and aggressiveness," especially when eaten raw.
Similar things are described in Ayurveda. 'As well as producing offensive breath and body odour, these (alliaceous) plants induce aggravation, agitation, anxiety and aggression. Thus they are harmful physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually'.
Back in the 1980's, in his research on human brain function, Dr Robert [Bob] C. Beck, DSc. found that garlic has a detrimental effect on the brain. He found that in fact garlic is toxic to humans because its sulphone hydroxyl ions penetrate the blood-brain barrier and are poisonous to brain cells.
Dr. Beck explained that as far back as the 1950s it was known that garlic reduced reaction time by two to three times when consumed by pilots taking flight tests. This is because the toxic effects of garlic desynchronize brain waves. "The flight surgeon would come around every month and remind all of us: "Don't you dare touch any garlic 72 hours before you fly one of our airplanes, because it'll double or triple your reaction time. You're three times slower than you would be if you'd [not] had a few drops of garlic."
For precisely the same reason the garlic family of plants has been widely recognized as being harmful to dogs.
Even when garlic is used as food in Chinese culture it is considered harmful to the stomach, liver and eyes, and a cause of dizziness and scattered energy when consumed in immoderate amounts.
Nor is garlic always seen as having entirely beneficial properties in Western cooking and medicine. It is widely accepted among health care professionals that, as well as killing harmful bacteria, garlic also destroys beneficial bacteria, which are essential to the proper functioning of the digestive system.
Reiki practitioners explain that garlic and onions are among the first substances to be expelled from a person’s system – along with tobacco, alcohol and pharmaceutical medications. This makes it apparent that alliaceous plants have a negative effect on the human body and should be avoided for health reasons.
Homeopathic medicine comes to the same conclusion when it recognizes that red onion produces a dry cough, watery eyes, sneezing, runny nose and other familiar cold-related symptoms when consumed.
These are just some of the reasons I avoid leeks, chives, shallots, garlic and onions and mushrooms
My Verdict: INSTEAD OF ONIONS AND GARLIC GO FOR ORGANIC GINGER AND ORGANIC TURMERIC with a touch of organic Black Pepper and it will do you a world of good
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Do whatever you can to eat the best and leave the rest...
EAT FOOD THAT AYURVEDA RECOMMENDS TO BE IN THE MODE OF GOODNESS ..SO YOU WILL BE FULL OF GOODNESS .. remember you are what you eat
The Vedas state that onion and garlic came from the dead body of a murdered cow and therefore they are considered like eating meat. They break the non-vegetarian principle from the strict Vedic shastric point of view. Strict vegetarians don’t eat onion nor garlic. Since meat is tamasic (mode of ignorance), onions and garlic are also tamasic and rajasic food (mode of ignorance and passion). They may have some medicinal value like even wine is used in medicines sometimes but no one will die without eating them. Devotees do not eat onion and garlic also for the reason that they cannot offer the food cooked with onion and garlic to the Lord as per the principles of Bhakti yoga. So if the Lord does not accept it, then the devotees do not get prasadam.
“Once, in Satya Yuga the rishis were performing gomedha and asvamedha sacrefices for the welfare of the whole universe. A cow or a horse would be cut into pieces and placed in the fire. Afterwards the risis would utter mantras and the same animal would come alive in a beautiful young body. One time the risi who was about to perform a gomedha sacrifice, his wife was pregnant. She had a very strong desire to eat and she had heard that if, during pregnancy one has a desire to eat and does not fullfil this, then the baby that will be born will always have saliva coming from its mouth. Very strangely, she desired strongly to eat meat, thus she decided to keep one piece of meat of the cow’s body that was offered in sacrifice. She hid it and was making a plan to eat it very soon. At that time the rishi was finishing the sacrifice and uttered all the mantras for the new young cow to come to life. However when he saw the new cow, he noticed that there was a little part missing from her left side. He went into meditation and realized that his wife had taken away a piece of meat during the sacrifice. Now his wife also understood what happened and quickly threw the meat far away in a field. Due to the effect of the mantras uttered by the rishi there was now life in this piece of meat. Then the bones in that piece of meat became garlic and the meat became onions in that field. Thus these foods are never taken by any Vaishnava devotee because it is not vegetarian. Plus it is in the mode of ignorance."
(3) Blood of demon Saimhikeya becomes Onion & Garlic
Here is another story, from Puranic Encylopedia by Vettam Mani (under CANDRA VI.), (Kamba Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda and Bhagavata, Astama Skandha. Kamba Ramayana is a Tamil text by poet Kambar):
“Solar eclipse according to the Puranas. The Devas and the asuras jointly churned Ksirabdhi wherefrom emerged Dhanvantari with the Amrtakumbha (pot of nectar). But an asura mayavi (magician) called Saimhikeya absconded to Patala with the Amrtakumbha which nobody noticed as everybody was busy with dividing other divine objects. Only after the mayavi’s disappearance was it noticed that the Amrtakumbha was missing. At once Mahavishnu assumed the figure of a beautiful woman, got back the Kumbha and gave it to the devas. The devas began drinking the amrta when, at the instance of some other devas, Saimhikeya, the mayavi, assuming the form of an old Brahmin reached svarga, got a share of the amrta and began to drink it. Surya and Candra (Sun and Moon) who were on guard at the gates divined the secret of the ‘old Brahmin’ and informed Mahavishnu about it. He cut the throat of the pseudo-Brahmin with his Sudarsana Chakra. But, half of the nectar he had drunk stayed above the throat and the other half below it. Therefore, though the head and the trunk were severed they remained alive. These two parts, in course of time, evolved as Rahu and Ketu.
When the throat was cut some blood dropped on on the ground, and became the red onion and the white onion (garlic) respectively. So both onion and garlic originated from the throat and blood of the demons or asuras, thus their consumption brings us closer to tamo guna (mode of ignorance) which characterizes the nature of the demons and thus is detrimental to Bhakti.”
As per the scripture, garlic, onion and mushroom are prohibited for Brahmins because they are considered impure as they generally grow in the place of impurity. Brahmins need to maintain purity as they worship gods who are sattvic (pure) in nature.
Any religion which relates with worship of God, meditation; do not allow to eat garlic and onions. Because the belief is that, garlic and onions cause such an effect in body or mind that cause disturbance in contemplation.
More reasons to avoid onions and garlic:
Unfortunately, onions and garlic have negative effects, and as a health-conscious cook you should be aware of them. You see, Ayurveda helps us understand the pharmacodynamics of ingredients on deeper, more subtle levels than modern neutraceutical logic, which focuses on the ingredient content and immediate chemical composition and effects.
Let us first look at the distinct chemical compounds of these bulbous plants. Any cook knows that chopping an onion stinks and stings. Why is it so? Dr. Eric Block gives the answer in his book “Garlic and Other Alliums: The Lore and the Science.” Garlic cloves produce a chemical called allicin (2-Propene-1-sulfinothioic acid S-2- propenyl ester), which is responsible for their strong pungency and aroma. Garlic can get into the eyes and mouth even if a clove is just rubbed on the foot, a body length away. Its active ingredient passes right through the skin and into the blood. Prolonged contact with garlic will blister and burn the skin. All alliums produce a sulfur molecule that is small and light enough to launch itself from the cut vegetable, fly through the air, and attack our eyes and nasal passages.
Garlic is a powerful herb and traditional Ayurvedic doctors use it as medicine, but do not recommend it as food for daily consumption. Because it is a broad-spectrum antibiotic, garlic (especially raw) kills not only the bad germs but also the most needed friendly bacteria. Garlic does not discriminate between the “bad guys” and the “good guys” in your gut.
Vaidya Mishra explains that cooked onions and garlic have less of an effect (both therapeutic and harmful), because cooking destroys much of the sulfur. Yet, enough of it remains to still harm the friendly bacteria in your gut, especially if you are among the majority of people who lack a good environment for the bacteria to thrive. If you are one of the few blessed with lots of friendly bacteria and keep a good routine and diet, then whether onions and garlic is good for you depends on how much and how frequently you consume them, and what other foods you eat to buffer and balance the negative properties. For example, if you consume garlic with cooling vegetables, such as loki or zucchini, and if you are not a high Pitta type, maybe your colon can handle the excess sulfur content, and your friendly bacteria will not be harmed.
As any sulfur-rich ingredient, onions and garlic are very heating. They aggravate Pitta on both physical and emotional levels. For someone suffering from acid reflux, ulcers, colitis, heartburn, intestinal inflammation, skin rashes or redness, etc. eating these two substances will make him feel worse. Once a friend of mine who has had ulcers for many years told me, “My relationship with onions and garlic is this: I eat them, and then they start eating me from within.” Other friends with ulcers have told me that it feels like someone’s cutting your stomach with a hot knife.
Aside from their burning effects on the physiology, alliums also heat up our emotions. Emotional outbursts are another indication that your Pitta is out of control. Have you noticed that people living in cultures that use a lot of onions and garlic are exceptionally temperamental and passionate? It looks like they are yelling at each other but they are actually having a normal conversation.
As you can see, Pitta types suffer most from the side effects of these potent ingredients. Kapha types would best tolerate onions and garlic because their intestinal walls tend to be thicker and they also need more heating and stimulating foods. If you are a Vata type, however, you have much thinner, more sensitive intestinal walls and probably like gentler flavoring with less onions and garlic.
On energetic level, onions and garlic constrict the vibrational channels (nadis), thus preventing a person from experiencing mental clarity and higher states of consciousness. Vaidya Mishra once told me that whoever eats garlic and onion will have very strong body but their spiritual antennas will be blocked.
I stopped eating onions and garlic more than 25 years ago because of my yoga practice. Referring to the ancient texts about yoga, my teachers advised me that if I wanted to succeed in meditation, I had to avoid foods that are overly stimulating or clouding to the mind. During my travels in India and Asia, I have seen that brahmins and pandits never eat onions and garlic or serve them in temples. And even Buddhists and Zen masters in China and Japan avoid them in order to maintain their spiritual balance.
Spiritual reasons aside, garlic-free dining has become the center of gastronomic dispute, especially in Italy. The debate started in 2007, in the center of Rome at La Trattoria restaurant, where top chef Filippo La Mantia shunned garlic as the basis of his dishes because it is just a stinky ingredient that overpowers the delicate flavors of a preparation.
Again, whether onions and garlic are good for you depends on your friendly bacteria; how much sulfur your colon can handle; how much cooked or raw garlic you consume with what types of spices and vegetables. I choose to stick to the Ayurvedic perspective: use them medicine and avoid them for daily consumption. If you feel overheated or if you like to do yoga, chant, meditate; if you want mental clarity, or balanced emotions, then a diet without onions and garlic may greatly support your spiritual practice. If you have eaten them your whole life, why not experiment without them for a month and see how you feel?
Essential fatty acids [EPA, DHA] are probably lacking in most Vegan diets, as plant sources, such as flax seed, cannot be converted in sufficiently useful quantities, for human brain health and cognative function...Only fish will suffice and you Vegans deny this natural bounty...
Conclusion; the Vegan brain is starved of essential nutrients, such as fatty and amino acids. Therefore more vulnerable to mental disfunction/aberration, especially after consuming garlic, it appears almost drug-like to the malnourished vegan brain, according to these reports.
Healthy people can eat garlic, free of the negatives you list...
Friendly gut bacteria, in the large intestine, are not killed off by regular consumption of raw garlic...MINE FUNCTION PERFECTLY....And this is because I feed them with fermented veg, such as gerkins, cabbage and drink a daily glass of kefir; a probiotic....
I recommend raw garlic and onions, as well as fermented veg....AVOID BIG PHARMA ANTIBIOTICS, as they will kill off gut flora..
Maybe these Hindu "Gurus" should preach more about the dangers of rice consumption...??
Carbs cause insulin resistance, which leads to diabetes...
KETOGENIC DIET combined with INTERMITTENT FASTING, is the best choice....Maybe readers would like to research...?
Utterly brilliant health, mood and brain function.....Autophagy can even reverse biological aging..
I've been on ketosis/IF for several years and have never had the slighest of health problems....Oh and enjoy garlic with good gut health and zero demonic influences [lol.]
These people who go insane when they eat garlic, are subject to auto-suggestion....They believe a priest, not inner guides.
This is just a belief and not a principle ! A belief is something no one can prove as "you going to paradise after death" and a principle is something that you can prove as "the sky is blue" right ? then...
PEOPLE SHOULD EAT GARLIC IF THE WANT TO BOOST THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEM TO FIGHT CORONAVIRUS WITH SUCCES BECAUSE...
Garlic boosts your white cell production, increasing natural killer cells. As an added benefit, it acts as an antioxidant, which supports your health. Garlic also helps prevent cardiovascular disease by preventing blood clots.
· Lymphocytes: Lymphocytes consist of three cells – B cells, T cells, and natural killer (NK) cells. B cells recognize viruses and release antibodies against them, while T cells and Natural Killer cells fight cells infected by viruses and cancer.
If you want to boost your immune system to fight any virus with success please read this article... https://www.pranachy.store/post/7-tips-to-boost-your-immune-system-...
You are correct, Cristian and for those of us aware of the benifits of garlic, there is necessity to clarify facts. A regular chopped clove of garlic makes for supreme immunity from viruses, pathogens, molds, fungi and religious dogmas that point fingers....;-]
I still have a garlic crusher, years ago I cooked Italian dishes....Now I exclude all pasta and eat raw garlic; chopped clove mixed with organic houmous, or Saint Agur French cheese...
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