Micah Stanley
There is hardly a herald of spring that is so longed for as wild garlic! No wonder, because the tender green wild garlic leaves are not only a culinary highlight but also a health highlight.
Wild garlic – a healthy herald of spring
Wild garlic (Allium ursinum) is native to large parts of Europe and Asia and feels particularly at home in shady, moist deciduous, and mixed forests. He particularly likes damp soil. Here it likes to spread out and form huge carpets. Anyone who has wild garlic in their garden can count themselves particularly lucky.
In spring, wild garlic – also known as wild garlic – can be found from around the beginning of March to May. First, its silky green leaves stretch up from the forest floor, then the white, umbel-like flowers develop.
In order not to endanger the stock and to find enough wild garlic again next spring, it is important not to tear up the whole plant, but to leave at least two-thirds of the leaves of a plant. This means that the perennial, herbaceous plant still has enough strength to form flowers and seeds.
After two to three months, the wild garlic leaves turn yellow because they have meanwhile become too warm, and the entire plant disappears again. Only the bulbs remain in the ground, waiting to sprout next spring.
Incidentally, wild garlic is one of the oldest useful and medicinal plants in Europe. Already in the Mesolithic (Mesolithic, 9600 to 4500 BC), wild garlic was eaten with pleasure. And we also know that the ancient Germans and Romans valued it as a medicinal plant.
Bear’s garlic – beware of confusion!
When harvesting wild garlic, however, you should pay attention to plants that look similar. The poisonous lily of the valley in particular is very similar to wild garlic. But the autumn crocus or the arum (both also poisonous) could be confused with wild garlic by people who are not very familiar with botany.
To distinguish wild garlic from its poisonous “doubles” look out for its garlic-like smell. However, if you have already harvested a few wild garlic leaves, the smell of garlic sticks to your hands and is no longer a reliable criterion for differentiation.
Nevertheless, the different plants can be distinguished very well from one another. The wild garlic only ever develops individual leaves on a stalk. If you find several leaves on a single stalk (as with the lily of the valley) or if the stalk is missing completely (as with the extremely poisonous autumn crocus), it is NOT wild garlic.
Another distinguishing feature of wild garlic, lily of the valley, and autumn crocus is the nature of their upper and lower leaf surfaces. Wild garlic has a slightly shiny upper leaf surface and a dull underside – in contrast to the leaves of autumn crocus and lily of the valley, which are shiny on both sides.
Confusion with the arum is generally rare since its leaves actually look completely different from wild garlic leaves. With very young plants, when only the tips stick out of the ground, you could still confuse the two. That’s why you should only harvest the leaves from the wild garlic when you can clearly tell which plant it is.
If in doubt, simply buy wild garlic at the weekly market or in well-stocked shops, where they are sold in bunches in spring (March and April depending on the region).
Wild garlic – the nutrients
As is usual for leafy vegetables and herbs, 100 g wild garlic contains only a few calories (19 kcal or 79 kJ) and high water content.
100 g wild garlic contains:
- 92.6 grams of water
- 0.3 grams of fat
- 2.9 grams of carbohydrates
- 2.2 grams of dietary fiber
Wild garlic – the vitamins, minerals, and trace elements
Wild garlic leaves are a wonderful source of vital substances. They provide many vitamins and minerals that are essential for a healthy organism. Below is the respective vital substance content per 100 g of wild garlic. We have only listed those vital substances that are actually found in relevant quantities in wild garlic. The number in brackets indicates what percentage of the vital substance contained can cover the daily requirement (RDA):
- 150 mg vitamin C (150% RDA): Wild garlic is a very good source of vitamin C. More on that in the next chapter.
- 200 µg of vitamin A (25% RDA) in the form of 1200 µg of beta-carotene. Vitamin A is important for healthy skin and mucous membranes, for healing processes of all kinds, and for good and healthy eyes.
- 2.87 mg iron (20.5% RDA): As a component of human blood, this trace element is responsible for the transport and storage of oxygen. A deficiency can lead to tiredness, exhaustion, headaches, hair loss, difficulty concentrating, and even severe iron deficiency anemia (anemia).
- 336 mg potassium (16.8% RDA): Potassium plays a key role in energy metabolism and water balance and, together with sodium, is responsible for a healthy heart muscle.
- 130 µg Vitamin B1 (9.29% RDA): Vitamin B1 is important for many bodily functions. A deficiency can therefore lead to many symptoms: depression, polyneuropathies, visual disturbances, headaches, fatigue, heart failure, edema, immune deficiency, etc.
- 200 µg vitamin B6 (10% RDA): We need vitamin B6 for the formation of hemoglobin (red blood pigment) and for the proper functioning of the nervous system and immune system. The vitamin is also involved in protein metabolism.
- 320 µg manganese (9.14% RDA): Manganese is an important component of various (detoxification) enzymes, endogenous antioxidants, and mitochondria (these are the energy centers of our body cells).
- 76 mg Magnesium (7.3% RDA): Magnesium is important for the proper functioning of our muscles. If you have too little magnesium, this often results in muscle tremors, cramps, and cardiac arrhythmias. It also has an anti-inflammatory effect and is of great importance for numerous bodily processes.
- 76 mg calcium (7.6% RDA): Calcium is important for healthy bones and teeth. It gives them stability and prevents fractures. But calcium is also essential for muscle activity and blood clotting.
- 50 mg Phosphorus (6.25% RDA): Phosphorus is an important component of DNA and RNA, so it is essential for cell health. It is also required for energy metabolism.
Wild garlic provides three times as much vitamin C as oranges
What you wouldn’t expect: wild garlic is very rich in vitamin C. 100 g contains a whopping 150 mg of vitamin C. This corresponds to 150 percent of the officially stated daily requirement of vitamin C for an adult. To get the same amount of vitamin C with the consumption of oranges, which are commonly considered the frontrunners in terms of vitamin C, you would have to eat two and a half fruits or 300 g of them!
Vitamin C, on the other hand, is a true super vitamin: it has an immune-boosting, detoxifying, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, antitumor, and much more effective. It supports the immune system at work and thus offers multiple protection against numerous diseases.
Vitamin C also acts as a powerful antioxidant. It intercepts free radicals that damage our cells and are responsible for various diseases such as cancer, stroke, or dementia, but also premature aging, and renders them harmless.
But vitamin C is also important for healthy body weight: researchers found that people with a lower concentration of vitamin C in the blood burned 30 percent less fat than test persons with a higher vitamin C level.
So if you want to lose weight in a healthy way or want to maintain healthy body weight, foods with a high vitamin C content – such as wild garlic – can provide you with the best possible support.
Wild garlic – The secondary plant substances
The health effect of wild garlic is not only due to its vitamins, trace elements, and minerals, but also to the secondary plant substances, it contains.
In the meantime, around 30,000 different phytochemicals have been discovered by science, all of which are useful in one way or another when it comes to health. Some work e.g. B. antibacterial or antiviral, others detoxifying, anti-cancer and immune-boosting, and still others stimulate the digestive system.
We now find a large number of these substances in wild garlic. Various sulfur compounds such as e.g. B. the alliin, a sulfur-containing amino acid.
Wild Garlic – A good source of sulfur
Especially the sulfur compounds are scientifically very interesting. Depending on when it was harvested, wild garlic often has the same sulfur content as garlic. According to a German study, the ideal harvest time is in March and April.
Sulfur has a detoxifying effect, is involved in the construction of many proteins and enzymes, and ensures flexible joints, as it has an anti-inflammatory and decongestant effect and at the same time prevents further cartilage degradation. But sulfur is also needed for insulin production and a functioning immune system.
Allicin for a strong heart and clean vessels
As soon as you pick the wild garlic or cut it in the kitchen, cells in the plant are destroyed. In this way, the sulfur-containing alliin comes into contact with the enzyme alliinase, which is also contained. This converts the alliin into allicin. Only this allicin is now responsible for the typical scent of wild garlic or garlic.
Allicin is best known for its germicidal and antibacterial properties. It is considered a natural antibiotic and is effective against a wide range of pathogens such as bacteria and fungi. In addition, it regulates high cholesterol levels and is a proven remedy against arteriosclerosis, which is why it helps to prevent heart attacks and strokes. But allicin is also effective against various types of cancer.
Especially in the period before flowering, the sulfur content in wild garlic is highest. That’s why it’s best to collect it before it blooms, although of course it still contains a variety of healthy sulfur compounds even during the flowering period.
Wild garlic is rich in chlorophyll
Chlorophyll – the green plant pigment – is one of the best substances when it comes to supporting our health and maintaining it in the best possible way. Wild garlic has a relatively high chlorophyll content: 100 g of wild garlic contains 422 mg of chlorophyll. In nettle, for example, there are “only” 360 mg of chlorophyll, in parsley 210 mg, and in spinach 115 mg.
Chlorophyll is closely related to a substance found in human blood: hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the red pigment in the blood and is responsible for transporting oxygen to our cells.
Chlorophyll and hemoglobin differ only in one detail: Instead of the iron molecule in the center of hemoglobin, chlorophyll contains a magnesium molecule. For this reason, chlorophyll is often referred to as “green blood”.
So it is not surprising that chlorophyll improves blood formation and oxygen supply. In addition, it supports the detoxification of various harmful substances such as heavy metals, carcinogenic (i.e. cancer-causing) substances such as e.g. B. aflatoxin, and radioactive radiation.
In addition, the green plant pigment improves wound healing and ensures a pleasant body odor.
Wild garlic has a detoxifying effect
Wild garlic is a very common component of detoxification cures. The combination of vitamin C, chlorophyll, sulfur, and many other plant substances typical of wild garlic has a detoxifying effect. They all support the elimination of toxins, heavy metals, and carcinogens.
In alternative medicine, the plant is particularly important for detoxification according to Dr. Klinghardt attaches great importance. In the protocol developed by the German doctor, wild garlic is used in combination with coriander and chlorella algae to detoxify heavy metals (especially mercury).
According to Dr. Klingardt remove heavy metals (and other toxins) from the connective tissue so that they can then be excreted through the kidneys. Chlorella algae also dissolve toxins and then bind them in the intestine.
Wild garlic and chlorella form the basic therapy for detoxification according to Dr. Klinghardt. Only when the connective tissue has been detoxified with wild garlic and chlorella (which can take years) should coriander be integrated, which in turn should be able to detoxify the central nervous system and even the bones.
The detoxification effect of wild garlic is compared to that of DMPS, a sulfur-based chelating agent specially developed to detoxify heavy metals. However, the effect of wild garlic is gentler, gentler, and better tolerated. On the other hand, detoxification with the plant takes longer. If wild garlic is combined with chlorella algae, the detoxifying effect can be increased.
Klinghardt recommends taking raw wild garlic, e.g. B. 1 tsp wild garlic pesto or 8 drops of a wild garlic tincture and approx. 2 g chlorella algae (corresponds to approx. 5 pellets) – always with meals.
However, an individual intake schedule should be discussed with a doctor or naturopath.
Wild Garlic in Science
What our ancestors knew thousands of years ago is now also being confirmed by modern science: Wild garlic is a powerful medicinal plant and, according to scientific studies, works against such different things as colon cancer, arteriosclerosis, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. However, scientific interest in how wild garlic works is still relatively young. Studies have only been carried out with it for about 20 years, including several dedicated to its anti-cancer effect.
Wild garlic against cancer
For example, diallyl disulfide (a component of wild garlic essential oil) has been shown to kill various cancer cells. This applies to breast, lung, prostate, and colon cancer as well as lymphoma and neuroblastoma.
There are now also many studies for the substance allicin that confirm its effectiveness in the fight against different cancer cells, such as lung, colon, and breast cancer.
A single substance found in wild garlic has often been tested for its antitumor properties. However, one can assume that the effect of the entire plant is superior to the individual substances, as is often the case since the various plant substances often complement and reinforce each other.
And indeed, a study from 2013 with a water extract from wild garlic showed that it was able to effectively kill stomach cancer cells and disrupt the cell cycle of the cancer cells.
Wild garlic for high blood pressure
Wild garlic can also be helpful against high blood pressure. We now know that it improves the flow properties of the blood and has a slightly blood-thinning effect. Researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington found that a wild garlic diet significantly reduced systolic blood pressure in subjects with hypertension after 45 days. In a direct comparison, the plant even beat garlic, which is known for its antihypertensive effect.
Wild garlic against hardening of the arteries
Arteriosclerosis – also known as hardening of the arteries – is now one of the most common causes of death. Because once the arteries are blocked, it quickly develops into a heart attack, a stroke, or an embolism.
As has been scientifically proven several times in the meantime, wild garlic can specifically prevent the formation of plaque (deposits in the blood vessels) or help to break down existing deposits again.
If you are already suffering from arteriosclerosis, you should of course not only rely on the power of wild garlic but also strive for an overall healthy and plant-based diet.
Dosage of wild garlic
Even if there are no long-term scientific studies on humans to date, one can assume that regular consumption of the plant (e.g. 1 teaspoon of wild garlic pesto daily) can significantly support health and well-being.
Wild garlic has always been used successfully in traditional European medicine. Maria Treben (1907 to 1991), one of the best-known herbalists and specialists in traditional European herbal medicine, recommends making a wild garlic essence to preserve the healing power of wild garlic.
To do this, fill a bottle with chopped wild garlic leaves and then top it up with 40% brandy. The mixture is left to steep in a warm place for at least 2 weeks and then the essence or tincture is poured through a sieve into a dark glass bottle. The leaves are discarded.
From the finished essence, you should take 10 to 15 drops four times a day. Maria Treben recommends this regimen for various complaints such as anxiety, blood purification, diarrhea, poor memory, impure skin, chronic skin diseases, sleep disorders, dizziness, constipation, worms, hardening of the arteries, and liver inflammation. But taking wild garlic essence is also said to be suitable for the prevention of diseases.
Wild garlic in the kitchen
However, wild garlic is particularly popular in the kitchen due to its spicy aroma. It is usually simply cut up finely and used raw as a spice in salads or spreads. This is particularly beneficial for the heat-sensitive vitamin C, but also for the alliin and other sulfur compounds it contains.
Unfortunately, the wild garlic season only lasts for a short time: a maximum of 3 months after it has developed its first tender leaves, it has disappeared again. In order to benefit from the health benefits of wild garlic all year round, however, it is relatively easy to preserve it, e.g. B. with the wild garlic essence described above, a delicious wild garlic pesto.
