Minced garlic is an essential spice in making savory meals globally. It is included in almost all aromatic recipes. But knowing how much minced garlic equals a clove remains a mystery to many cooks.
How much minced garlic equals a clove? A medium-sized clove yields ¾ teaspoons of minced garlic. However, a ½ teaspoon of minced garlic is equivalent to one small clove. So, with two small cloves, you make one teaspoon.
In most cases, many recipes will require you to measure the amount of garlic to use.
Is it Safe to Eat Minced Garlic Every Day?
Yes. It’s harmless to consume it daily as long as you are not allergic. You can eat it either raw or cooked. It’s easy to add to your diet and makes your food delicious. It’s safe to take it for medicinal purposes too.
However, you must take into consideration some of the adverse effects of overeating garlic.
These include:
- It causes bad breath and body odor.
- It can cause gastrointestinal distress if taken on an empty stomach.
- It can cause flatulence to allergic persons.
- Some people complain of dermatitis after long-term use.
- It can cause heartburn.
- When taken after surgery, it prolongs the bleeding time.
How Do You Consume Minced Garlic?
Some people eat garlic when it’s in clove form. However, this is not the best way to consume it.
Crush it into mince and use it in the following ways:
- Add ¾ tablespoons of minced garlic to canned tomatoes and finely chopped onions. Drizzle some olive oil in it to make homemade salsa.
- Make salad dressing by adding it to lemon juice and parsley.
- Lacto-ferment one tablespoon of minced garlic in salt-brine, and serve with any meal.
- Make a super garlic toast by sprinkling ½ tablespoon of minced garlic to a buttered slice of bread.
- Make pasta sauce by adding one tablespoon of minced garlic to your tomato sauce. Serve with hot homemade pasta.
- You can use ½ tablespoon of it to make garlic-honey-lemon tea for your sore throat.
How Much Minced Garlic Should You Take Daily?
It’s advisable to take between ¾ and 1 ½ of minced garlic or 4g per day. This is equivalent to two medium-sized cloves. The table below explains how adults should take it for medicinal purposes.
| Type of Garlic | Grams | No. of tablespoons | No. of times per day |
| Raw minced garlic | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Dried powder | 0.3 | ¼ | 3 |
| Aged extract | 7.2 | 1 ¾ | 1 |
Can Minced Garlic Go Bad?
The answer is yes. If not properly stored, fresh minced garlic can only last for a day.
Use the following storage methods to make it last longer:
- Put minced garlic in an airtight container and refrigerate it. This will make it last for weeks.
- Add preservatives in it and keep it in a refrigerator in a tightly sealed container. It can last for 24 months.
- Put your minced garlic in a tightly closed bottle and freeze it. It will last for more than three years.
Are There Any Health Effects of Minced Garlic?
Yes. Garlic has long been used globally for its medicinal and nutritional properties. Most of these properties are a result of sulfur compounds produced when a garlic clove is minced.
For over 5000 years ago, garlic has been used to manage conditions like snakebites, hypertension, and infections. Currently, it is known for its role in lowering cholesterol levels and managing heart diseases.
During the current Covid 19 pandemic, patients are advised to consume garlic every day as a source of essential minerals that boost their immune system. It’s also widely used as an antioxidant.
Benefit #1: Boosts Immunity
Study shows that consuming ¾ tablespoon of garlic per day help boost your immune system. It helps reduce the severity of common sicknesses like cold and flu in two days.
Benefit #2: Helps Manage Blood Pressure
Strokes and heart attacks are the most killer diseases globally. They are mostly caused by high blood pressure. Garlic contributes significantly to lowering blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Adding two teaspoons of minced garlic to your diet every day helps manage hypertension in 20 weeks.
Benefit #3: Acts as an Antioxidant
Free radicals in the body cause oxidative damage. This contributes significantly to the aging process. Minced garlic contains antioxidants that protect your body against this damage. Also, taking its supplements help increase antioxidant enzymes. This reduces oxidative stress. It also reduces the risks of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Benefit #4: Helps Lower Cholesterol Levels
High cholesterol in the body increases the risks of cardiovascular problems. Garlic supplements are widely used to reduce bad or LDL cholesterol by 15%. Consuming it every day for this purpose is as effective as using other cholesterol-lowering drugs. However, it has no effects on good or HDL cholesterol.
Benefit #5: Helps Detoxify Your Body
The presence of heavy metals in your body contributes greatly to organs damage. Minced garlic produces sulfur compounds like allicin that help detoxify these metals from your body.
Consuming minced garlic daily helps decrease lead levels from the blood by 19%. It also helps manage clinical symptoms of toxicity like a headache.
Benefit #6: Source of Vital Minerals and Vitamins
Garlic is extremely nutritious and contains few calories (4.5). The tables below shows the minerals and vitamins present in one tablespoon of garlic.
| Mineral | Daily Value (%) |
| Manganese | 2 |
| Vitamin B6 | 2 |
| Vitamin C | 1 |
| Selenium | 1 |
| Mineral | Grams |
| Fiber | 0.06 |
| Proteins | 0.2 |
| Carbs | 1.0 |
It also contains decent amounts of iron, phosphorous, vitamin B1, potassium, copper, and calcium. All these help in strengthening body muscles, fighting various diseases, and boosting your immunity.
What are the Best Ways to Eat Minced Garlic?
You should keep one thing in mind while eating garlic; you are consuming it for maximum health benefits.
Here are the best ways to take it:
#1: Eat It Raw
Raw minced garlic contains a compound called allicin. It helps in reducing cholesterol levels and lowering blood pressure. When cooked, the allicin component in garlic tends to lose its nutritional value.
#2: Devour It on an Empty Stomach
The most effective way of taking minced garlic is on an empty stomach. It acts as a powerful antibiotic when taken before meals. The best time is before taking your breakfast when bacteria are exposed. This helps in managing various diseases.
#3: Consume In Large Quantities During Winter
Garlic is a source of essential minerals like iron, copper, potassium, phosphorous and calcium. It also contains vitamin C and B6. All these nutrients help in boosting immunity by making your body resistant to diseases. So, adding garlic to your diet helps keep you warm in winter.
Final Thoughts
- Minced garlic is vital in making delicious meals globally.
- Medium-sized clove yields ¾ teaspoons of minced garlic, and a ½ teaspoon of minced garlic is equivalent to one small clove.
- It’s safe to consume minced garlic every day. You must, however, be wary of some allergies.
- Consuming too much of it can give you bad breath, gastrointestinal distress, flatulence, dermatitis, and heartburn.
- Taking ¾ or one tablespoon of garlic per day is healthy.
- Garlic has various health benefits like boosting immunity, reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It also contains essential minerals, acts as an antioxidant and helps detoxify your body.
- For maximum benefits, take minced garlic while it’s raw and on an empty stomach.