Calories in Garlic Clove

The nutrient composition (vitamins, minerals and amino acids) have also been explained for additional information. Read on...

Garlic (Allium sativum) is commonly used as a culinary ingredient and is widely accepted for its medicinal properties. The nutrient laden herb is mostly seasoned with lemon and ginger and is consumed either raw or fried. Raw garlic has an extremely strong and pungent smell, which is why people often repel from eating garlic.

However, the smell mellows down considerably when deep-fried or is spiced up with other ingredients. Raw cloves are low in calories and they are the most nutritious. Frying the cloves, although makes it delightful, destroys the nutrient value and the calorie content is also increased due to the oils.

In this article we shall explain you the calorie composition of raw garlic. 13% of the clove comprises refuse, that include its knob and skin. We have provided the total amount of calories in 100 grams of cloves, keeping the refuse intact. Take a look.

• From the aforementioned chart, you can make out that raw garlic cloves have a very low calorie content.

• The essential nutrients, i.e. proteins, carbohydrates and fats are blended in an appropriate proportion. Therefore, you can blend a little amount regularly while cooking.

• If you check the lipid profile of garlic cloves, you will find out that it contains negligible amount of saturated fatty acids. Thus, you should not worry about gaining weight after eating garlic.

• The medicinal properties of garlic have been explored since ages. Garlic is rich in vitamins, minerals and amino acids, that make it an excellent herb for curing respiratory problems, muscle pain and fatigue. We have provided you a table from which you can come to know the nutrient makeup of raw garlic cloves.

Note: Data taken from USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference

• One of the main reasons behind such a low calorific value is, the cloves are devoid of cholesterol. This property of garlic is useful for people suffering from heart ailments (blocked artery), high blood pressure and cholesterol. It considerably improves their health conditions.

• The calorie count of garlic is reduced when it is steamed or boiled. Fats, carbohydrates and proteins are broken down, which decreases the calories. If you are using it for medicinal purpose, then raw garlic is probably the best option.

• Garlic is also used as an energy booster, as it is considerably high in complex carbohydrates (33 gm/100 gram). You can dry the cloves and season them in a little lime juice for the purpose of eating. The other option is to have fresh garlic juice once a day.

• The nutrient composition of garlic also helps in regulating blood glucose levels. This is because the glucose and carbohydrate (simple carbs) content of garlic is extremely low.

Garlic sauce, pickles, dippings, etc. that are prepared by adding cheese, mayonnaise, butter and other ingredients are definitely high in calories. Prefer adding fresh cloves in recipes unless you want to take extreme delight in eating. Garlic bread is probably the most common dish that we love to relish. 

But you have to exclude the cheese spreading to receive all the benefits exclusively from garlic. I hope you have found the information provided in this article useful enough.