 Ewwwwww! Ghastly garlic! |  "I promise not to make you cry!" said the onion. |
Growing up in the Caribbean, pretty much nothing ever got wasted. Anything that couldn’t be ingested or used as medicine was repurposed as ‘fertilizer’ for the garden, given back to Mother Earth, or used in some other creative way (e.g. in art, construction, as a toy, etc).“Waste not, Want not”, my Great-Granny used to say. So the other day, I had a nice crusty baguette loaf, and was craving a good roasted garlic paste mixed with olive oil and some fresh herbs to dunk it in, and as I’m getting ready to toss the skin into the compost bin, the Ancestors whispered to me: “Child, what are you doing? Did you forget that the skin is loaded with anti-bacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal properties?” (Well, They didn’t use those words exactly; They just said “Hellooooo! What are you doing? It’s good for you!”). So here are some well-known health benefits found in garlic and onion peel that hopefully will make you reconsider using them instead of tossing them out in the trash next time you’re in the kitchen (I’ll keep it short and sweet…. Well, more like short and ‘savory’):
First of all, I’m sure you are all already familiar with the nutritional and flavorful benefits of garlic cloves and onion in cooking so I won’t get into any of that. But did you know that *Medicinally*, in Chinese medicine, garlic aka “Allium Sativum” (botanical name) or “Da Suan” (TCM name) is used in formulas to kill parasites, relieve diarrhea, fight coughs, colds & flu, move Qi & Blood, warm the body and reduce clotting (so careful if you’re on blood thinners or recently had surgery!). Garlic is also known to lower BP and cholesterol (hence why I’m LITERALLY drinking/eating all things garlic so my labs can look pretty on my next doctor’s visit (Shhhhh, don’t tell my PCP I told you that! :-)
Additionally:
º Garlic skin is chock full of Vitamins A, C & E, and anti-microbial as well as anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory phenylpropanoid anti-oxidants (now that’s a mouthful!). Research is showing health benefits that fight diabetes, Alzheimer’s and even cancer too!
º Onion peel and the skin (that really thin filmy layer just covering the onion itself) can be used to make a tea that is lauded for its anti-aging properties due to the fact that it contains Quercetin which helps fight off inflammation and free-radicals resulting in a more youthful appearance to the skin. Additionally, it contains Tryptophan so it helps with improving sleep. Just boil for 10 minutes or so and try sweetening with a little honey to make it more palatable if you’d like.
º Steeping onion peel in a hot cup of green tea is also known to help fight inflammation and increase weight loss.
º For sore throat, allow tea to cool a little then gargle with the warm tea to relieve inflammation and ease discomfort.
º For itchy skin, try using that same garlic & onion peel ‘tea’ to dab on your skin and it will magically help stop the itch (cool a little bit 1st before applying). You can also use it as a rinse after washing your hair and notice how silky soft your hair becomes.
º And finally, in the garden – repurpose your onion and garlic skins to add a healthy organic fertilizing boost to your veggie beds and repel bugs at the same time. And there ya have it! Granny was right; Waste not; want not!
“Shallots are for babies; Onions are for men; Garlic is for heroes”. (Author unknown).
Happy weeding; Happy eating!
In good health;
Audrey Steele, Acupuncture Physician
www.Acupuncture4YourHealth.com
References:
Ashima Mahindra; (9/14/22). Timesnownews.com: No More In Dustbins.
Tom Fung; (2018). Vitalitymagazine.com: Make Your Own Chinese Health Tonic.
Olufunke Faluyi; (2/27/2022). Punchng.com: Medicine in Unlikely Plant Parts.
Bensky, D., Clavey, S. & Stöger, E. (2004). Chinese herbal Medicine Materia Medica. USA: Eastland Press.
Disclaimer: This information is educational in nature only, and is NOT intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition. The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended as diagnosis, treatment, or prescription of any kind. The decision to use, or not to use, any information is the sole responsibility of the reader.
First of all, I’m sure you are all already familiar with the nutritional and flavorful benefits of garlic cloves and onion in cooking so I won’t get into any of that. But did you know that *Medicinally*, in Chinese medicine, garlic aka “Allium Sativum” (botanical name) or “Da Suan” (TCM name) is used in formulas to kill parasites, relieve diarrhea, fight coughs, colds & flu, move Qi & Blood, warm the body and reduce clotting (so careful if you’re on blood thinners or recently had surgery!). Garlic is also known to lower BP and cholesterol (hence why I’m LITERALLY drinking/eating all things garlic so my labs can look pretty on my next doctor’s visit (Shhhhh, don’t tell my PCP I told you that! :-)
Additionally:
º Garlic skin is chock full of Vitamins A, C & E, and anti-microbial as well as anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory phenylpropanoid anti-oxidants (now that’s a mouthful!). Research is showing health benefits that fight diabetes, Alzheimer’s and even cancer too!
º Onion peel and the skin (that really thin filmy layer just covering the onion itself) can be used to make a tea that is lauded for its anti-aging properties due to the fact that it contains Quercetin which helps fight off inflammation and free-radicals resulting in a more youthful appearance to the skin. Additionally, it contains Tryptophan so it helps with improving sleep. Just boil for 10 minutes or so and try sweetening with a little honey to make it more palatable if you’d like.
º Steeping onion peel in a hot cup of green tea is also known to help fight inflammation and increase weight loss.
º For sore throat, allow tea to cool a little then gargle with the warm tea to relieve inflammation and ease discomfort.
º For itchy skin, try using that same garlic & onion peel ‘tea’ to dab on your skin and it will magically help stop the itch (cool a little bit 1st before applying). You can also use it as a rinse after washing your hair and notice how silky soft your hair becomes.
º And finally, in the garden – repurpose your onion and garlic skins to add a healthy organic fertilizing boost to your veggie beds and repel bugs at the same time. And there ya have it! Granny was right; Waste not; want not!
“Shallots are for babies; Onions are for men; Garlic is for heroes”. (Author unknown).
Happy weeding; Happy eating!
In good health;
Audrey Steele, Acupuncture Physician
www.Acupuncture4YourHealth.com
References:
Ashima Mahindra; (9/14/22). Timesnownews.com: No More In Dustbins.
Tom Fung; (2018). Vitalitymagazine.com: Make Your Own Chinese Health Tonic.
Olufunke Faluyi; (2/27/2022). Punchng.com: Medicine in Unlikely Plant Parts.
Bensky, D., Clavey, S. & Stöger, E. (2004). Chinese herbal Medicine Materia Medica. USA: Eastland Press.
Disclaimer: This information is educational in nature only, and is NOT intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition. The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended as diagnosis, treatment, or prescription of any kind. The decision to use, or not to use, any information is the sole responsibility of the reader.
RSS Feed
