Yes. Boiled garlic in milk is a traditional home remedy, but it’s important not to treat it as a proven cure. Research on garlic shows some modest benefits for cholesterol and blood pressure, while evidence for “boosting immunity” or treating colds is limited.
🥛 Garlic Milk Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk — dairy or unsweetened plant milk
- 1–2 fresh garlic cloves
- Optional: ½ teaspoon honey, added after cooking
- Optional: small pinch of cinnamon or turmeric for flavor
How to make it
- Peel 1–2 garlic cloves and lightly crush or chop them.
- Put the milk and garlic in a small saucepan.
- Heat on low to medium heat until the milk is gently simmering.
- Simmer for about 5–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don’t let the milk boil aggressively.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool until comfortably warm.
- You can strain out the garlic or drink it with the garlic pieces.
- If using honey, add it after the milk has cooled somewhat.
- You don’t need to drink it all at once. Sip it slowly, especially the first time.
🌿 Possible benefits
Garlic contains sulfur compounds and other bioactive substances. Studies suggest garlic preparations may modestly lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and blood pressure, particularly in people who already have elevated levels.
Other commonly claimed benefits include:
- Supporting overall cardiovascular health
- Providing antioxidant compounds
- Possibly having antimicrobial properties
- Traditional use for coughs/colds and general wellness
However, there isn’t good evidence that garlic milk specifically treats infections, “cleanses” the lungs, detoxes the body, or cures a cold.
⚠️ A few precautions
Garlic can cause heartburn, gas, abdominal discomfort, nausea, and strong breath/body odor, particularly in larger amounts.
Be especially cautious if you:
- Take warfarin or another blood thinner, or regularly take aspirin
- Have a bleeding disorder or are preparing for surgery
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding and intend to consume garlic in amounts substantially above normal food quantities
- Have a garlic allergy
Garlic can interact with some medicines and may increase bleeding risk.
For most healthy adults, I’d start with just 1 garlic clove in a cup of milk rather than several cloves at once. There is no established medical benefit to drinking a very concentrated garlic-milk mixture all at once.