Garlic
Other names garlic bulb, garlic clove
Garlic: high in FODMAPs and oligosaccharides; low in histamine and salicylate. If you're sensitive to any of these, check it against your profile before eating.
Intolerances
- FODMAPsHigh
Garlic is one of the five vegetables measured highest in fructan, and it is the one used in the smallest amount - which is exactly why a single clove still counts. The useful fact is that fructans are water-soluble and not oil-soluble: a clove fried in oil and then lifted out leaves the flavour behind and takes the fructans with it. Infused oil works; garlic paste does not. Muir measured 60 vegetables and named garlic, artichoke, shallot, leek bulb and onion at the top, across a range of 1.2 to 17.4 g per 100 g fresh weight for the group - without ranking them against one another.
Sources· 1
- Muir J et al., J Agric Food Chem 55 (2007) 6619-6627 and 57 (2009) 554-565, fructans and short-chain carbohydrates measured in Australian vegetables and fruit
- OligosaccharidesFODMAPsHigh
Same reason as the FODMAP level: garlic is among the densest fructan sources in the kitchen. The chains are water-soluble and not oil-soluble, which is the whole basis of infused oil - fry the clove, lift it out, and the oligosaccharides leave with it. Muir measured the fructans in 60 vegetables and put these five at the top — garlic, artichoke, shallot, leek bulb and onion — across a range of 1.2 to 17.4 g per 100 g fresh weight for the group. The paper does not rank them against one another.
Sources· 1
- Muir J.G. et al., J Agric Food Chem 55 (2007) 6619–27 and 57 (2009) 554–65, fructans and short-chain carbohydrates measured in Australian vegetables and fruit
- Histamine (+liberators / DAO inhibitors)Low
Garlic contains no histamine but appears on most elimination lists as a liberator - it prompts release of the body's own stores. That is why removing it can help someone whose symptoms do not track the histamine content of what they ate.
Sources· 1
- SIGHI — Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance, food-compatibility list, for the entry, its rating and its letters
- SalicylateLow
Garlic measures 16.7 mg of salicylic acid per kilogram, above the pumpkin seed. A clove is about 3 g and carries 0.05 mg, which is why the level is low rather than higher: garlic is a seasoning by weight even when it dominates a dish by taste. Its other axes - fructans above all - are the ones that decide most meals.
Sources· 1
- Malakar S, Gibson PR, Barrett JS & Muir JG, J Food Compos Anal 57 (2017), 31-39 - salicylic acid measured by GC-MS in 112 common foods, reported per serve as well as per kilogram
- TyramineNone
- SucroseNone
- LactoseFODMAPsNone
- SorbitolFODMAPsNone
- FructoseFODMAPsNone
- NickelNone
- OxalatesNone
- GlutenNone
Intolerance levels are based on our documented scientific sources. See sources →
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Frequently asked questions
Which intolerances does garlic affect?
Garlic is notable for FODMAPs, oligosaccharides, histamine and salicylate. Clear on tyramine, sucrose, lactose, sorbitol, fructose, nickel, oxalates and gluten.
Does garlic contain FODMAPs?
Yes — garlic is high in FODMAPs. Garlic is one of the five vegetables measured highest in fructan, and it is the one used in the smallest amount - which is exactly why a single clove still counts. The useful fact is that fructans are water-soluble and not oil-soluble: a clove fried in oil and then lifted out leaves the flavour behind and takes the fructans with it. Infused oil works; garlic paste does not. Muir measured 60 vegetables and named garlic, artichoke, shallot, leek bulb and onion at the top, across a range of 1.2 to 17.4 g per 100 g fresh weight for the group - without ranking them against one another.
Does garlic contain oligosaccharides?
Yes — garlic is high in oligosaccharides. Same reason as the FODMAP level: garlic is among the densest fructan sources in the kitchen. The chains are water-soluble and not oil-soluble, which is the whole basis of infused oil - fry the clove, lift it out, and the oligosaccharides leave with it. Muir measured the fructans in 60 vegetables and put these five at the top — garlic, artichoke, shallot, leek bulb and onion — across a range of 1.2 to 17.4 g per 100 g fresh weight for the group. The paper does not rank them against one another.
Does garlic contain histamine?
Garlic contains only low levels of histamine. Garlic contains no histamine but appears on most elimination lists as a liberator - it prompts release of the body's own stores. That is why removing it can help someone whose symptoms do not track the histamine content of what they ate.
Does garlic contain salicylate?
Garlic contains only low levels of salicylate. Garlic measures 16.7 mg of salicylic acid per kilogram, above the pumpkin seed. A clove is about 3 g and carries 0.05 mg, which is why the level is low rather than higher: garlic is a seasoning by weight even when it dominates a dish by taste. Its other axes - fructans above all - are the ones that decide most meals. Amounts vary by brand and recipe, so always check the label of the exact product.
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