What does it mean to crave garlic?

Along with being a great flavor for many food dishes, garlic may also help prevent or treat several different health problems. Of course, it is certainly possible that you crave garlic simply because you happen to enjoy its taste. A sudden and unusual craving for garlic, however, could sometimes be caused by a nutritional deficiency. Garlic may not be particularly beneficial to your breath, but its benefits to many other parts of your body can be incredible.

Food Cravings

If you pay close attention to your body, and to what it tells you about how you are feeling, and your overall health, you might notice occasional and sudden cravings that seem to have no discernible cause. In some cases, this can be due to a nutritional deficiency of some kind, according to Wendy Hodsdon, ND. Garlic is very rich in several different nutrients, including vitamin C, calcium and iron. You might sometimes crave garlic if your body needs more of these nutrients.

Vitamin C

Only three cloves of garlic contain 2.8 milligrams of vitamin C. Your body needs vitamin C to build collagen, to help the immune system function, and to help fight free radicals, which can cause cancer and other damage to your body. Adult men need 90 milligrams of vitamin C per day, while adult women need 75 milligrams per day; significant deficiencies might cause garlic cravings to help correct them.

Calcium

The three garlic cloves also contain an impressive 16.3 milligrams of calcium. Calcium, of course, is critical for building strong teeth and bones, but it also helps send electrical signals within your body, contributing to the proper function of the muscles, nerves and other systems. Most adults need 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day; however, women need 1,200 milligrams per day after age 50, and men need 1,200 milligrams per day after age 70.

Iron

There are 0.2 milligrams of iron in each three-clove serving of garlic as well. Iron allows the transport of oxygen throughout the body via the red blood cells, and helps with energy production. Iron intake is particularly important for adult women, who need 18 milligrams per day until age 50. Men, and women older than 50, only need 8 milligrams per day.