www.uninsomnia.

com
All Rights Reserved
Garlic & Milk Combination For Insomnia: A Scien-
tific Perspective

Can you think of weird food combinations that you secretly enjoy? I’ll give you an exam-
ple, my weird food combination is French fries dipped in gravy. Try it, gives some extra
edge to the fries! When I was younger, I would often toast a piece of bread with a dollop
of butter and some sugar. The combination of the saltiness and sweetness always make
me giddy. We indulge in these weird combinations, not because they’re necessarily
healthy, but to satisfy our unique taste buds.

Think of more weird food combinations that you in-

dulge in moments of stress

Recently, a local fast food chain began selling marshmallow chocolate pies. You know, a
small pie filled with marshmallow and chocolate. I can still remember that melty good-
ness of my first bite of that pie. How about chocolate ice cream with chili? The combina-
tion of sweetness, coolness and spiciness can be overwhelming at first but one scoop
just won’t be enough. Oh, how about the very healthy combination of garlic and milk?
Have you ever tried it?

Starting with the superfood that gives one the garlic

breath

Would you compromise your breath for a healthier well-being? It’s hard to deny once
you have consumed pizza with garlic or pasta with garlic, your breath gives it away. This
is perhaps the biggest downside with consuming garlic, its smell is very potent that you
might smell for a few hours, a few days or even a few weeks with continuous consump-
tion. But putting this downside away, garlic comes with a myriad of health benefits that
can potentially aid in helping you sleep better.

Garlic and blood pressure regulation

One of the clear-cut signs of insomnia is an elevated nocturnal blood pressure. Simply
put, the insomniac has an increased night-time blood pressure as compared to the
norm. You see, it is normal for our blood pressure to dip around 10% to 15% lower dur-
ing our sleep because it is part of our circadian rhythm. If ever there's a significant in-
crease in a person’s blood pressure during sleep, then he or she could be suffering from
insomnia.

What is the role of garlic in blood pressure regulation? Garlic contains the compound
allicin, which gives it both its strong odor as well as blood pressure lowering effect. This
compound works primarily by inducing the release of nitric oxide. In turn, nitric oxide di-
lates and relaxes the vessel walls, resulting in decreased blood pressure. It also inhibits
the production of angiotensin II, which induces the release of aldosterone. By blocking
this pathway, aldosterone won’t be able to exert its sodium-retention effect and so blood
pressure is also decreased.

There have been numerous studies highlighting the blood pressure lowering effects of
garlic. In this systematic review of studies, the researchers found a positive relationship
between garlic supplementation and blood pressure reduction in hypertensive patients.
The takeaway is that garlic supplementation was a better treatment than placebo espe-
cially for those individuals who have hypertension.

Garlic’s direct relation with insomnia

Despite its many health benefits, there is no conclusive study highlighting the relation-
ship between sleep deprivation and garlic. But since allicin has potent anti-inflammatory
effects, it can possibly modulate inflammatory conditions. In this recent study, re-
searchers discovered that asthmatic patients who consumed either raw or cooked garlic
on a long-term basis have better sleep than those who don’t. Since asthma is an in-
flammatory condition, garlic helped in relieving the discomfort and pain that it causes in
asthma patients.

But there’s a conflicting idea here. Remember that our previous blog post discussed
about the importance of eating the right foods before bed time. Spicy foods need to be
avoided as they can cause heartburn which can disturb one’s sleep. Garlic is one of
those spicy foods, despite its health benefits. So how can it help in inducing sleep when
it can actually be the cause for sleeping issues. That’s when milk comes in, so continue
reading to learn more about how this combination can help induce sleep.
Here comes the milk to bring back memories of your
childhood

What we once thought as an old wives’ tale is actually not far from the truth. Once upon
a time, you were a little child, bugged by your mother to finish your milk before bed time.
Or for parents reading this, you could be doing this right now to your children. Milk is an
important part of a healthy diet as it is full of essential vitamins and minerals. It is a great
source of calcium, needed for healthy bones. But as we grow older, the need for milk
decreases as the enzyme lactase decreases in our body as well. As far as the sleep-in-
ducing effects of milk are concerned, it’s not a myth.

The properties of milk that induce sleep

One of the properties of milk that can induce sleep is called tryptophan. This amino acid
is found in a minute amount in milk so you might need more than just a glass to maxi-
mize its effect. Tryptophan is converted into serotonin in the body by two enzymes,
namely: tryptophan hydroxylase and decarboxylase. Serotonin is then converted into
melatonin, which is a known hormone for inducing normal sleeping patterns.

Perhaps amplifying the effect of milk is the fact that it also contains the same hormone,
melatonin. Again, the amount of melatonin in milk is very minute. Our body produces
melatonin naturally through the pineal gland. However, its production is also induced
during night time or once darkness sets in. It works like a sleep clock, once its level in-
creases in the body, you suddenly feel sleepy and ready for bed time.

Milk’s direct relation with insomnia

The difference between milk and garlic in their relation with insomnia is that the former
has more studies proving its effectiveness for sleep induction. For example, in this
study, the researchers investigated on the effect of milk consumption on sleep-deprived
elderly. The result is that there was a positive correlation between milk consumption and
decreased prevalence of difficulty initiating sleep in the participants. As the consumption
of milk increased, the sleeping difficulty decreased for the participants.

In another study, the researchers investigated on the sleep patterns of toddlers who
consumed milk. The first group was given a high-sugar content milk and the second
group was given a low-sugar content milk. The result was that there was no significant
difference between the sleep quality of both groups. This nullifies the notion that you
need some form of carbohydrates to maximize the sleep-inducing effect of milk. Just
milk alone is enough to induce sleep, even for insomniacs out there.

The tandem of garlic and milk

Since garlic has a very strong smell and taste, combining it with milk can lessen these
factors. Simply heat the milk in a pan or pot and wait for it to simmer. Crush around five
cloves of the garlic and add them in after removing the milk from the heat. Stir continu-
ously for a few minutes, add in some sugar for added taste and you’re done! Enjoy this
delicious drink before bed and you’ll be in dream land in no time.

In this study, researchers investigated on the effect of blanched milk and garlic on the
breaths of those who ingested them together. Through analysis, the volatile compounds
of garlic were found to be significantly lower in those who ingested garlic with milk than
those who drank milk after ingesting garlic. Keep in mind though that too much blanch-
ing or boiling can remove the very compounds of garlic that aid in blood pressure regu-
lation. That’s why I recommend just adding it in at the very last part of the boiling
process.
So what have we learned from all these scientific per-
spectives?

1. We were able to identify the primary compounds in both garlic and milk that con-
tribute to their sleep-inducing effects.

We now know that the allicin in garlic can help in regulating blood pressure. We usually
experience nocturnal drops in blood pressure which signal out body that it is time to
sleep. At the same time, this drop in blood pressure helps in maintaining sleep. Studies
with regards to the blood-lowering effect of garlic are plenty. But studies on the relation-
ship between nocturnal blood pressure lowering and garlic consumption are not yet ex-
tensive, which perhaps can be an angle that researchers can look into.

We now know that milk contains compounds called tryptophan and melatonin. Both
these compounds are important for inducing sleep in humans. Tryptophan is converted
into serotonin and then into melatonin. This latter hormone regulates our sleep-wake
pattern. It doesn’t necessarily make us sleepy, but more like tells our body that it’s time
to sleep. Both tryptophan and melatonin are well-studied compounds even in relation to
insomnia.

2. The weird combination of garlic and milk is an unlikely but effective insomnia remedy.

Garlic has a strong odor and almost spicy taste. On its own, garlic might not necessarily
induce sleep though it can reduce blood pressure. In fact, for some people, eating too
much garlic can result in wakefulness. But in combination with milk, at least a few
cloves, the aroma and spiciness of garlic can be tamed. With the sleep-inducing effect
of milk and the blood-pressure lowering effect of garlic, you now have the perfect before
bed time drink.
One of the weird food combinations you must try, garlic
and milk

As a bonus, it doesn’t just taste great, it also has many health benefits to boast of. It’s
not like other food fads wherein the popularity doesn’t hold any advantage for you. To-
gether, garlic and milk can help one fall asleep, maintain sleep or get optimal sleep. For
the insomniacs out there, this is one unique remedy to try. If you do, let us know in the
comments section below how it worked for you.