Does Eating Garlic Reduce Mosquito Bites?

Garlic is put to the test as a repellent for mosquitoes and ticks.

Thanks for watching. I hope you’ll join in the evidence-based nutrition revolution!
-Michael Greger, MD FACLM

[happycook]

Sandflies and mosquitoes LOVE me. While working in the middle east I learned to wash with traditional olive oil soap ("Aleppo" soap). After 1 week of use the sandflies and mosquitoes left me alone! My rosacea, dry skin and psoriasis also greatly improved. You can buy it in the USA in most Muslim stores for about $2 a bar. The soap is greenish brown, ugly, not transparent and sometimes has bay laurel as a component. As you use it you can smell olive oil.

[raystaar]

In Mexico, I lived near a salt water lagoon infested with mosquitos. I was being eaten alive until a neighbor advised me to drink 2 tbs of diluted vinegar daily. It worked. According to my neighbor, the acetic acid in the vinegar alters human blood chemistry such that it's no longer edible to mosquito larvae. I have no idea if any of that is true. I only know the little buggers left me alone.

[TheStewieGriffinShow]

If you put vegetable oil over a mosquito bite within minutes after getting it, the mosquito bite will be gone in less than 30 minutes as long as you don't itch it. The longer you wait to put the vegetable oil on the mosquito bite, the longer it will take for it to go away. I've never run into anyone who knows this trick.

[moresalad]

My gf bought this essential oil bottle years ago. I put it on my legs and arms and started to notice that not one single mosquito would touch me. I srill have the bottle and its lasted years because I only use it a few months out of the year during summer.
Nothing compares to it and you smell good.
Its called "Pure Romance" Hydrating Body Oil.

My whole family uses it too and same. Not one single mosquito bite.

[mahatmaghandi]

I eat 6 cloves a day, and I'm like a bullseye turning all mosquitoes in a 5 mile radius into homing missiles every time i step outside.

[jenniferturner]

I could vouch that garlic doesn't work for mosquitos. Love garlic in most everything but the mosquitos still love me. 😭

[blairbabylon]

I love these lighthearted little “bites” in addition to your usual excellent research. And I’m another garlic-lover who is also has sweet blood. Permethrin, it is!

[aceofwands]

I eat several raw garlic every day, mosquito still bite me

[ceeemm]

Apparently eating mosquitos stops garlic breath, though.

[angellacampbell]

Thank you for this information. Very interesting.

[nitsan]

People with pets - be careful that your little ones don't get hold of any garlic or onion as they are highly toxic to them.

De qualquer forma, acrescentar alho na comida só trás benefício 😊

[rezlogan]

Last summer I ate garlic on everything and mosquitos still ate me alive, so I am unsurprised.

[Nick-eiyj]

You don't know until IT TO THE TEST

[tonynes]

I have scars on my legs from mosquito bites. I would have to eat a h*ell of a lot of garlic to make me stink. What I did find that helps is the eucalyptus lemon oil spray on my legs. I had only one or two mosquito bites after a week of vacationing in a mosquito region of Mexico. But that eucalyptus oil is nasty, it's oily and sticky and stinks.

[asetkemet]

Mosquito was eating me alive until I start taking garlic so I don’t know why everybody is so anti-garlic but it’s works for me and I live in Florida and get dead from head to toe but not after doing the garlic

[ashleylabadie]

Love watching the lives. I'm getting back into fitness as well. Takes me some time to watch but I always do 😊

[joelle]

I never got bitten prior to being Vegan even when everyone around me was bitten. Now I’m getting bitten all the time. My sister says she has also started getting bitten by mosquitoes since becoming Vegan. Weird!

[ethicalphytophage]

Doc - thanks for the info! So garlic prevents against all vampires, some ticks, but no mozzies. Got it! 😀💚🙏

[ccdmike]

I have had success eating garlic the day before going out, wile others get stuck I don't. Results may very.