“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food,”—Hippocrates, the father of medicine.

During the lockdown a year ago, I suffered from bouts of mild gastritis—the causes not far to seek. I am never a stickler to a dietary regimen. I love spicy and oily food, and our dishes at home are way above decadent. Also, I love to drink—a peg or two most days a week.

Given that, I have symptoms of gastric irritation. I often feel full, bloated, and uncomfortable when I fall prey to it. An appetite loss follows; if a little severe, it induces burning in the stomach with mild discomfort in the mid-upper region, just below the breastbone and above the belly button.

When I first got it five years ago, I saw a doctor. "That's early gastritis," said my doctor and handed me a prescription. Since then, when the symptom shows up, I take it upon myself to minister to it.

The remedy seems simple—antacid tablets. If it persists, I go for Omeprazole or Pantoprazole oral (depending on the severity). Hey presto, I feel rejuvenated—as simple as that.

Only this time, the prescription drugs that came to my rescue every time—failed. The gas and discomfiture lingered to make me miserable. I raised the dose from a cap every morning to one more at bedtime (after consulting a doctor friend). The medication always did the trick. Hell, it did not this time!

I continued the cycle for a week (or more?). Good heavens! That did not work, either. The last thing I wanted was a visit to a doctor or the hospital because the Covid-19 outbreak was up and running. A fortnight flew by, and I even discerned a mild pain.

Desperate, it crossed my mind to look for some home remedy. I learned garlic worked for gastritis after a bit of research. The Internet led to fabulous finds about the goodness of garlic, with an arm-long list of health benefits—and helped the heart, among other organs.

An indispensable condiment to the culinary world, the herbaceous, bulbous plant, also dubbed the “stinking rose,” has been used for ages across to prevent and treat several kinds of ailments.

Garlic is a mainstay in our Nepali kitchen; it's an open secret. If you take a stroll down memory lane, you might even recall your grandma or mom using garlic for a cold, cough, and other home remedies. My mom even used it on chickens.

Once, when I was a kid, my mom shoved down the gullet of our sickly drooping rooster with a potion of garlic, turmeric, and mustard oil—weird. You will never guess—the rooster was alive and kicking the next day! Amusing, eh?

Although I remained skeptical about the efficacy of garlic, I was ready to dip my toe into trying it. I started with a half-cut large clove on an empty stomach first thing in the morning.

I stopped the medicines, maintained sobriety, and cut down on oily curries. Then I threw in a daily workout regimen in the bargain. The first day seemed to ease my discomfort somewhat; maybe I had imagined it. I gulped down the remaining half of the clove in the evening before supper.

I repeated the same the next day. To my surprise, I felt a shade better by the evening. The pain subsided, and the burning sensation eased. I made sure my diet remained Spartan—added yogurt for good measure; I learned the probiotics in yogurt remedied stomach problems.

I felt positively optimistic by the morning of the fourth day. Was there a lingering discomfort? I tried hard to discern; I could not say, which led me to believe there was not.

My schedule continued for a week—a half-cut clove of garlic (large) twice a day. By the end of the week, I felt energized—unshakable. The goodness of garlic worked. Man, what on earth was that—a miracle? I wondered.

Caveat: Be advised that ingestion of too much garlic can cause heartburn. 

Disclaimer: The drugs mentioned above do not make up any medical advice.