A bodybuilder has left Instagram users wincing after sharing a post of himself eating a raw garlic bulb like an apple — claiming it helps him in the gym and with the ladies.
Yuri Tolochko, 37, from Kazakhstan, has been enjoying the raw vegetable for a year, happily chomping into a bulb up to four times a day.
Thanks to his unique snack, the fitness buff – who works out at least five times a week – was crowned the Kazakhstan record holder of doing the most push-ups on uneven bars last year.
Earlier this week, the bodybuilder who has 109,000 followers on Instagram, uploaded a bizarre video of himself biting into the raw item.
“I swallow the bulbs whole and it has helped with muscle growth,” Yuri told Jam Press.
“Most people eat one or two cloves in their food, chopped up.
“I at least four a day and you have to eat it raw.
“When you eat garlic constantly the muscles respond better to what promotes their growth.
“It’s also a Tibetan tradition as it can strengthen the immune system.”
But the unusual diet has left social media users puzzled.
“Why are you eating garlic?” asked one confused person.
“Ummmm okay…..”, commented someone else.
“You shouldn’t eat raw garlic it can burn the lining on your stomach,” claimed someone else.
“Good to fight off vampires,” added a fourth person.
Yuri, who has previously hit the headlines for being in a couple with two sex dolls, Luna and Lola, says he also likes garlic because it makes him a hit with the ladies – both human and not.
The bodybuilder, who has three titles of master of sports in various strength classes, said: “My sweat doesn’t smell like garlic but it’s a very strong masculine scent.
“Women have become more willing to get to know me and there are some who simply can’t move away from me when they smell my scent.”
Not all social media users seemed convinced, however.
“If you eat garlic like that now I understand why only doll girlfriends can stand the smell. I love garlic but I stink afterwards,” wrote one person.
So, should you eat raw garlic on a regular basis?
According to one expert, small quantities has been shown to “provide benefits”.
“Garlic releases nitric oxide, a compound that relaxes blood vessels, lowers blood pressure and can help supply oxygen to our working muscles,” Laurann O’Reilly, a nutritionist and health columnist, told Jam Press.
“It is also anti-inflammatory due to the active compound ‘allicin’ so it may help the body recover more efficiently after heavy workout.
“This compound is at its most potent for about ten minutes after it has been chopped, crushed, or chewed.
“Whilst it is available supplement forms, most of the benefit comes from raw garlic.
“To gain the best nutrition benefits it is best adding your garlic as close to the end of cooking your meal as heat may reduce its health benefits slightly.
“Research suggests that as little as one or two cloves of raw garlic per day for adults can provide benefits so a huge intake isn’t required.
“It’s important to note that research is always ongoing but that in a nutshell a small amount of garlic as little as two cloves per day can provide benefits.”
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