If you are a garlic lover you have probably become accustomed to carrying a pack of breath mints. Or perhaps you save your most potent recipes for the weekend when you can fully appreciate the raw flavour without concern for close encounters with co-workers. If you enjoy the taste and can manage the pungent aroma, you can reap the many health benefits garlic has to offer. Garlic has been used for the past 4000 years in traditional and folklore medicine to treat a wide variety of illnesses. One of the first documented uses for garlic was during the ancient Olympic Games in Greece where athletes believed it increased their stamina. Louis Pasteur, the scientist responsible for “pasteurization”, also examined the anti-biotic properties of garlic in the nineteenth century. More recently, in the first and second world war garlic was used to prevent gangrene and other infections. Consistently throughout history many cultures from Asian to African, have known garlic to have powerful health promoting properties. Modern day research has confirmed the link between garlic intake and reduction of risk for disease. In Japan, for instance, a country with high incidence of stomach cancer, it was found that people who ate the most garlic had the lowest risks of stomach cancer. These types of relationships involving garlic and disease have also been seen in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, arthritis and even diabetes. Garlic contains active compounds that are released when the bulbs are crushed or chopped. These active ingredients have been shown to help prevent inflammation and oxidation. Diseases such as cardiovascular disease and arthritis have been liked to an excess of inflammation and oxidation therefore it’s no surprise that garlic can play a role in prevention. More specifically, studies have shown that eating a clove of raw garlic a day can help to reduce cholesterol and decrease blood clotting factors. Some would say a “clove a day keeps the doctor away” however you’ll also scare off anyone else that can’t stand the smell. The powerful aromatic compounds found within garlic will taint your breath and literally seep from your pours up to 48 hours after consumption. This is perhaps Mother Nature’s way of reminding you not to eat too much raw garlic. In light of the “blood thinning” properties of garlic it is prudent to avoid large quantities (greater than 5 raw cloves) of garlic if you are already on blood thinning medication or before undergoing surgery. The only way to reduce the smell is to cook the garlic longer. Unfortunately, the active ingredients become destroyed when garlic is heated or exposed to air for long periods of time. Likewise, the flavour of garlic also decreases as it cooks. Therefore to get the most health benefit and flavour, garlic should be finely chopped or crushed and added to most recipes near the end of cooking. If you would like to reap the health benefits of garlic but can’t imagine crunching into a raw clove daily, you can simply add some garlic containing recipes to your weekly repertoire. Some recipes that are famous for their raw garlic content include: hummus (chickpea spread), homemade Caesar salad dressing and bruschetta (chopped tomatoes, garlic, olive oil on bread). To manage your breath some would say all you can do is brush your teeth or try chomping on a raw spring of parsley. Perhaps the best solution for garlic breath is simply to ensure everyone around you also has a healthy serving.

Heidi Smith is a Registered Dietitian from the Health and Performance Centre. She is the author of the book “Nutrition for the Long Run - A nutrition handbook for runners, walkers and active individuals”. Her column appears every Thursday in the Guelph Mercury