Garlic: Maximizing Health Benefits

by Sarah (April 30, 2008)

It’s pretty well known that garlic is a strong anti-oxidant and helps to boost the immune system. Since I find that garlic goes well in so many meals and just a little bit can improve most recipes, this is really good news for someone like me. There are also a couple of easy ways to make sure that you’re getting the maximum benefit from the garlic you’re using:

• Use crushed or chopped garlic. The main anti-oxidant ingredient in garlic doesn’t exist until you crush or slice it and initiate the chemical reactions that create it.
• Leave your crushed or chopped garlic sitting on the counter at room temperature for a few minutes before cooking. The reactions take some time, and leaving it for a bit allows more of them to happen, producing more of the beneficial anti-oxidants
• Raw garlic is best, but since that’s obviously extremely strong, try not to cook it for too long or you’ll start to kill off some of the compounds. Add your garlic later in the recipe, or reduce the suggested cooking time - you may not get exactly the same flavor, but you’ll be increasing the health benefits.

Garlic (especially raw) can irritate the digestive tract if you’re eating too much of it, so, as with most things, it’s best not to overdo it, but if you’re already using a lot (or even a little bit) of garlic, it’s not hard to get that extra little nutritional boost from your meals.

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