Garlic is divisive: at the same time a wonderful condiment to spice up a dish, it is a little less so when it comes to our breath… Why such effects, and above all, how to get rid of it? Scientists have just discovered a miracle food, whose simplicity and effectiveness may surprise more than one person!
In itself, raw garlic does not give off a strong odor: it is by mechanically cutting a clove, or by peeling it, that the chemical substances responsible for the odor that we fear are formed – as with onions and onions! But that’s nothing compared to what happens next: I’m talking about chemical reactionschemical reactions that take place in the mouth and digestive system.
Garlic: an unstable and memorable traveler
When a garlic cell is cut, an enzymeenzyme is released: alliinase. On contact with air, it transforms into allicin, responsible for the famous smell of raw cut garlic, but it is very unstable. Thus, it quickly degrades into various smelly organic sulfur compounds, which, once ingested, have the particularity of taking a long time to disappear from the body!
What if the solution was that simple?
Rest assured: smelling garlic is not inevitable. For decades, remedies have been multiplying, sometimes to camouflage the smell, sometimes to try to annihilate it – the second option being the most effective. Researchers from theOhio State University seem to have found a formidable solution: natural yogurt.
The scientists placed equal amounts of raw garlic in glass bottles, then measured the levels of volatile sulfur molecules before and after contact with various fat and protein sources. The results, published in the scientific journal Moleculesshow that full-fat yogurt is the formidable antidote: it reduces 99% of the main malodorous compounds. This confirms the results obtained during a study carried out by theInstitute of Food Technologists in 2010, which had already identified milk as an effective solution against bad breath caused by garlic, provided that it is chosen whole, for its fat content, which binds to sulfur molecules.
When aillé means ally!
It would be a shame to deprive yourself of the many health benefits of garlic: allicin, in addition to its effects on breath, is above all antibiotic, antiviral, antiseptic, antifungal! Garlic is also excellent for cardiovascular health, notably by reducing the level of cholesterolcholesterol and blood triglyceridestriglycerides.
A true ally to get you through winterwinter, at the end of your meal, you will know what to do: draw out your secret weapon, Greek yogurt!
