Throw out the garlic supplements and pick up a clove. The sulfur containing compound in garlic that gives it the pungent odor is called allicin.  Allicin promotes anti-oxidant activity and gives garlic natural anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties.

Chopping or mincing the garlic and then letting it sit for 5-10 minutes before cooking enhances it health benefits. When garlic is cut, cell membranes are ruptured, bringing certain enzymes in contact with one another and producing more allicin (this is why garlic doesn’t smell until you start to cut it).

While garlic supplements purport to contain allicin, they certainly don’t contain the array of other nutrients and enzymes that work together to make this vegetable one of the healthiest foods.

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