Garlic: The Raw Truth

Raw garlic may prevent blood clots and keep blood pressure down, but most recipes call for cooked garlic. US and Argentinian scientists decided to look into the benefits of both.

They heated the herb several ways and found that when baked or boiled for up to three minutes, it’s just as healthy as raw. Crushed garlic is even better: it retains some benefits when cooked for up to six minutes (crushing seems to release more of the healthy thiosulphinates). Microwaved garlic, however, was no good: nuking it for even a few minutes neutralised garlic’s anti-clotting effects.

The next time you’re making a garlicky dish, such as pasta sauce, add the stinky stuff near the end of cooking, and crush it for more taste and benefit. A post-dinner mint is, of course, optional.

Edible antibiotic

Garlic is not only a taste sensation, it’s bursting with health benefits too. Garlic has antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties: it even seems to kill bacteria that are resistant to pharmaceutical antibiotics. Six or more cloves a week can also slash your risk of colorectal, prostate and stomach cancers in half. For easy use, buy a jar of minced garlic. There are several brands available at supermarkets.