Garlic has some great
health benefits.

Interest in the benefits of garlic has not diminished over thousands of years. Modern research is confirming many beliefs of ancient medicine.

Garlic is often maligned as a cause of strong and unpleasant breath odor. But garlic's benefits far outweigh this problem. The garlic family, including onion-family members such as leeks, chives, shallots, and scallions, contains allylic sulfides and other compounds that may reduce the risk of cancerous tumors. Benefits to the heart are also noted characteristics of garlic. Furthermore, eating garlic can help control blood pressure. Garlic also has been shown to effectively suppress harmful effects of low-density-lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol.

Although garlic has been studied extensively for decades, not all of its active components are known. Additional research is needed to identify more of garlic's health benefits and determine how specific compounds in garlic interact with each other and with other foods. It is believed that some of garlic's numerous compounds transform into other substances, some of which have protective effects. Eating as little as a clove of garlic a day may be beneficial. It also appears that the way garlic and onions are prepared plays a role in their effectiveness against disease. When raw garlic is crushed or chopped, its compounds convert into the active protective form. So when making a recipe that calls for fresh garlic, chop the garlic first and let it stand for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. This allows the active protectors to form before cooking halts the conversion process. Better yet, eat fresh garlic whenever possible, because it might be more potent than heated garlic.

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