How often do you avoid a meal because it contains garlic? We’re all familiar with the strong smell of garlic, but chances are it’s also where that incredible flavor in your favorite meal comes from. Not to mention this herb has been prescribed as a natural medicine for centuries and there’s even a day dedicated to celebrating the goodness of garlic. Still not willing to pay the price of bad breath? Good thing we’ve got a few tricks which mean you don’t have to. Here’s how to get the goodness of garlic, without the bad breath.
First things first: You should know that garlic provides tons of health benefits, including boosting your immune system, providing essential vitamins and minerals, soothing inflammation, protecting your heart, and even fighting cancer. It’s true what they say: a clove a day keeps the doctor away.
Fun fact: The smell actually comes from garlic‘s antibiotic and antifungal compound, allicin, which also happens to be source of all its health benefits. It‘s released when a clove is crushed or chopped, and is particularly strong when eaten raw. Our bodies have a hard time breaking down this compound on their own, which is why the smell tends to escape in our breath and through our pores. This also explains why brushing your teeth or using mouthwash directly after eating a garlic-y meal never seems to work.
So how do we enjoy it fragrance free? The following suggestions should help you neutralize the odor.
- Mix raw garlic with any form of fat, such as olive oil or in a guacamole.
- Chew on natural breath fresheners like fresh mint, parsley, or a raw coffee bean.
- Eat an apple.
- Drink a small glass of milk.
- Drink a cup of green or cinnamon tea.
- Drink lemonade or eat a lemon.
- To remove the smell from your hands, rub them on stainless steel or use ‘steel soap‘.
Problem solved. Now you can keep enjoying all the flavours and health benefits of garlic, without worrying about how you’re going to smell during that 2pm meeting. #GoodHealthGoodBreath
Looking for some garlic inspiration? Give our Carrot Garlic Pasta with Peanuts a try. Discover this and hundreds of other healthy recipes in the Freeletics Nutrition Coach.
