Adding a clove or two of chopped garlic can have a transformative effect on the overall flavor of the dish you’re cooking. However, this extra flavor can come with a particular disadvantage: Garlic is one of the foods that can make you smell bad, especially when you eat it raw. The chemical compound allicin, which is released when fresh garlic is cut or chopped, is broken down into smaller, smellier compounds that can emanate from your pores as you sweat and are responsible for the odor.
Garlic Nutrition Facts
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a single clove of garlic provides approximately 4 calories of energy, 1 gram (g) of carbs, 1 milligram (mg) of sodium, and almost no fat or protein.
A clove of garlic also offers 1 mg of vitamin C, which is about 1 percent of the daily value. This is an important vitamin that people get solely from food sources because it isn’t produced by the body. It helps the body heal wounds and make collagen, aiding in the elasticity of the skin.
Black garlic, which is made by fermenting fresh garlic pods in a temperature-controlled environment, is milder and lower in allicin, the chemical compound responsible for garlic’s pungency and smell. Fermentation also decreases the carbohydrate content of black garlic in comparison to fresh garlic.
Garlic Health Benefits
According to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center at Oregon State University, the benefits of garlic come partly from allicin, the same compound responsible for the odorous smell of garlic sweat. Allicin contributes to garlic’s antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cardiovascular protection properties.
However, the benefits are only seen in raw garlic. Cooking or heating garlic can lead to the destruction of the enzyme alliinase. This enzyme is responsible for the production of allicin.
The Science Behind Garlic’s Smell
When raw garlic is peeled and chopped, it releases the chemical compound allicin. This compound is then broken down into several smelly compounds, with allyl methyl sulfide being the main one responsible for the notorious odor.
Michigan State University Extension explains that the oils present in garlic end up in the tissues of the lungs. In addition to affecting your breath, these oils also cause a garlicky smell to emanate from your pores. Eating parsley or yogurt may help reduce garlic breath, according to Michigan State University Extension, but these still probably won’t completely get rid of the smell.
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