Yea for decomposing garlic!

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-02-03 16:43

RedOrbit reports that new research recently confirmed why garlic is so good for us. I didn’t realize anyone was disputing garlic’s health benefits…but hey, more evidence is always a good thing.

Here’s what we already knew:

Allicin is an organic compound in garlic that gives it the flavor and smell. It becomes a powerful antioxidant in our body. But, how is it so powerful?

A team from Queen’s University in Ontario recently concluded that allicin decomposes in the body to produce a very quick and potent antioxidant reaction. The Canada Research Chair in Free Radical Chemistry, Dr. Pratt, says “the reaction between the sulfenic acid and radicals is as fast as it can get, limited only by the time it takes for the two molecules to come into contact. No one has ever seen compounds, natural or synthetic, react this quickly as antioxidants.” Pratt believes the healthy benefits of garlic are closely linked with the sulfenic acid reaction.

It’s kind of fun to learn more about how whole foods make their little health magic inside our bodies. Remember that fresh garlic contains the most allicin, so chop some up and enjoy. For me, garlic is the easiest way to flavor-up some fresh veggies.