The Amazing Stinking Rose! It’s antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, and anticancer. Research studies demonstrate a wide range benefits from garlic in most of the systems of the human body. And it turns out garlic is antifungal as well.
When Alliin Meets Allinase
That’s when the magic happens. Crushing a clove of garlic releases both alliinase and alliin. Put them together, and they make allicin, an antifungal (and antibacterial) compound. But it takes a little time. Like 10 seconds.
Ajoene
And there’s another compound in garlic that can kill fungi – ajoene. Ajoene has some powerful antifungal properties, but researchers don’t really know how it works.
Cooking with Garlic
If you’re cooking with garlic, you want to make sure that alliin meets allinase. Otherwise no allicin. So before adding garlic to your dish, chop it or mash it or mush it all up. Then wait just a little before mixing it in with other food. And some recommend not adding in the garlic until after the food is cooked.
Eating Garlic
OK, that’s a little bit of a speed bump. Garlic gives you garlic breath. And what’s worse, it may give you garlic body odor. It’s the sulfur compounds. It might help to know that they’re part of the reason garlic is antifungal.
Fresh raw garlic is probably its most beneficial form, but it’s also the most – let’s say “noticeable.” But there are a few things you can do.
- For garlic breath: try parsley, mint tea, milk, or citrus drinks.
- For garlic body odor: shower often and keep cool, basically to minimize the sweat.
Or try some of the deodorized garlic capsules. Or power up on garlic when you’re somewhere away from the human race for two or three days. Or just exude.
Conclusion
Garlic is antifungal, antibacterial, anti… well, you’ve seen the list. Cook with garlic, eat garlic, supplement with garlic. It really is the amazing stinking rose.
