You’ve probably heard garlic is great for your health. Yep! But does it matter if you consume garlic in the form of paste? Powder? Pill? Yes, it does.
A study by researchers at the University of Conneticut School of Medicine suggest that fresh-crushed garlic is best for cardiac benefits. Scientists prepared garlic slurries containing approximately 2 ounces of garlic (10-20 cloves) in about 12 ounces of water (1 1/2 cups). The first slurry contained fresh-crushed garlic while the other contained fresh-crushed which had been left out to dry for 2 days, allowing hydrogen sulfide and other volatile chemicals to dissipate [1].
The slurries were then fed to lab rats for 30 days. The rats were then sacrificed and their hearts were studied. The research (published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry) found that while both slurries did provide cardioprotective benefits, the hearts of the rats comsuming the fresh-crushed garlic has less damage and better recovery of blood flow.
So, with garlic…go fresh. And crush. Yummm!
[1]. Fountain, Henry. Garlic for a Healthy Heart? Go Fresh, Study Says. The New York Times. August 3, 2009.
oh, so sad! I use garlic powder on just about everything. i guess I need to get a garlic press, so I can use more whole garlic. Thanks for the info!
I love garlic, sometimes too much for others lol I really appreciate your comment on my blog. That's exactly how I feel too because many people just don't know where their next meal is coming from. I'm working on a post this morning on something someone said on twitter that got me all fired up and I hope that you can comment :)-kristen
just made the post and I would love your insight