The garlic odor comes from sulfur compounds
In a study, participants chewed 3 grams of raw garlic cloves for 25 seconds. Immediately after, they were given water, juice, or foods such as raw apple, cooked apple, raw lettuce, cooked lettuce, green tea, or blended mint leaves.
The main volatile compounds causing garlic breath are diallyl disulfide, allyl mercaptan, allyl methyl disulfide, and methyl allyl sulfide. Researchers used a "Selected Ion Flow Tube-Mass Spectrometer" to analyze the concentration of these volatile compounds in the participants' breath.
Raw apple, lettuce, and mint are most effective
The results showed that compared to the water control group, raw apple and raw lettuce reduced the concentration of these volatile compounds in the breath by 50% within the first 30 minutes. Mint had a better deodorizing effect than raw apple and raw lettuce. While apple juice and mint juice could reduce garlic breath, their effects were not as good as eating raw apple and raw mint, respectively. Cooked apple and cooked lettuce also significantly reduced garlic odor, whereas green tea had no deodorizing effect.
Enzymes and phenolic compounds help with deodorization
Raw apple, raw lettuce, and raw mint contain special enzymes that help eliminate odor. Whether the food is raw or cooked, the phenolic components in these foods can also reduce the volatile compounds that cause garlic odor. Since raw foods like raw apple, raw lettuce, and raw mint contain both enzymes and phenolic compounds, their deodorizing effect for garlic odor is more ideal than that of cooked foods.
Milk is also effective for removing garlic odor
Both skim milk and whole milk can help remove garlic breath from the breath. The study showed that drinking milk after eating garlic and a meal can eliminate the odor, but drinking milk while eating garlic and food can enhance the deodorizing effect even more.