Garlic has many health benefits, but it cannot withstand heat. Nutrition experts point out that raw garlic is best, and the optimal way to eat it is to mash it into a paste. Dong Shuzhen, director of the Nutrition Department at the Municipal People's Hospital, says that garlic is a powerful killer of bacteria, inhibiting and destroying bacteria such as Staphylococcus and Escherichia coli, and can be used to prevent diseases like bacterial dysentery. Garlic can also promote metabolism and lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Garlic contains various sulfides, amino acids, as well as germanium, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, selenium, zinc, and vitamins A, B1, and C, which have the effect of enhancing immunity.
Allicin is the main active ingredient that gives garlic its efficacy and is also the source of garlic's unique pungent and spicy taste. Fresh garlic is odorless, but once crushed, the two components it contains, alliin and the enzyme alliinase, come into contact with each other to form allicin, releasing a strong pungent odor. Therefore, to achieve the best health benefits, it is best to mash garlic into a paste rather than mince it with a knife, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before consumption, allowing the alliin and alliinase to fully combine in the air to produce allicin. Home-made garlic for cold salads and mixing garlic paste with vinegar and a small amount of sesame oil when eating dumplings are very healthy ways to consume garlic. Allicin has strong antibacterial and immune-enhancing effects, but it is very unstable, especially with poor heat stability. Once it is heated, it quickly loses its effectiveness. Garlic is rich in vitamins, and when combined with acetic acid, it is beneficial to health. For example, Laba garlic, pickled with vinegar and sugar by people in northern China, can relieve dry mouth and enhance appetite.
Dong Shuzhen reminds that although the health benefits of garlic are significant, due to its strong irritant properties, people with gastrointestinal diseases, especially gastritis, gastric ulcers, and duodenal ulcers, should avoid it, as it can aggravate their condition. People with eye diseases should also avoid eating raw garlic, as consuming large amounts of raw garlic can irritate the eyes and easily cause blepharitis and conjunctivitis. In addition, garlic should not be eaten with alkaline foods, as alkaline conditions reduce the antibacterial effect of allicin, affecting its unique properties.