Core Tip: Garlic is a recognized health food with good bactericidal and disinfectant effects. Garlic contains active substances such as alliin and alliinase. After being mashed into a paste, it should be left for 10-15 minutes to allow the active substances to fully react, thereby forming allicin, which has health benefits.
Mashing it is good for health.
Garlic contains active substances such as alliin and alliinase. When crushed, they come into contact with each other, forming allicin, which has health benefits. Therefore, it is best to eat garlic mashed into a paste, and it should be left for 10-15 minutes before eating to facilitate the formation of allicin.
Raw garlic is more effective for sterilization.
During the heating process, the content of organic sulfides with antibacterial effects gradually decreases, and the higher the temperature, the faster the decrease. Therefore, cooked garlic does not sterilize as effectively. Using garlic in cold dishes or mixing minced garlic with a little vinegar and sesame oil for dumplings are very healthy ways to eat it.
Add a little sugar when stir-frying to protect allicin.
When stir-frying with garlic, the oil temperature should not be too high, and the cooking time should not be too long. After smashing the garlic, add it to the pan. Those who like a sweet taste can add a little sugar, as sugar has a protective effect on allicin, reducing its destruction by high temperatures.
Purple-skinned garlic is more antibacterial than white-skinned garlic.
Garlic can be divided into white-skinned, purple-skinned, and black-skinned varieties based on its outer skin color, with white-skinned and purple-skinned being more common. Compared to white-skinned garlic, purple-skinned garlic is more pungent, has a higher content of the active component allicin, and has a more significant antibacterial effect.
Single-clove garlic is better for cancer prevention.
A single-clove garlic bulb is actually a garlic bulb that, due to insufficient nutrition and poor development, fails to form multiple cloves. It has a unique pungent taste and certain medicinal value, with its anti-cancer effect being higher than that of regular multi-clove garlic.
Store in a dark place.
Newly harvested garlic has a higher water content. After buying it home, it should be laid flat to dry before storage, not placed in a plastic bag. Garlic is best stored in a ventilated, dry, and dark place to inhibit sprouting. When storing, the outer skin should also be kept intact, and peeled as needed.
Daily raw intake should not exceed 2-3 cloves.
Allicin can be irritating to the stomach. Eating too much raw garlic can easily cause acute gastritis, and long-term excessive consumption can also easily lead to eye discomfort. For people with poor gastrointestinal function, it is best not to exceed 1 clove per day; for those with good gastrointestinal function, 2-3 cloves per day is best. Patients with liver disease, non-bacterial diarrhea, eye diseases, stomach diseases, duodenal issues, or cerebral hemorrhage should avoid eating garlic.