Taste Life Blog

Scientific research tells us that slicing, chopping, mincing or pressing garlic before cooking will enhance the health-promoting properties of garlic. Allicin is a sulfur-based compound and an enzyme called alliinase are separated in the garlic’s cell structure when it is whole.

The more finely the garlic is chopped, the more alliicin is produced. You will get the strongest flavor and greatest amount of allicin if you press garlic or mince garlic into a smooth paste. The stronger the smell and flavor of garlic, the more health-promoting nutrients they contain.

Let the garlic sit for about 5-10 minutes after cutting while you prepare other ingredients which will ensure synthesis of allicin. Research on garlic reinforces the validity of this practice. When crushed garlic was heated its ability to inhibit cancer development in animals was blocked; yet, when the researchers allowed the crushed garlic to ‘stand’ for 10 minutes before heating, its anticancer activity was preserved.

How much garlic?

Studies have shown a consumption of 20 grams per day which is approximately the weight of one garlic bulb have been associated with a 9% decreased risk of gastric cancer.

Here are five more ways to deliciously increase your garlic intake from my Registered Dietitian Nutritionist friends.

Joan Trute, MA, RD, CDE, LD

My favorite thing to do with garlic is to roast it. Drizzle a bit of olive oil, pepper and a tad of salt and slather on a crusty Italian bread. Yum!

Amy Gorin, MS, RDN

I enjoy adding garlic to many of my savory dishes. I’ll toss it into a stir-fry, like my Vegetable “Fried” Rice with Almond-Teriyaki Sauce, or I’ll add it to a quiche. I also love to spread roasted garlic on bread as a healthier alternative to butter.

Christin Hebron, MBA, RD, LD

Garlic! I love garlic, so I pretty much use it on everything. I especially love sprinkling minced garlic over roasted vegetables.

Jamila René Lepore, MS, RD/N

I like to add garlic to just about everything, and enjoy both fresh and dried. When cooking healthier, we often cut out foods. Adding herbs and spices, like garlic, can add back a ton of flavor and nutrients with very few calories. One of my favorite lunches, a cauliflower rice burrito bowl, uses garlic to make the veggies pop! 

Beth Rosen, MS, RD, CDN

In the summer, I have an abundance of grape tomatoes in my garden, so I developed a roasted grape tomato sauce recipe that only has five ingredients; one being loads of garlic!  I freeze it in batches and we eat it all winter – on pasta, as pizza sauce, and my son will drink it right from the container!  It’s a fool-proof recipe with tons of flavor.

What is your favorite way to enjoy garlic?