Garlic may be a pungent herb but it is a powerhouse of goodness that is waiting to be unlocked.

As an ingredient that can single handedly take a dish from drab to fab, there is seldom any competition for garlic.

Garlic (Allium sativum) contains alliin, which is metabolized by the enzyme alliinase to allicin, which is responsible for most of the garlic’s medicinal properties through ancient and modern history and for flavouring in cooking. Crushed or chopped garlic, releases the compound allicin which forms oil soluble allyl sulfur compounds. Most of the health benefits of raw garlic come from allicin. Allicin has anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, antibacterial, and anticancer properties.

Read the full story that first appeared in Seema Magazine here: