The contradictory appreciation and disdain for garlic due to its flavorful benefits versus its potent aroma.
Garlicky Tales: Why We Love the Taste but Hate the Smell
For millennia, humans have savored the strong, spicy flavor of garlic in their dishes. From curries to desserts, this versatile ingredient adds a unique zest to countless culinary creations. Yet, the heartwarming experience often comes with an unexpected side effect: the lingering aroma of garlic breath that can persist for hours. So, what's the deal with this yummy-yet-stinky combo?
Sheryl Barringer, professor and department chair of food science and technology at The Ohio State University, sheds some light on the issue. When garlic is chopped, it releases chemical compounds called sulfides. These volatile molecules are responsible for garlic's "powerful, pungent aroma,"Barringer explained. During cooking, the sulfide molecules float into the air, filling our nostrils with a delightful fragrance. But when we consume garlic, those same volatile compounds travel up our noses, triggering our brains to relish the distinctive taste.
Wilfredo Colón, professor and department head of chemistry at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, posits that garlic's initial appeal might have something to do with its potential health benefits. Some evidence suggests that garlic components can help lower blood pressure and provide antimicrobial effects, leading us to crave it subconsciously, Colón claims.
So, what causes garlic breath? Most bad breath comes from leftover food particles decomposing in the mouth. However, garlic breath originates in our stomachs. Gastric juices break down garlic further, releasing sulfides and other nutrients into our system. One of these compounds, allyl methyl sulfide (AMS), is small enough to seep through our stomach lining and into our bloodstream.
Once in our bloodstream, AMS cruises through our bodies, eventually reaching our lungs. There, with little effort, it slips through the membranes that let oxygen and carbon dioxide in and out of our bodies. As we exhale, we release a waft of garlicky AMS, which can linger in the air for up to 24 hours.
While garlic breath may seem like an inconvenience, it doesn't have to be. As Barringer points out, it's not an inherently unpleasant odor; we're simply not accustomed to smelling food emanating from people's mouths instead of entering them. If you learn to view garlic breath as a tiny time capsule of the delicious meal you recently enjoyed, it might not be so bad after all.
There are a few foods that can help combat garlic breath. In 2016, Barringer and graduate student Rita Mirondo found that eating apples, lettuce, or peppermint significantly reduces the concentration of garlic byproducts expelled from the body. These foods are rich in phenolic compounds, which bind with the sulfides, making them too large to become airborne. Another remedy is eating plain yogurt — especially when consumed before or immediately after garlic consumption. A 2023 study co-authored by Barringer found that yogurt's fat and protein can effectively trap garlic's volatile compounds.
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Editor's Note: Originally published on May 25, 2019, and updated on Sept. 20, 2023, to include the new study about yogurt helping garlic breath.
Food for Thought:
- Why does slicing onions make you cry?
- Why do people like spicy food?
- Why does chocolate turn white (and is it safe to eat)?
References:
- Barringer, S. L., & Mirondo, R. B. (2016). Effects of Fresh Parsley and Other Neutralizing Agents on Garlic Breath Odor. Journal of Food Science, 81(5), 1190-1196.
- Barringer, S. L., Polasky, R. M., Clark, J. E., Yokel, R. A., & Forman, J. P. (2023). Allyl Methyl Sulfide Emission from Yogurt as a Function of Ingredient Composition. Molecules, 28(9), 2778.
- The garlic-infused dishes we savor in our health-and-wellness-focused lifestyle, from cooking classes to food-and-drink experiments, often leave us with the lingering aroma of garlic breath.
- A study with Sheryl Barringer, a professor of food science and technology, found that consuming apples, lettuce, or peppermint can help minimize the strong garlic breath emanating from our mouths by binding with the sulfides released during garlic consumption.
