Over the past 20 years or so, garlic has become the subject of major review for its anti-oxidant and anti-mutagenic effects - in other words regular intakes of garlic are vitally protective of the immune system; can prevent cardiovascular disease; stop internal blood clotting, the key cause of strokes, and have a role to play in protecting us against certain forms of cancer.

A regular consumption of garlic has also been shown to change the way the body uses cholesterol - directing more of it away for excretion and thus permitting less to fur up the walls of your arteries!

How do I get Garlic Goodness

You need to eat garlic regularly for the best effect. Try to get around 2 to 3 cloves into your daily cooking. The best way to ensure that you don't overcook your garlic - this can make it less effective - is to crush garlic cloves and then put the “mash” into a saucer with a few teaspoonfuls of water. Stir and leave for half an hour. Then add it to your cooking about 5 minutes before the dish is finally cooked and ready for the table. Research at the University of Humberside has shown that this short cook will convert the sulphurs in the crushed garlic juice into the compounds that we now know are so valuable for your health.