By Ayodele Johnson

Such a date ruiner garlic is. It is not because garlic does not offer a delightful experience and taste in your spice and veggies-garnished meals. Not that – it is in the odour that follows after a raw intake, leaving your mouth with a bad stench that can piss off a gathering.

Before we meet garlic with condemnation, it is important to note its many health benefits. People who care to boost their immune system, and fight heart disease or cancer, find refuge in the sulphur-containing Allicin that is present in this type of vegetable.

It is the truth that garlic provides so many advantages, but only for the strong and brave. Those who can shrug off disdainful raised eyebrows they receive when they assault a group discussion with their foul breath.

Garlic breath being a cause for concern has inspired the interest of scientists who are constantly looking for ways to help get rid of the odour. Do not overlook these recommendations because they are extremely helpful.

The Greek yoghurt effect

It is the magic wand you have been waiting for, this Greek yoghurt. It saves you from shame and rejection before an imminent date night. It ties in with the fat and protein naturally found in yoghurts, but the Greek variant has been tagged with an exceptional amount of thickness that prevents the stench from the mouth from escaping into the air. That is why you should try this in case you find yourself in a fix.

The key ingredient that helps with the deodorisation process is protein, according to a study on the “Effect of Yogurt and Its Components on the Deodorisation of Raw and Fried Garlic Volatiles”. This was presented by researchers at the University of Ohio, in the United States in June 2023.

In this research, authors Manpreet Kaur and Sheryl Barringer explained that when “garlic is crushed, chopped or otherwise disrupted, the enzyme alliinase converts alliin into allicin, which is responsible for the pungent aroma of fresh garlic” that usually situates people in a dilemma.

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Why is the Greek yoghurt particularly effective against the smell? It is because of the unadulterated availability of protein in the dairy, which is determined by the form of the yoghurt when drinking. In a heated form (yoghurt can be heated to make it warm), the yoghurt will probably not be as efficient in curbing garlic stench being that it would have lost the necessary thickness of fat that is needed.

Other known remedies

Before Kaur and Barringer stomped in like troopers to prove the authenticity of fat-based solutions in countering garlic breath, there were other avenues. But this does not include brushing your teeth, as most have found out that it fails.

The question now remains – how many times should one scrub the tongue before the taste of freshness? Scrubbing would probably not be enough based on how stubborn garlic can be when ingested. This is because the allicin content enters the bloodstream and as a result penetrates every organ of the body and the skin. Its presence could last for up to two days.

Other known remedies for expunging garlic stench are, therefore, a ball of fresh apple for instance. But this is a less effective way of getting rid of the odour in your mouth. Apple, which contains phenols, is similar to another type of vegetable like lettuce. How this pair works is to eat them in their raw state immediately after consuming garlic.

Researchers advise not to try out any antioxidants in their warm state because they are not as useful as when they are natural and their matter hasn’t been interfered with. So, here is a reason for you to never feel stuck if you find a bite of garlic irresistible for the moment. Help is surely on the way.

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.