SOME think of garlic as the enemy of good breath. A new study published in the September issue of the Journal of Food Science, however, has identified three foods that can banish garlic breath.

    Investigators instructed volunteers to chew on three grams of softneck garlic cloves for 25 seconds, sip some water, and then consume a range of foods reported to remove the stench left behind by this popular member of the onion family. Afterwards, the authors analyzed the levels on the subjects’ breath of the four volatile chemicals responsible for the odor of garlic (diallyl disulfide, allyl mercaptan, allyl methyl disulfide, and allyl methyl sulfide).

    And the top food fixers were mint, apple, and lettuce.

    The researchers discovered that two mechanisms were involved in deodorizing the scent of the garlic: enzymes (found in the raw foods, which helped to destroy the odor) and phenolic compounds (found in both the raw and cooked versions, which destroyed the volatiles).

    While the researchers tested the effects of green tea, it didn’t make the stink go away — a result that surprised the researchers.

    A handful of mint, apple slices, and lettuce was usually enough to do the trick. Since mint had a higher deodorization level than all the volatile compounds measured, popping in a breath mint — and chomping on a few mint sprigs — may have a double effect.

    “There’s that minty-fresh feeling, and that minty odor can mask any residual garlic that might still be there,” the research concluded.

    (SD-Agencies)