If you’ve ever indulged in a delicious meal with garlic and then worried about the dreaded garlic breath, here’s some good news: yogurt could be your secret weapon against it, according to a recent study.
US researchers have found that whole milk plain yogurt can help prevent 99 percent of the chemicals responsible for garlic’s strong odor from escaping into the air. The protein and fats in yogurt work together to trap the offensive garlic odors, making it a potential remedy for garlic breath.
Greek yogurt, which is known for its higher protein levels compared to other yogurts, could be particularly effective in combating garlic breath, the researchers noted. This discovery might even lead to the development of special high-protein yogurts designed to fight garlic breath in the future.
Professor Sheryl Barringer, from Ohio State University, explained, “High protein is a very hot thing right now — generally, people want to eat more protein. An unintended side benefit may be a high-protein formulation that could be advertised as a breath deodorizer in addition to its nutritional claims. I was more excited about the protein’s effectiveness because consumer advice to eat a high-fat food is not going to go over well.”
In previous research, Professor Barringer found that foods like apples, mint, and lettuce could also help reduce garlic breath. She suggested, “The same with yogurt is presumed to be the case — have your garlic and eat the yogurt right away.”
The recent study, published in the journal Molecules, explored how yogurt interacts with garlic smells in a lab setting. Researchers placed thin slices of raw garlic in glass vials and added whole yogurt to them to see how it affected smell levels. They also tested the impact of water, milk protein, and butterfat on smell levels to determine which components of yogurt were most effective.
The results showed that whole yogurt reduced garlic compounds by 99 percent for raw garlic and up to 94 percent for fried garlic. Both the protein and fat components of yogurt contributed to similar reductions, while water played a smaller role in mitigating garlic odors.
So, next time you enjoy a garlicky meal and want to avoid garlic breath, consider reaching for a cup of yogurt to keep your breath fresh.
