Garlic Cloves (photo by Scott Liddell, courtesy of morguefile.com)

You've probably heard that eating garlic is good for your health and now there’s a scientific evidence to back that claim.

The beneficial substance found in garlic is allicin. It’s the substance that can give you “garlic breath”. But, it's also the key to improving blood flow and lowering the risk of heart disease. Scientists have previously noted that in places such as the Mediterranean and the Far East, where garlic consumption is high, there is a low incidence of cardiovascular disease.

The research indicating that consumption of garlic will lower the risk of cardiovascular disease was conducted at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The findings appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The leader of the University’s research team was Dr. David Kraus, who said: "Our results suggest garlic in the diet is a very good thing.”

Here's a cooking tip we picked up from Chef Melanie Underwood while attending her “The Food Shed: Cooking Local and Seasonal” class at Manhattan’s Institute of Culinary Education. She said if you buy nothing else on a trip to your local farmers market get some fresh garlic, you will taste the difference.

And you don't have to worry about garlic breath when your meal is shared with friends and loved ones!

If you’d like to read a report from BBC News on the topic go to: Why garlic is good for the heart

If you're near NYC & would like to see a great selection of cooking classes go to: Institute of Culinary Education

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