As you digest your lunch, the smelly, sulphur-containing compounds (‘sulphides’) in the garlic are absorbed into your bloodstream, and will come out via the exhaled breath from your lungs, and even from pores in your skin. Brushing your teeth (and your tongue), and swirling with mouthwash, will help to temporarily mask the smell.
Even better, though, a 2016 study at Ohio State University found that lettuce, apples and mint leaves contain enzymes and chemicals called ‘phenolic compounds’ that break down garlic’s sulphides before they reach the blood. So chomp on apples or mint leaves after lunch!
Read more:
- Does stainless steel remove the smell of garlic from hands?
- Why does eating a mint make my breath feel cold?
- Where do smells go?
- Can smells pass through liquids?
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