Michelle Dickinson: nanotechnologist on new research finding a solution to 'garlic breath'

Have you ever avoided eating garlic because you were worried about how it might affect your breath for the rest of the day? Now, science has a solution!  Published in the journal Molecules, researchers took raw and cooked garlic and looked at ways to neutralise the sulphurous compounds that linger in the mouth and give you that garlicky breath.  Previous research has shown that eating raw apple, mint or lettuce as well as drinking whole milk was great at helping to reduce the amount of lingering garlic breath in the mouth.  The researchers took the milk theory and wondered whether yoghurt could also help with neutralising the garlic smell.  They found their milk theory was correct and the proteins, fat and water combination found in whole-milk plain yoghurt were amazing at freshening a garlic breath. In their tests, if the yoghurt was eaten immediately after eating the garlic it neutralised 99 percent of the odour-producing garlicky volatiles.   This was a full fat experiment though, and no diets would work in this research as the researchers found that higher fat yoghurt was much better than the low fat version.  The researchers looked at how the individual components of the yogurt - the fat, water and proteins worked at neutralising the smell on their own and they found that they weren't effective at all. It was the combination of all three that gave the yoghurt its' amazing powers.   The scientists theorised that the components in the yoghurt work together to trap the stinky volatile molecules before they are released into the air.   The researchers also found that raw garlic produced the most stinky volatiles and the simple act of frying before eating the garlic significantly reduced the amount of smelly volatile gases that it released.  So, if you want to enjoy your garlic and not worry about who you might be kissing that afternoon, science says cook your garlic first, and for every bite you take, also take a spoon of yoghurt too!  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.