Listen to your grandmother when it comes to garlic and its health benefits. Don't throw 'sprouted' garlic (old garlic bulbs with bright green shoots emerging from the cloves) in the garbage as it has more heart-healthy antioxidant activity than its fresher counterparts.
Kim's team reasoned that the same thing might be happening when green shoots grow from old heads of garlic. Other studies have shown that sprouted beans and grains have increased antioxidant activity, so the team set out to see if the same is true for garlic. They found that the garlic which sprouted for five days had higher antioxidant activity than fresher, younger bulbs. It had different metabolites, suggesting that it also makes different substances. Extracts from this garlic even protected cells in a laboratory dish from certain types of damage. "Sprouting may be a useful way to improve the antioxidant potential of garlic," added Kim in a paper published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Related Reads: The best garlic varieties: a guideWith garlic, fresh means sweetWhy wild garlic is good for youHigh dietary fibre intake wards off heart diseaseTo control cholesterol, turn to pistachiosThe myths and facts about heart healthFor the latest food news and recipes, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and get the NDTV Cooks app for Android or iOS.