Blog: Worried of garlic breath? Drink a glass of Milk

Researchers say drinking a glass of milk can stop garlic breath. "Milk significantly reduces levels of sulphur compounds that give garlic its flavor and pungent smell".

In the Journal of Food Science, researcher told that water and fat in the milk can de-odourize the breath. "For optimum effect, sip the milk as you eat the garlic", they say. Mixing milk with garlic in the mouth before swallowing has a higher odour neutralizing effect than drinking milk after eating the garlic. Full-fat milk provided better results than skimmed milk or just water, according to breath samples taken from a volunteer.

One of the compounds milk counteracts is allyl methyl sulphide or AMS. This cannot be broken down in the gut during digestion, and so it is released from the body in the breath and sweat.
Although garlic is good for health - containing several vitamins and minerals - once eaten, it can cause bad breath and body odour lasting hours or even days.
Plain water, and some foods, such as mushrooms and basil, may also help neutralize garlic smells, the study authors Sheryl Barringer and Areerat Hansanugrum say. But it is the mixture of fat and water together that works best, the Ohio State University team say.