The Final Ingredient

To get the most health benefits out of your fresh garlic, toss it into your recipes at the last minute. Garlic is an excellent source of allicin, a plant compound that has been shown to inhibit the growth of certain cancer cells. However, overcooking garlic may destroy some of its beneficial compounds.

Toss chopped, fresh garlic into your cooking just a few minutes before it's done to retain more of its nutrition. In addition to potentially inhibiting cancer, garlic also may improve your cardiovascular health. Nutrients in garlic appear to thin the blood, which could mean lower blood pressure over time.