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Why the herb, garlic might be good for you. Researchers show that eating garlic appears to boost our natural supply of hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is actually poisonous at high concentrations-it's the same noxious by-product of oil refining that smells like rotten eggs.

But the body makes it's own supply of the stuff, which acts as an antioxidant and transmits cellular signals that relax blood vessels and increases blood flow. The power to boost hydrogen sulfide production may help explain why a garlic rich diet appears to protect against various cancers, including breast, prostate, and colon cancer. Higher hydrogen sulfide might also protect the heart.

People have known garlic was important and has health benefits for centuries, even the Greeks would feed garlic to their athletes before they compete in the Olympic games. Consumption for garlic to be protective against disease is 8 to 12 cloves per day to maximize the health benefits. You should crush the garlic at room temperature and allow it to sit for about 15 minutes-that triggers an enzyme reaction that boosts the healthy compounds in garlic. Garlic can cause indigestion but for many bad breath is a concern, eating fennel seeds can help neutralize the smell of garlic.

It's not clear if the beneficial compounds found in garlic remain potent once it's been processed into a pill.