By Xantha Leatham Deputy Science Editor
21:53 24 September 2023, updated 22:58 24 September 2023

- Yogurt was 99 percent effective in reducing odor-causing compounds
It’s natural to feel self-conscious after some particularly spicy garlic bread or chicken Kiev.
But scientists say that simply eating some natural yogurt can help get rid of the bad smell of garlic in your breath.
Researchers have discovered that the proteins found in whole-milk plain yogurt work well to neutralize odor-causing sulfur-based compounds.
A team at Ohio State University placed equal amounts of raw garlic in glass bottles before adding yogurt with varying fat, protein and water content.
They found that yogurt was 99 percent effective in reducing the major odor-causing garlic compounds.
The analysis showed that yogurts with higher levels of protein were most effective at reducing the smell of garlic, as well as yogurts with higher butterfat content.
Dr Sheryl Barringer, senior author of the study, said: ‘High protein is a very hot thing at the moment. Generally people want to eat more protein.
‘An unintended side effect may be a high-protein formulation that may be advertised as a breath deodorizer in addition to its nutritional claims.
‘We know that protein binds flavor…in this case, it could be positive.’
The researchers also tested the ‘deodorizing’ effects of yogurt on fried garlic, but in the process, discovered that roasting the garlic significantly reduced most of its odor-causing volatile compounds.
Dr Barringer and his team believe their study lays a good foundation for exploring different proteins that may soon be tailored to create ideal products for garlic-breath eradication.
In the meantime, however, Dr. Barringer suggests Greek yogurt — which has a higher protein value than plain whole-milk yogurt — may be the most effective way to get rid of garlic breath.
Flavored yogurt will also probably work and, whatever is used, it should be eaten immediately after eating the garlic.
He said, ‘Take the garlic and eat the curd immediately.’
The findings were published in the journal Molecules.