Like us on Facebook: br Follow us on Twitter: br br Garlic's power as a heath promoter comes from its rich variety of sulfur br containing compounds. Of the nearly one hundred nutrients in garlic, the br most important in terms of health benefits seems to be the sulfur compound br allicin—an amino acid. Allicin is not present in fresh garlic, but it is br formed instantly when cloves are crushed, chewed, or cut. Allicin seems br to be responsible for the superbiological activity of garlic as well as br its odor. In addition to allicin, a single clove of garlic offers a stew br of compounds with potential health benefits, including saponins, br phosphorus, potassium, zinc, selenium, polyphenols, and arginine. In br addition to these compounds, garlic is a good source of vitamin B6 and br also of vitamin C. As with most whole foods, garlic's antioxidant and br anti-inflammatory abilities are probably due to the sum of the whole br rather than a single agent.