When cloves are chewed, crushed or cut, they release a sulphur-bearing compound called allicin – the chemical that gives garlic its pungent taste and smell. And it’s the allicin that scientists have discovered is the magic ingredient thought to be responsible for garlic’s therapeutic qualities.

Most of the modern research on garlic has concentrated on its ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure as well as offering protection against strokes and heart disease. For example, when the Journal of the Royal College of Physicians reviewed data on cholesterol in 1993, it found that after just four weeks there was a 12 per cent reduction in cholesterol levels in the research groups that had taken garlic.

Scientists have also looked at the role garlic plays in helping prevent the formation of blood clots. A review of recent clinical trials, published in the Journal of Hypertension, showed that taking garlic tablets cut volunteers’ blood pressure by between one and five per cent. These results led the report’s authors to conclude that taking supplements could cut the incidence of stroke by anything from 30-40 per cent, while heart disease could be reduced by 20-25 percent.

While garlic is gathering a reputation for helping to maintain a healthy heart, regular amounts of garlic seems to also help the body fight off infections. A recently published study found that a daily garlic supplement reduced the risk of the volunteers catching a cold by half. The researchers also discovered that even when those taking the supplement did develop a cold they were more likely to make a speedier recovery than the non-garlic taking volunteers. And if that’s not enough, just one clove a day will top up your body’s supplies of vitamins A, B and C, as well as a vast array of minerals including selenium, iodine, potassium, iron, calcium, zinc and magnesium.

Research into the benefits of garlic are continuing all the time and some scientists have been reviewing evidence that suggests it may even help to protect against stomach cancer. The thinking behind this is that the allicin compounds, contained in garlic, may help prevent cancerous changes in the stomach wall. While more research is clearly needed there is little doubt that a little garlic, every day, can go a long way in helping to protect, as well as boost, your health.

For some, garlic can be the cause of heartburn as well as flatulence. And then, of course, there is the smell that eating garlic leaves behind! For those who prefer not to eat the garlic, it is available in supplement form. If you’d prefer to stick to the real thing, a clove a day can help improve your overall health and two or three cloves a day can help to stem a cold. Chew parsley after eating garlic to help neutralise your breath. When used in cooking, crush or cut the garlic finely, then leave for 10 minutes to allow the allicin to fully develop before adding to recipes. Add the garlic about five minutes before the end of cooking – this way you apply just enough heat to convert the allicin into medically active compounds.

Note: Garlic can interact with anticoagulants, such as Warfarin and aspirin, so if you take blood thinning medication, talk to you doctor before taking garlic supplements. It is also recommended that no garlic supplement is taken for two weeks before surgery, as they may interfere with blood clotting and increase risk of bleeding.

Blueberries could help prevent one of the most common cancers, a study has found. The berries — already hailed as an anti-ageing ‘superfood’ — contain a compound called a preventative pigment with fewer side effects than commercial preparations.

A U.S. study is the first to show the cancer-fighting potential of pterostilbene — one of the antioxidants in blueberries. It is found in the pigment that gives blueberries their colour and the darker the berry, the higher the concentration of antioxidants.

The findings of the study were released at the March 2007 American Chemical Society meeting in Washington by scientists at Rutgers University in New Jersey and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Bowel cancer affects around 34,000 Britons each year. Blueberries have also been found to improve short-term memory loss and enhance balance and co-ordination.

Avocados are a wonderful fruit but they have been given a bad name amongst slimmers because of the fat content.

But this fat comes in the form of beneficial essential unsaturated fats, which are exceptionally easy to digest.

Avocados are high in potassium, the mineral that helps prevent water retention and are also a rich source of vitamin E as well as vitamin C, B6, folic acid, calcium, magnesium and manganese. Avocados also contain lutein which is an anti-oxidant especially beneficial to the eyes. They have also been found to help produce collagen, which gives the elasticity to skin and is essential for maintaining bone health.

Avocados have been shown to help lower cholesterol as they contain a substance called beta-sitosterol which helps to stop the absorption of cholesterol in the small intestines. Beta-sitosterol can also help with blood sugar swings and may help to prevent a number of cancers including breast cancer. Epicatechin, the same antioxidant as found in green tea, is also present in avocados.

Avocados also contain another substance called mannoheptulose which has a cancer protecting effect. Mannoheptulose inhibits an enzyme which prevents the uptake of glucose into cancer cells. Cancer cells use glucose as their primary fuel so, by blocking the uptake of glucose into cancer cells, it is essentially starving those cells.