Black Garlic vs. Regular Garlic: Nutritional Differences – Is Black Garlic as Good as People Think?

Black garlic is produced by fermenting regular white garlic under high temperature and humidity for several weeks, causing the garlic cloves to turn black. This process increases the levels of certain antioxidants and polyphenol compounds in black garlic compared to white garlic.

Although black garlic may offer health benefits such as lowering cholesterol, preventing high blood pressure, diabetes, and reducing the risk of cancer, the fundamental nutritional differences between black garlic and white garlic are not significant. Therefore, choosing between black and white garlic should be based on personal preference rather than solely on nutritional benefits.

However, black garlic has some advantages, such as a sweeter taste, less stomach irritation, and no lingering garlic odor in the mouth after consumption. This is due to the oxidation process, which reduces the total amount of volatile organic sulfur compounds.

If you are interested, you can make black garlic at home by soaking white garlic in beer and then fermenting it in a rice cooker on the "keep warm" setting for about 15 days.

In summary, both black garlic and white garlic offer health benefits, but black garlic has some advantages in terms of taste and odor. The choice between the two should depend on personal preference and usage needs.