You might miss out on some smooches, but a new study suggests that consuming garlic may help protect your memory.

Scientists at the University of Louisville found that eating garlic may reduce age-related problems with memory. As it turns out, allyl sulfide, the same sulfide compound that gives us “garlic breath” also improves our gut health, which is one factor in cognitive function.

If people eat more garlic, the study’s authors believe people could see a reduced risk in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

For the study, researchers gave oral allyl sulfide to 24-month-old mice (basically 56 to 69 years of age in human years). They then compared these mice with 4- and 24-month-old mice not receiving the allyl sulfide supplement.

The older mice that received the garlic showed better long and short term memories, as well as a healthier gut bacteria, than the mice that didn’t receive the supplement.

“Overall, the new findings suggest that dietary allyl sulfide promotes memory consolidation by restoring gut bacteria,” a press release states. “The diversity of the gut microbiota is diminished in elderly people, a life stage when neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s develop and memory and cognitive abilities can decline.”

The researchers plan to continue with experiments that will help them better understand the relationship between gut bacteria and age-associated cognitive decline and how garlic may be used as a treatment for aging minds.

Jyotirmaya Behera, PhD, the study’s lead author, presented the research earlier this month at the American Physiological Society’s annual meeting during the 2019 Experimental Biology meeting.


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Meghan is a full-time writer exploring the fun facts behind food. She lives a healthy lifestyle but lives for breakfast, dessert and anything with marinara. Sheโ€™s thrown away just as many meals as sheโ€™s proud of.