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The Critical Catch: Allicin Only Forms Under Specific Conditions
Here is the essential piece of information that 95% of people miss:
Fresh, whole garlic does NOT contain allicin.
Yes, you read that correctly. A whole clove of garlic, sitting innocently on your counter, is biologically inert in terms of its medicinal superpower. Allicin is created only as a direct response to injury—a defense mechanism activated when the clove is damaged.
The formation of allicin is a precise chemical reaction between two other compounds stored separately within the garlic cell walls: alliin (an amino acid derivative) and the enzyme alliinase.
When you crush the garlic, you break the cell walls, allowing alliin and alliinase to mix. That mix is what creates the potent, beneficial allicin.
THE COMMON MISTAKE: DESTROYING THE ENZYME 
If allicin forms when you crush garlic, what is the mistake? The mistake lies in timing and the devastating effect of heat.
The majority of people, when cooking with fresh garlic, follow this common sequence:
- Chop or Crush the Garlic. (Initiating the allicin formation process.)
- Immediately Toss it into a Hot Pan. (Interrupting the process before it can complete.)
The Science of Destruction
The enzyme responsible for creating allicin, alliinase, is highly sensitive to heat.
If you expose the crushed garlic to high heat too quickly—before the allicin has had a chance to fully form—the heat instantly denatures and destroys the alliinase enzyme.
- Result: The alliin is left sitting there, unable to be converted into the powerful allicin. You get some flavor, you get some vitamins and minerals, but you lose up to 90% of garlic’s key medicinal, heart-protective, and antibacterial potential.
You’ve essentially stopped the chemical reaction right before it produced the gold. This is the difference between a fragrant addition to your dish and a truly potent health tonic.
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