Superfoods: fruit and veg

Superfoods: garlic

The king of the healing plants, garlic has proved itself to have antiviral, anti-fungal and antibiotic properties in numerous studies. One at the University of California found that garlic juice had a powerful effect against a range of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including the hospital superbug MRSA. Garlic may also protect against heart disease - one large German study found that patients given garlic powder had a significant reduction in blood cholesterol levels, while other research suggests it may help lower blood pressure. Garlic is known to help prevent blood clots, too, and there's mounting evidence that it's a potent anti-cancer agent - findings from China show that eating a lot of garlic lowers the risk of stomach cancer.

When preparing garlic, chop or crush it to trigger the release of allicin - the substance responsible for some of garlic's health benefits. To allow for maximum allicin production, scientists recommend waiting 15 minutes between peeling/ crushing/chopping and cooking or eating.