Body Watch : The Scent of Garlic Is in the Air

The Federal Building in Westwood (11000 Wilshire Blvd.) will give off its yearly stink Saturday (noon to 10 p.m.) and Sunday (noon to 9 p.m.) at the Captain Morgan 11th annual Los Angeles Garlic Festival.

Here are some garlic health facts to gnaw on:

* As early as 1500 BC, Egyptians listed 22 garlic prescriptions for ailments including heart problems, headaches and physical weaknesses.

* Garlic juice contains the compound allicin, which has antibiotic properties.

* Louis Pasteur and Albert Schweitzer studied garlic as a natural antibiotic and anti-amoeba agent, respectively.

* During World War II, garlic was known as “Russian penicillin” and was used to treat soldiers’ wounds.

* Cooking does not destroy garlic’s benefits, but cooking is recommended for reduction of odor and harsh side effects (garlic is tough on the skin and stomach).

* Aged garlic and some garlic supplements retain health benefits, minimize side effects and are odorless.

* Experts suggest a daily garlic dose of between 600 and 1,500 milligrams of garlic extract, equivalent to one to two cloves of fresh garlic.

Sources: Garlic Information Center, New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center; American Dehydrated Onion and Garlic Assn., San Francisco; Nutrition International, Irvine, Calif.