If you've ever avoided eating garlic on a date due to concerns about causing a bad impression, pay attention: You can enjoy garlic without worry – as long as you follow it up with a serving of yogurt. Research indicates that the fat and protein content in yogurt can effectively prevent nearly all of the pungent compounds in garlic from being released into the air.

As The Guardian reports, а study conducted by Manpreet Kaur and Prof Sheryl Barringer at Ohio State University in Columbus, USA, explored yogurt's ability – as well as the water, fat, and protein within it – to neutralize the sulfur-based compounds responsible for garlic's distinct odor, both raw and cooked.

Their findings, published in the journal Molecules, showed that yogurt on its own reduced 99% of the most odoriferous compounds found in raw garlic. The individual components of fat, water, and protein also exhibited neutralizing effects, with fat and protein proving more effective than water. Moreover, yogurt with a higher fat content outperformed lower-fat varieties.

Previous research has suggested that consuming whole milk can also help combat garlic breath, since the fats in milk bind to several of the odor-causing molecules. Barringer proposed that yogurt proteins may play a role in trapping volatile molecules before they are released into the air, noting that proteins are known to bind flavors – a characteristic often considered negative when high-protein foods have less flavor. In this context, however, it can be seen as a positive trait.

She suggested that Greek yogurt, with its higher protein content compared to the yogurt used in the study, might be especially effective. Fruit-flavored yogurts may also yield similar results, but regardless of the type, it should be consumed as soon as possible after consuming garlic.

Their experiments also uncovered that cooking garlic significantly reduces the release of its pungent compounds. Separate research by Barringer has indicated that consuming raw apples, mint, or lettuce immediately after eating garlic can also help freshen one's breath.