Don't put garlic in microwave

If you eat garlic as part of a healthy diet, better skip the microwave.

Federal scientists studying the effects of cooking on the heart-healthy compounds in garlic say microwaving it stripped garlic almost entirely of its good-for-you attributes.

Like onions, garlic contains thiosulfinates, which researchers say may help lower cholesterol and thin the blood. Scientists have assumed eating garlic raw was the best way to get those properties.

But U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers now say crushed and lightly cooked garlic provides most of the same benefits of eating it raw. The exception was garlic cooked in a microwave.