Health Benefits Garlic is rich in antioxidant phytochemicals that include organosulfur compounds as well as flavonoids such as allixin, which are capable of scavenging free radicals. [4] Garlic also contains selenium, required for optimal function of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase. [8] Although the mechanisms of all garlic's components are not known, many of its cardiovascular-prote