It's good to know that some of the same smelly vegetables -- onions and garlic -- that boost your body's natural abilities to protect you from hypertension and osteoporosis may also reduce your risk of various forms of cancer.

The trick about using garlic and onions is to eat them fresh, especially garlic. Allicin, the active ingredient in garlic, vanishes about an hour after carving it up, which also means taking a garlic pill is worthless. It is also not as useful if you swallow cloves whole as allicin seems to be activated after you crush it.

You may not realize that you can now comment AND vote on articles at Vital Votes. Your participation will actually help select the articles that are sent out in this newsletter. And if your comments are good enough they will be posted in the newsletter.

If you aren't registered make sure you do so resiter now at Vital Votes. You have a chance of having your comment posted like these readers did:

"Garlic, onions (and DMSO) are high in sulfur. Sulfur is a key link for construction of connective tissue; ligaments, tendons and cartilage. Therefore, it is also great for people with joint problems.

Many older people developing Osteo Arthritis instinctively develop a taste for lots of garlic and onions. DMSO was a 'folk' cure for assorted injuries in the Northwest when M.D.s were declaring it a poison. It helped me tremendously with wrist and hand problems when I was a commercial fisherman."

Another, however, issues a warning, referring to research that seems to indicate that "the sulphone hydroxyl ion [of garlic] penetrates the blood-brain barrier, just like DMSO, and is a specific poison for higher-life forms and brain cells:"

"I consume more organic garlic than anyone I know, & I love it. So I don't like to think that garlic might be a double edged sword, potentially more bad than good for our brain function.

However I admit, reluctantly, that the last time I binged on garlic I had a noticeable 'low grade' headache for a few hours afterward, & I rarely get headaches. I think we need to be aware that this claim has been made & work toward determining the extent of its validity."

In response, another reader noted that:

"I'm an organic gardener, but it was just today that I realized: nothing eats garlic except humans! No bugs, the wild boars don't dig it up -- nothing touches it ... Still, humans everywhere seem to swear by garlic. I believe in moderation, and awareness of the possible negative effects is essential."

Moderation in all things is always a good idea. However, given that garlic is a triple-whammy -- it's antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal -- I do believe that it's one food that can be consumed every day. It's also an antioxidant, helps reduce the risk of heart disease, and can even prevent insect bites.

However, I am always open to hearing new information, and certainly intend to find out more about the claims that garlic may also have some negative effects on brain chemistry. Also, if you do not tolerate garlic well, or have any side effect that causes you a problem, it is probably best to avoid it.

Remember the "listen to your body" principle and it is hard to go wrong.