While many people opt for garlic supplements, others prefer to increase the garlic in their diets. Many home chefs mistakenly cook garlic immediately after crushing or chopping it, says Dr. David W. Kraus, associate professor of environmental science and biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. To maximize the health benefits, you should crush the garlic at room temperature and allow it to sit for about 15 minutes. That triggers an enzyme reaction that boosts the healthy compounds in garlic.