What paradoxical requirement exists for creating Allicin in garlic compared to the presence of Quercetin in onions?

Allicin requires the destruction of raw tissue to be created, while Quercetin is simply present in the tissue.

There is a distinct chemical paradox highlighted when comparing the activation methods of the primary compounds. Garlic's most celebrated compound, allicin, is dependent on mechanical disruption—the physical destruction of the raw clove tissue (crushing/chewing)—to trigger its formation via enzyme action. In sharp contrast, the onion's celebrated compound, quercetin, is already present within the tissue structure itself, whether the onion is cooked or raw. Therefore, the onion's primary benefit is accessed through ingestion of the tissue, whereas the garlic's key benefit necessitates actively damaging that tissue first.