Garlic is the bulb of the Allium Sativum plant, which is closely related to onions, chives, leeks, and eschallots. It has been used as a medicinal product and a food additive by humankind for many thousands of years. Native to central Asia, it was used by all the major ancient civilizations in Asia, Africa, and Europe during the past 6000 years.
It was soon recognized by these civilizations to be a product with immense medicinal and preventative properties for its ability to counteract many every day health problems. In these times, garlic was considered to be of such importance that it was believed to be able to cure everything from the common cold to the plague. Garlic was seen as a natural antibiotic and antibacterial product.
Medical research in recent centuries has disproved some of these claims; however, newer benefits of garlic have been discovered.
This simple but powerful product acts as a health benefit for a range of illnesses and minor ailments because of the range of compounds it contains. Foremost among these is a compound called ALLICIN, which is responsible for giving garlic its pungent and offensive odor.
Garlic also contains small amounts of the important vitamins A, B, C and E, and the minerals potassium, phosphorus, calcium, manganese, sodium, and iron. The medicinal benefits of garlic have long been known as a preventative product for arresting the spread of several types of cancer by killing cancerous cells.
However in the past 50 years it has come to be recognized as a product that can help to control high blood pressure; heart conditions in general; high cholesterol levels; improve the circulatory blood system; cures problems of the respiratory tract; boost the immune system; reduce the effects of fatigue; benefits diabetes sufferers; and many others. Garlic is indeed a perfect product for keeping most parts of the human body is working order.
Recently, research has found that garlic - through its major compound ALLICIN - may prevent weight gain, and may even be able to initiate weight loss. Early research suggests that Allicin may be a very strong appetite suppressant. For ALLICIN to be effective garlic has to be eaten in its raw state. Cooking garlic eliminates ALLICIN.
Research with rats indicated that in an experiment, rats given Allicin after consuming a product that caused weight gain quickly lost the weight gained, whilst rats not given Allicin retained the extra weight gained.
Garlic is a product widely used in cooking, particularly in southern Europe, Asia, and South America. It is in these countries that garlic came to be recognized as a health benefit. In addition to its use in cookery, garlic can be eaten in its raw state, a situation that many non-eaters find extremely offensive.
However, for many people, especially those from countries where garlic is not part of their cooking culture, the best way of taking in garlic is through pills, with the odorless variety being the most popular.
The role of garlic as an appetite suppressant is now well understood. Garlic consumed gives the eater the feeling of having a full stomach; therefore, the eater no longer has the desire to continue eating. However, it has yet to be seen if garlic - Allicin - is able to reduce the amount of fat in a person's body. Whilst it may stop a person putting on weight, the proof that it can help a person reduce weight not proven at this stage.
Garlic also increases the body's metabolism. High metabolism can in turn help a person to burn calories and thus lose some weight.
As well as the beneficial Allicin compound, garlic contains many other compounds that aid good health. Research into the beneficial health properties of garlic and its many compounds is still in its early stages, but results obtained so far give every hope that garlic will prove to be a vital product in helping humankind overcome many of the troublesome health problems, including weight gain and the more serious problem of obesity.
For many people, garlic and garlic supplements taken regularly help to maintain optimum health. However, for weight loss, garlic should be seen for what it is - an ancillary product to be used in conjunction with eating healthy food and undertaking regular exercise.
After having a weight problem some years ago, the author, Gareth Black, developed an interest in the medical condition of being over weight and the benefits of an obesity pill.
He writes articles for web sites dealing with this major problem as well as tips on calorie control.
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