The contribution that garlic gives to our health is well documented and studied. It is a nutritional powerhouse that has been used as medicine for thousands of years and the list of health benefits continues to grow as research reveals more and more hidden treasures.
Garlic doesn’t just punch up flavors (most anything tastes better with garlic), it’s been shown to boost immunity, reduce blood pressure, lower the risk of heart disease and quell inflammation among other things. The primary health promoting ingredients in garlic are allicin and diallyl sulfide. This super-food is also a source of powerful antioxidants C and E as well as the mineral selenium.
Now garlic is being recognized for another benefit…some scientists believe that garlic can help us to prevent weight gain and could even help us to lose weight.
Korean scientists conducted an experiment where mice were fed fattening diets for eight weeks to fatten them up then served the identical diet for an additional 7 weeks only this time it was supplemented with 5 or 2% garlic. When the rats were given the component of garlic called allicin and fed high-sugar diets, they had lower insulin and blood pressure as well as lower weight gain than the rats not fed allicin suggesting that garlic could possibly help with weight loss.
Studies proved that when garlic was introduced to the mice’s diets their fat stores and body weight were reduced.
Garlic’s weight loss benefits (experienced through its more than 100 biological compounds)…
Boosts metabolism
Excellent diuretic
Eliminates fat from our cells
Regulates the ups and downs in blood sugar levels
Powerful detoxifier
There are a variety of garlics on the market but they can all be identified by the same pungent odor and bite. White garlic is not as sweet nor does it keep as long as pink garlic. Large clove type garlic like Elephant garlic is milder in flavor and normally used the same way as leeks are. For the most part, they are all interchangeable in recipes.
When choosing garlic its best if go for the loose garlic where you can check quality closer. As with all vegetables, its appearance gives away its freshness. Look for paper-white skins that are firm to the touch without any type of bruising, damp or brown spots.
There’s a trick to getting the most from your garlic. After you have crushed your garlic, let it sit for at least 10 minutes at room temperature before cooking. There’s an enzyme in garlic that boosts levels of health promoting compounds. This enzyme peaks approximately 10 minutes after crushing so if you cook your garlic before that timeframe, the enzymes are destroyed. By waiting the required 10 minutes, you’ll receive the extra enzyme benefits.
Because most of the flavor has been processed out of garlic powder don’t expect it to mimic the flavor of fresh garlic. It’s best to stay away from garlic salt because of the large levels of sodium per teaspoon.
Once you get your fresh garlic home, it should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place.
Remember, in order to take full advantage of the health benefits that fresh garlic offers, be sure to crush or cut it up (allowing it to sit in the air) at least 10 minutes before use because in order to release its beneficial substances (enzymes) garlic needs time to interact with oxygen.
The flavor of garlic mellows out the longer it is cooked.
More extensive research needs to be conducted on garlic’s weight-control benefits but with so many health benefits offered by garlic the added benefit of weight control is just icing on the cake.
Of course as good as garlic is for our health and weight control there is always a price to pay and the price we pay for enjoying garlic is the pungent aroma. It is no friend to our breath or those around us. Some people find that if they chew on fresh parsley, mint or citrus peel it works to neutralize the odor that garlic is known for.
Antioxidants are your ally in the weight loss war. Make sure to eat healthy fresh foods so that your body can use the antioxidants made and consumed to support you in detoxifying your body and releasing fat effectively.
Learn what it takes to lose excess weight and keep it off forever in “Rebound Free Weight Loss” a complete program that works to improve your body and mind health and puts yo-yo dieting to rest once and for all.
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