Raw Garlic For Weight Loss

Garlic is credited with a host of health benefits from decreasing progression of cardiovascular disease to strengthening the immune system to help your body fight the common cold and even cancer. These days, its potential as a weight loss aid is gaining the spotlight. However, research on garlic's health-boosting properties is far from conclusive, according to University of Maryland Medical Center, and evidence of its fat-fighting prowess is even more preliminary. Always consult a doctor before trying a new weight loss aid.

Identification

The substance in garlic that is responsible for its potential weight loss benefits is called allicin. This substance also may have antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-fungal properties, according to University of Maryland Medical Center. The same substance believed responsible for garlic's health benefits also is responsible for its flavor and aroma.

Features

You must crush your garlic to activate the allicin in it. You need to consume garlic raw to gain the benefits from allicin because cooking destroys it, advises physician Nicholas Perricone, M.D., author of "The Perricone Weight-Loss Diet." Dr. Perricone advises using raw garlic in your salads. Garlic is one in a family of allium vegetables. Others include leeks and onions.

Significance

Allicin may help prevent weight gain, says T. Rosenthal, lead author for a study published in the "American Journal of Hypertension." The substance also lowers insulin, blood pressure and triglycerides levels, Rosenthal says. However, this study was done on rats that were fed a sugar-enhanced diet, so more research is needed to see if the benefits apply to humans. Scientists are still trying to understand the way that the human body metabolizes and absorbs allicin, according to Oregon State University. Animal studies suggest it's absorbed via your intestines. However, human studies have never been able to detect the substance in blood, urine or stool, even when 25 g raw garlic is consumed, which may mean that allicin is rapidly metabolized in people, note the experts at OSU. Consuming garlic or pure allicin does increase allyl methyl sulfide in your breath. This is a volatile compound that is measurable in exhaled air.

Size

When you consume a crushed, fresh garlic clove, you get between 2,500 and 4,500 mcg of allicin per gram of garlic. A fresh garlic clove weighs about 2 to 4 g, according to Oregon State University. Many of the studies that point to the benefits of allicin, such as Rosenthal's, are been done with synthetic preparations rather than real, raw garlic.

Considerations

If you decide to ramp up your garlic consumption for weight loss purposes, be aware of the possible side effects. The most common effects are body and breath odor. However, you also may have gastrointestinal symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, heartburn, vomiting, diarrhea and flatulence. Garlic also can trigger allergic reactions. The most serious documented side effect is increased risk for bleeding or bruising. This risk is higher when garlic is combined with of blood-thinning medicines like warfarin or aspirin. Garlic also may decrease effectiveness of HIV protease inhibitors, according to Oregon State University. You also need to consult a doctor and use caution with garlic if you take certain diabetes drugs, according to "Nature's Medicines," by Gale Maleskey.