Garlic is well-known for its pungent, sometimes overwhelming odor. This is often used as a seasoning for food, and the cloves of a garlic can even be cooked and added to meals, such as pizza. Garlic is a healthy vegetable that has many nutritional benefits and has been used in alternative medicine for centuries, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Some research shows it may even help with weight loss.
Scientific Evidence
According to DailyMail.co.uk, many of the health benefits of garlic have already been known. According to Dr. David Mirelman, a scientist at the Weizmann Institute in Israel, garlic is a "wonder drug" in terms of the numerous ways it can benefit the body. Mirelman was part of a laboratory study that sought to evaluate the potential benefits of using garlic to lose weight. The study focused on a compound found in garlic called allicin.
Role of Allicin
According to Mirelman, allicin is the compound in garlic that gives the vegetable its strong odor. Mirelman produced a synthetic version of allicin with similar properties to the naturally occurring compound and developed a lab test to evaluate its effects in rats. The rats were fed high-sugar diets for a period of two weeks, after which the researchers discovered that none of the rats had gained any weight despite their new diets.
Other Effects
Mirelman and other scientists have already confirmed several benefits of garlic in the body, some of which relate to weight. For example, garlic can be effective in preventing high blood pressure and treating diabetes, both of which are more likely to occur in overweight and obese individuals. Garlic can also help cure diarrhea, reduce the risk of heart attacks and kill cancer cells, according to DailyMail.co.uk.
Considerations
The research surrounding garlic's potential effects on weight loss is very preliminary and, therefore, not conclusive. Additionally, since the study only revealed a failure to gain weight despite a high-sugar diet, weight loss did not actually occur in the rats, although Mirelman theorizes that allicin given to rats on a regular diet may experience some weight loss. Further research is needed to determine any benefits, but potential dieters should note that the effects on weight were achieved with high concentrations of a compound in garlic rather than garlic itself.
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