Does Garlic Help In Weight Loss? Here’s What You Should Know

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Garlic is mainly used as a flavouring spice in foods but it has medicinal properties too. It is a powerhouse of nutrients that have been shown to boost immunity, lower inflammation, prevent premature ageing, relax blood vessels and protect them from damage.This lowers the risk of heart disease and osteoarthritis. But, did you know that garlic can help you lose weight?

Nutritional Value Of Garlic

Garlic is an excellent source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese, and selenium. It is also a good source of other minerals like phosphorus, potassium, calcium, iron and copper.

Garlic And Weight Loss

A Korean study found that garlic has been linked to weight loss, because of a compound called allicin.
A study published in the Journal of Nutrition in the year 2011, found a link between garlic and burning fat. Aged garlic extract is also known for aiding in weight loss when combined with exercise. A study published in Nutrition Research and Practice showed how aged garlic extract in combination with regular exercise lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women.

Crushing fresh garlic before cooking is also imperative in weight loss. Several studies have shown that crushing garlic and then keeping it at room temperature for 10 minutes before cooking helps retain 70 per cent of its beneficial natural compounds compared to cooking it immediately.

This is because while crushing the garlic, the health-promoting compounds are released and you may reap the full health benefits of garlic. It is also recommended that you never microwave garlic as the disease-fighting properties of garlic are lost when doing so.

Other Health Benefits Of Garlic

The active compound allicin in garlic has healing properties and the pungent smell that comes from garlic is due to this. Check out the other health benefits of garlic.

1. Reduces Blood Sugar

Garlic can lower your blood sugar naturally. A 2006 study found that raw garlic may help in reducing blood sugar levels and lower the risk of atherosclerosis too, because diabetes increases a person's risk of atherosclerosis-related inflammation.

Eating garlic may also reduce the incidence of heart disease, which nearly affects 80 per cent of people with diabetes.

2. Detoxifies Heavy Metals

Yes, garlic can aid in heavy metal detoxification in the body. The sulphur compounds in garlic have been shown to protect against organ damage from heavy metal toxicity.

3. Reduces Blood Pressure

Garlic is known to have a significant impact in lowering blood pressure or hypertension in people suffering from high blood pressure. Therefore the risk of cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes can be reduced if you consume garlic regularly.

4. Lowers Bad Cholesterol

Garlic has the powerful ability to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol by 10 to 15 per cent. When bad cholesterol rises in the body, the risk factor for heart disease increases and you may soon develop fatty deposits in the blood vessels. This, in turn, can decrease the blood flow and cause a stroke.
Garlic also has anticoagulant properties thereby, reducing the risk of heart attacks. The sulphurous compounds in garlic inhibit cancerous cells.

How To Incorporate Garlic In Your Diet?

To make your weight loss journey smoother, here's how to incorporate garlic into your daily cooking:
1. For breakfast, you can add minced garlic in your scrambled egg or omelette.
2. For lunch, add chopped garlic while cooking lean protein or stir-frying any other vegetables. You can also cook garlic rice too.

3. For dinner, stir-fry mushrooms with chopped garlic with some greens.

Tip: Crush few garlic cloves and mix raw honey with it and have it on an empty stomach in the morning. This will help you in losing weight, strengthening your immune system, and keeping your body strong and healthy.

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.