Garlic is a unique product known for its wide range of properties. It is widely used in culinary delights and for therapeutic and preventive purposes. Advances in medicine have scientifically substantiated the benefits of garlic for the human body and revealed new areas of its application. As a result, garlic is now considered one of the foods that can aid in weight loss. For example, I was very surprised to learn that garlic can be used for weight loss, although it makes perfect sense…
In Latin, garlic is known as Allium sativum, which is phonetically similar to one of the main active substances in garlic. When a clove of garlic is crushed or chopped with a knife or press, the amino acid alliin combines with the enzyme alliinase. This chemical reaction produces the substance allicin, which is responsible for garlic’s pungent taste and its healing properties. Thanks to allicin, garlic is widely used to prevent and treat bacterial and fungal infections, as this substance has targeted bactericidal and fungicidal effects. In addition to destroying already present microbes and fungi in the body, allicin has a potent immunomodulatory effect, helping the body resist infections during seasonal epidemics.
Besides the well-known qualities that make garlic a proven remedy for preventing and treating colds, it also has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system due to allicin. And it is precisely thanks to allicin that garlic is now widely used for weight loss. So, how does this substance work?
How Garlic Aids in Weight Loss
- In the human body, allicin immediately binds with red blood cells, releasing hydrogen sulfide, which reduces blood pressure on the vessel walls, thus helping to eliminate arterial hypertension (high blood pressure). Therefore, garlic is an indispensable and accessible folk remedy for combating hypertension.
- Additionally, allicin directly affects the lipid composition of the blood, specifically the levels of triglycerides and total cholesterol.
- Allicin reduces the level of bad cholesterol while increasing the level of good cholesterol. This normalization of lipid metabolism promotes weight loss and prevents the accumulation of excess weight.
- And that’s not all! Several studies have confirmed the destructive impact of garlic on atherosclerotic plaques and blood clots. This means that both raw garlic and synthetic allicin-based preparations can be used not only for the prevention but also for the treatment of atherosclerosis.
- Another remarkable property of allicin is its ability to reduce insulin levels in the blood, which, as is well known, hinders weight loss. In summary, garlic has a direct fat-burning effect. However, garlic for weight loss is more likely to work by normalizing the body’s metabolism.
How to Properly Use Garlic for Weight Loss
To achieve noticeable results using garlic for weight loss, it is necessary to combine regular consumption of garlic with a low-calorie diet and physical activity. And then, you may also want to use garlic for rejuvenating your body!
The optimal dose of garlic is 1-2 cloves before the evening meal. You can consume garlic gradually, increasing from one to six cloves per day and then reducing the amount in the reverse order. Remember that allicin is formed in crushed garlic, and it loses its properties during heat treatment.
Be cautious and listen to your body—it’s possible that you may have an allergy or intolerance to this product. You should not use garlic for weight loss if you have:
- gastritis,
- stomach or duodenal ulcers, and
- other gastrointestinal diseases that require avoiding spicy foods,
- cardiovascular diseases,
- kidney diseases,
- anemia.