Yes, garlic is a powerful superfood that can prevent metabolic syndrome

You might not think of garlic as a superfood, nor consider it a powerful one at that, but an Indian study showed that Allium sativum is highly potent against the many risk factors that lead to metabolic syndrome. The study reported that eating crushed raw garlic reduces the chances that metabolic syndrome will develop inside the body.

Metabolic syndrome is comprised of multiple risk factors. If left unattended, these factors can eventually develop into diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. There is abdominal obesity, where unhealthy amounts of fat have built up around the abdomen and stomach. There is the related atherogenic dyslipidemia, featuring an excess of triglycerides and small, dense low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles in the blood.

Another factor is hypertension, high blood pressure that can go undetected for many years before it causes serious complications. There is hyperglycemia, which involves high blood sugar levels and is often connected to diabetes. There are also conditions that promote excessive thrombosis and inflammation. The former involves the coagulation of blood and can result in strokes. Meanwhile, the latter is an immune response to injury or infection, and it can cause damage to cells and tissues if it isn’t regulated. (Related: Dark chocolate is good for fighting metabolic syndrome, unless you stress about it.)

Testing the effects of raw garlic on the components of metabolic syndrome

Animal models demonstrated that raw crushed garlic could reduce lipid levels in the blood of animals. These early studies did not go into the specifics of garlic’s effect on a component of metabolic syndrome.

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Researchers from the Rabindra Nath Tagore Medical College (RNTMC) and the C.U. Shah Medical College (CUSMC) came up with a human trial. They tested the effect of raw crushed garlic on metabolic syndrome patients.

The participants came from the diabetic center of the nearby S. P. Medical College. The test group consisted of 40 patients who displayed the various risk factors of the syndrome.

All participants received a standard diet. They also consumed raw crushed garlic twice a day for four weeks straight. The dosage was 100 milligrams of raw garlic homogenate for every kilogram of body weight of a participant.

The anthropometric and blood biochemical variables of each participant was measured before they started consuming raw garlic. At the end of the trial, these variables were once more evaluated. The pre-test and post-test results were evaluated through a student’s paired “t” test.

Eating lots of raw garlic is good for the body

The research team found that the risk factors of metabolic syndrome went down by a large margin in participants who consumed raw crushed garlic. The patients demonstrated numerous improvements in their health.

Their waists shrunk due to the reduction of LDL concentrations in their abdomen. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements went down.

Analysis of blood samples from participants showed that the triglyceride levels went down. In addition, the fasting blood sugar levels indicated improved management of serum glucose.

The researchers also detected increased concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the bloodstream. HDL is considered to be good cholesterol because it removes bad cholesterol from the body.

They also compared the body weights of the patients before and after treatment. They reported that four weeks of consuming large amounts of raw crushed garlic did not result in big changes in the body mass index (BMI).

The researchers came to the conclusion that raw crushed garlic could ameliorate metabolic syndrome. They recommended consumption of the superfood as a means of preventing the syndrome and as a complementary treatment for patients.

If you want to know about the other health benefits of eating raw garlic, visit SuperFood.news.

Sources include:

Science.news

NutritionAndMetabolism.BioMedCentral.com

TAndFOnline.com

NutritionJ.BioMedCentral.com