And you may already have some in your kitchen…
Our diet greatly influences our state of health. Blood sugar, for example, is modified by our diet since it corresponds to the sugar level in the blood. It must be monitored, particularly in people with diabetes but also in people who are watching their weight. Lipids correspond to the fats in the foods we ingest and whose excessive consumption increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases (and again weight). “Disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism can lead to a number of chronic diseases, including atherosclerosis, diabetes and fatty liver disease” recall Chinese researchers who looked into the dual benefits of an almost essential food in the kitchen.
They conducted extensive searches in four databases – PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and the Cochrane Library – up to February 2024. About twenty studies, comprising a total of 29 clinical trials and involving 1,567 participants from various countries such as Canada, Pakistan, the United States, Poland and Denmark, were reviewed. The participants were between 18 and 80 years old and some suffered from health problems, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Others were in good health. The aim was to observe the full impact of the food on the body.
Ultimately, the results published in the journal “Nutrients” show that by having introduced the famous ingredient into their diet, the participants had a reduction in their fasting glucose level as well as their total and LDL cholesterol levels (bad cholesterol), while having an increase in cholesterol HDL (good cholesterol).
Garlic. Powdered, raw, in oil… “The results showed that garlic has a beneficial effect on blood sugar and blood lipids in humans, and their association was statistically significant” report the researchers in the study. Garlic may reduce oxidative stress, a type of cell wear and tear that contributes to cardiovascular disease. It also works by stimulating insulin secretion, helping to reduce blood glucose. “Garlic has a wide range of biological effects, with a multitude of functions: anticancer, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiasthmatic. These characteristics of garlic come from the presence of sulfur and various compounds, such as allicin, alliin and methylallyl trisulfide.” explain the researchers. It would also be thanks to these components that garlic could help control and reduce blood sugar and blood lipids. The scientists’ objective now is to carry out tests on larger samples to confirm these results. In the meantime, remember to sprinkle it more often…