Dr. Aravinda

Health benefits of garlic:

1. Garlic contains a compound called allicin, which has potent medicinal properties. Garlic is a plant in the allium (onion) family. It is closely related to onions, shallots, and leeks. It grows in many parts of the world and is a popular ingredient in cooking due to its strong smell and delicious taste.

However, throughout ancient history, the main use of garlic was for its health and medicinal properties. Its use was well documented by all the major civilizations including the Egyptians, Babylonians, greeks, Romans and the Chinese.

Garlic bulbs and cloves

The entire “head” is called a garlic bulb while each segment is called a clove. There are about 10-20 cloves in a single bulb, give or take.

We now know that most of the health effects are caused by one of the sulfur compounds formed when a garlic clove is chopped, crushed or chewed.

This compound is known as allicin and is also responsible for the distinct garlic smell. Allicin enters the body from the digestive tract and travels all over the body, where it exerts its potent biological effects (which we’ll get to in a bit).

Bottom line: garlic is a plant in the onion family, grown for its cooking properties and health effects. It is high in a sulfur compound called allicin, which is believed to bring most of the health benefits.

2. Garlic is highly nutritious but has very few calories. Calorie for calorie, garlic is incredibly nutritious.

A 1 ounce (28 grams) serving of garlic contains (3):

• Manganese: 23% of the RDA.
• Vitamin b6: 17% of the RDA.
• Vitamin c: 15% of the RDA.
• Selenium: 6% of the RDA.
• Fiber: 1 gram.
• Decent amounts of calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin b1.
• Garlic also contains trace amounts of various other nutrients. In fact, it contains a little bit of almost everything we need.

This is coming with 42 calories, with 1.8 grams of protein and 9 grams of carbs.

Bottom line: garlic is low in calories and very rich in vitamin c, vitamin b6 and manganese. It also contains trace amounts of various other nutrients.

3. Garlic can combat sickness, including the common cold. Garlic supplementation is known to boost the function of the immune system. According to a study, the average length of cold symptoms was also reduced by 70%, from 5 days in placebo to just 1.5 days in the garlic group.

Another study found that a high dose of garlic extract (2.56 grams per day) can reduce the number of days sick with cold or flu by 61%.

If you often get colds, then adding garlic to your diet could be incredibly helpful.

Bottom line: garlic supplementation helps to prevent and reduce the severity of common illnesses like the flu and common cold.

4. The active compounds in garlic can reduce blood pressure. Cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes are the world’s biggest killers. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the most important drivers of these diseases. 

Human studies have found garlic supplementation to have a significant impact on reducing blood pressure in people with high blood pressure. In one study, aged garlic extract at doses of 600-1, 500 mg was just as effective as the drug atenolol at reducing blood pressure over a 24 week period.

Supplement doses must be fairly high to have these desired effects. The amount of allicin needed is equivalent to about four cloves of garlic per day.

Bottom line: high doses of garlic appear to improve blood pressure of those with known high blood pressure (hypertension). In some instances, supplementation can be as effective as regular medications.

5. Garlic improves cholesterol levels, which may lower the risk of heart disease. For those with high cholesterol, garlic supplementation appears to reduce total and/or LDL cholesterol by about 10-15%. Looking at LDL (the “bad”) and HDL (the “good”) cholesterol specifically, garlic appears to lower LDL but has no reliable effect on HDL. Garlic does not appear to lower triglyceride levels, another known risk factor for heart disease.

Bottom line: garlic supplementation seems to reduce total and ldl cholesterol, particularly in those who have high cholesterol. Hdl cholesterol and triglycerides do not seem to be affected.

6. Garlic contains antioxidants that may help prevent Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Garlic contains antioxidants that support the body’s protective mechanisms against oxidative damage. High doses of garlic supplementation have been shown to increase antioxidant enzymes in humans, as well as significantly reduce oxidative stress in those with high blood pressure

The combined effects on reducing cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as the antioxidant properties, may help prevent common brain diseases like Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Bottom line: garlic contains antioxidants that protect against cell damage and aging. It may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

7. Garlic may help you live longer. Effects on longevity are basically impossible to prove in humans. But given the beneficial effects on important risk factors like blood pressure, it makes sense that garlic could help you live longer.

The fact that it can fight infectious disease is also an important factor because these are common causes of death, especially in the elderly or people with dysfunctional immune systems.

Bottom line: garlic has known beneficial effects on common causes of chronic disease, so it makes perfect sense that it could help you live longer.

8. Athletic performance can be improved with garlic supplementation. It was traditionally used in ancient cultures to reduce fatigue and enhance the work capacity of laborers.

Rodent studies have shown that garlic helps with exercise performance, but very few human studies have been done.

Subjects with heart disease that took garlic oil for 6 weeks had a reduction in peak heart rate of 12% and improved their exercise capacity. Other studies suggest that exercise-induced fatigue may be reduced with garlic.

Bottom line: garlic can improve physical performance in lab animals and people with heart disease. Benefits in healthy people are not yet conclusive.

9. Eating garlic can help detoxify heavy metals in the body. At high doses, the sulfur compounds in garlic have been shown to protect against organ damage from heavy metal toxicity.

A four-week study in employees of a car battery plant (excessive exposure to lead) found that garlic reduced lead levels in the blood by 19%. It also reduced many clinical signs of toxicity, including headaches and blood pressure.

Three doses of garlic each day even outperformed the drug d-penicillamine in symptom reduction.

Bottom line: garlic was shown to significantly reduce lead toxicity and related symptoms in one study.

10. Garlic may improve bone health. No human trials have measured the effects of garlic on bone loss.

Rodent studies have shown that it can minimize bone loss by increasing estrogen in females.

One study in menopausal women found that a daily dose of dry garlic extract (equal to 2 grams of raw garlic) significantly decreased a marker of estrogen deficiency. This suggests that this garlic may have beneficial effects on bone health in women.

Foods like garlic and onions have also been shown to have beneficial effects on osteoarthritis.

Bottom line: garlic appears to have some benefits for bone health by increasing estrogen levels in females, but more human studies are needed.

11. Garlic is easy to include in your diet and tastes absolutely delicious. The last one is not a health benefit, but still important. It is the fact that it is very easy (and delicious) to include garlic in your current diet. It complements most savory dishes, particularly soups and sauces. The strong taste of garlic can also add a punch to otherwise bland recipes.

Garlic comes in several forms, from whole cloves and smooth pastes to powders and supplements like garlic extract and garlic oil. The minimum effective dose for therapeutic effects is one clove eaten with meals, two or three times a day.

However, keep in mind that there are some downsides to garlic, such as bad breath. There are also some people who are allergic to it.

If you have a bleeding disorder or are taking blood-thinning medications, then talk to your doctor before increasing your garlic consumption.

The active compound allicin only forms when garlic is crushed or cleaved when it is raw. If you cook it before crushing it, then it won’t have the same health effects.

Gestational Surrogacy

We will help you evaluate the benefits of gestational surrogacy and provide you with information about cost, legal issues, and treatment protocols.

In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate is pregnant with her own biological child, but this child will be raised by others. In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate becomes pregnant via embryo transfer with a child that is not biologically her own. The surrogate mother may be called the gestational carrier.

Once a suitable surrogate has been identified, and the screening process is complete, the cycle can begin. Timing depends on the surrogate’s and intended parents/donors menstrual cycle .

Surrogacy Cycle Overview

Evaluation Cycle

The surrogate needs to prepare her uterus for implantation with natural estrogen and progesterone. Because each woman is a little different, the dose, duration, and method of administering these hormones may need to be individualized. This can be determined ahead of time by conducting an evaluation cycle. This is a “dry run” in which we duplicate each part of the cycle except the actual transfer of embryos in order to determine how to maximize the chances of success. The evaluation cycle can be completed anytime before the actual procedure. In some circumstances, the evaluation cycle can be waived when the response of the uterus to hormonal stimulation is well known. This is fairly common for women who have undergone many treatment cycles in the past.

Cycle Synchronization

It is necessary to synchronize the menstrual cycles of the surrogate and the intended parent in order to obtain mature eggs and embryos and transfer these back into a perfectly prepared endometrium (uterine lining) to maximize the chances of pregnancy success. This is done using a variety of hormonal manipulations .We will determine which technique will work best for each circumstance. Once both women’s (surrogate and intended parent) ovarian function is suppressed and their cycles synchronized, they can begin the process of preparing for pregnancy.

Hormonal Therapy

On about the same day, the surrogate and intended parent will begin hormonal therapies to prepare the appropriate target for pregnancy success. The surrogate will begin taking estrogen to stimulate endometrial (uterine lining) growth and the intended parent will begin taking FSH to stimulate egg production. These treatments are monitored with ultrasound and blood estrogen levels until the eggs are ready to be retrieved and the uterus is ready to accept an embryo. Usually these treatments will take approximately two to three weeks and require five office visits for ultrasounds and blood tests.

Subsequently IVF and embryo transfer is done.

Pregnancy Success!

In successful cycles, the hormonal supplements are continued through the first trimester (12 weeks) of the pregnancy. Once the first trimester is completed and the placenta has matured to the point where it can provide for all the hormonal needs of the pregnancy, no further supplements are required. We will monitor blood levels of estrogen and progesterone at the end of the first trimester and taper off the hormone supplements gradually. Once the hormone supplements are stopped, the rest of the pregnancy is indistinguishable from any other pregnancy!

Fibroids are the most frequently seen tumors of the female reproductive system. Fibroids, also known as uterine myomas, leiomyomas, or fibromas, are firm, compact tumors that are made of smooth muscle cells and fibrous connective tissue that develop in the uterus. It is estimated that between 20 to 50 percent of women of reproductive age have fibroids, although not all are diagnosed. Some estimates state that only about one-third of these fibroids are large enough to be detected by a doctor during a physical examination.

In more than 99 percent of fibroid cases, the tumors are benign (non-cancerous). These tumors are not associated with cancer and do not increase a woman's risk for uterine cancer. They may range in size, from the size of a pea to the size of a softball or small grapefruit.

Causes: While it is not clearly known what causes fibroids, it is believed that each tumor develops from an aberrant muscle cell in the uterus, which multiplies rapidly because of the influence of estrogen.

Risk Factors:

• Age: Women who are approaching menopause are at the greatest risk for fibroids because of their long exposure to high levels of estrogen.
• Obesity
• Race: African-American heritage also seems to be at an increased risk, although the reasons for this are not clearly understood.
• Parity: Some studies, of small numbers of women, have indicated that women who have had two liveborn children have one-half the risk of developing uterine fibroids compared to women who have had no children. Scientists are not sure whether having children actually protected women from fibroids or whether fibroids were a factor in infertility in women who had no children.

Symptoms:

Some women who have fibroids have no symptoms, or have only mild symptoms, while other women have more severe, disruptive symptoms. The following are the most common symptoms for uterine fibroids:

• Heavy or prolonged menstrual periods

• Abnormal bleeding between menstrual periods

• Pelvic pain (caused as the tumor presses on pelvic organs)

• Frequent urination

• Low back pain

• Pain during intercourse

• A firm mass, often located near the middle of the pelvis, which can be felt by the doctor on examination

In some cases, the heavy or prolonged menstrual periods, or the abnormal bleeding between periods, can lead to iron-deficiency anemia, which also requires treatment.

Diagnosis: Fibroids are most often found during a routine pelvic examination. This, along with an abdominal examination, may indicate a firm, irregular pelvic mass to the physician. In addition to a complete medical history and physical and pelvic and/or abdominal examination, diagnostic procedures for uterine fibroids may include:

• Transvaginal ultrasound (also called ultrasonography). An ultrasound test using a small instrument called a transducer, that is placed in the vagina.

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A non-invasive procedure that produces a two-dimensional view of an internal organ or structure.

• Hysterosalpingography. X-ray examination of the uterus and fallopian tubes that use dye and is often performed to rule out tubal obstruction.

• Hysteroscopy. Visual examination of the canal of the cervix and the interior of the uterus using a viewing instrument (hysteroscope) inserted through the vagina.

• Blood test (to check for iron-deficiency anemia if heavy bleeding is caused by the tumor).

Treatment: Since most fibroids stop growing or may even shrink as a woman approaches menopause, the doctor may simply suggest "watchful waiting." With this approach, the doctor monitors the woman's symptoms carefully to ensure that there are no significant changes or developments and that the fibroids are not growing.

In women whose fibroids are large or are causing significant symptoms, treatment may be necessary. Treatment will be determined by the doctor based on:

• Your overall health and medical history

• Extent of the disease

• Your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies

• Expectations for the course of the disease

• Your opinion or preference

• Your desire for pregnancy

In general, treatment for fibroids may include:

1. Hysterectomy. Hysterectomies involve the surgical removal of the entire uterus.

2. Conservative surgical therapy. Conservative surgical therapy uses a procedure called a myomectomy. With this approach, physicians will remove the fibroids, but leave the uterus intact to enable a future pregnancy.

3. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRH agonists). This approach lowers levels of estrogen and triggers a "medical menopause." Sometimes GnRH agonists are used to shrink the fibroid, making surgical treatment easier.

4. Anti-hormonal agents. Certain drugs oppose estrogen (such as progestin and Danazol), and appear effective in treating fibroids. Anti-progestins, which block the action of progesterone, are also sometimes used.

5. Uterine artery embolization. Also called uterine fibroid embolization, uterine artery embolization (UAE) is a newer minimally-invasive (without a large abdominal incision) technique. The arteries supplying blood to the fibroids are identified, then embolized (blocked off). The embolization cuts off the blood supply to the fibroids, thus shrinking them. Health care providers continue to evaluate the long-term implications of this procedure on fertility and regrowth of the fibroid tissue.

6. Anti-inflammatory painkillers. This type of drug is often effective for women who experience occasional pelvic pain or discomfort.