Study: Young Smokers Lured With Menthol - WebMD
 ABC News | Study: Young Smokers Lured With Menthol WebMD - By Kathleen Doheny July 18 2008 -- Cigarette makers manipulate the level of menthol in cigarettes, keeping it low to attract young smokers, then boosting it for older ones, according to a new study by Harvard researchers. Study Finds Manipulation of Menthol Levels Big Tobacco Lures Young Smokers With Menthol Cigarettes: Study |
Chinese people have known of the health benefits of raw garlic for thousands of years. In China, apart from being used to flavor food, garlic is also traditionally used in teas and folk remedies. Why? Garlic is one of nature's strongest immune system boosters, and a powerful antibiotic, digestive aid and libido enhancer. As you'll see below, these are just some of the health benefits of raw garlic.
However, while the health and medicinal benefits of garlic are numerous, it can also overheat your system if you eat too much. According to Tradititional Chinese Dietary Therapy, garlic is warm in nature and a strong stimulant. Therefore, people who have excess heat in their body should first balance their system. Excessive internal heat comes from eating too many heating foods and drinks, e.g. meat, fried foods, coffee and alcohol. This causes symptoms like red eyes, bad breath, constipation, yellow urine, a yellow tongue moss and acne. If you have these kinds of symptoms, eliminate or greatly reduce the above items from your diet for a few weeks before you start eating garlic regularly, or it will just make your body hotter and your symptoms worse.
Below are some main health and medicinal benefits of garlic. Note: To get the full health benefits of raw garlic, you have to do just that - take it raw! Commercial garlic pills, tablets, oils and capsules, especially the odorless ones, are often devoid of the active enzymes that provide the benefits. Crushed, raw garlic may be mixed into virtually any meal, or put in gelatin capsules for easy swallowing, or drunk as a tea by simply crushing 1 or 2 cloves and adding hot water. These methods may not be very appealing, but do you want the benefits or not?
Health & Medicinal Benefits of Garlic
- Powerful immune system enhancer
- Antibacterial, antiviral
- Antifungal - effective remedy for yeast infections & candida
- Clears boils & infected sores
- Improves appetite
- Digestive aid - especially good if eaten with meat
- Increases libido - take several raw cloves a day
- Expells intestinal parasites & worms
- Reduces high cholesterol
Health Remedies Using Garlic Cloves
Below are some Chinese health remedies using garlic cloves as the main ingredient. These are common, traditional ways that Chinese people make use of the health benefits of raw garlic.
Maximizing the Health Benefits of Raw Garlic
To get the full health benefits of raw garlic, whether in salads, as tea, or in capsules, it's important you eat less refined, processed and canned foods, and more foods in as close to their natural state as possible. Afterall, what's the point in taking fresh, raw garlic to improve your health while, for instance, continuing to eat nutritionally-dead, toxin-producing junk foods?
Matthew Scott is a professionally trained Chinese medicine practitioner from Australia, living in China since 2000. His website http://chinese-holistic-health-exercises.com offers classic, time-tested exercises, self-help techniques and exercise programs for stretching, strengthening, toning, energy, relaxation, pain & more.
