Health Benefits of Garlic Essay Example

Health Benefits of Garlic Essay Example Health Benefits of Garlic Paper Health Benefits of Garlic Paper In the more recent past, garlics main claim has been as a cholesterol buster (Mohammad et al. p. 4). Larry King promotes it on the radio, while colorful bottles of supplements proclaim their cardio cures from drugstore shelves: Clinically proven to lower cholesterol. Promotes healthy circulation Supports a healthy cardiovascular system. Each assertion is a promising lure for the 60 million Americans with heart diseaseand together these claims have helped make garlic one of the best-selling herbal supplements in the United States. In 2000, American consumers spent more than $61 million on the stuff. Garlics Power As a Cold-Buster: It is found from the study that the long-held belief that garlic is an effective remedy for the common cold. In the study, 146 people received either a garlic supplement or a placebo. Over a 12-week period during cold season, participants kept a diary in which they recorded cold symptoms. At the end of the study, the garlic group was way ahead, reporting 24 colds as compared to the placebo groups 65 colds. As a bonus, the garlic groups symptoms were shorter in duration (Blumenthal, p. 6). As an Artery-Saver: A great deal of garlic research has focused on the prevention of heart disease. In a study of 152 people with arteriosclerosis, researchers found that high doses of garlic powder significantly reduced the build-up of arterial plaque, a primary cause of cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes. During the 48 months of the study, researchers noted that lone-term garlic use even reduced existing arterial plaque slightly. As a Heart-Helper: Garlic has been shown to help maintain the elasticity of the aorta the main artery of the body that extends from the heart. Stiffening of the aorta occurs as a result of aging or high blood pressure and is a primary risk factor in cardiovascular disease. In comparing adults aged 50-80 who took 300mg or more of standardized garlic powder daily for at least two years to a control group, rest-archers found that aortic stiffening was significantly reduced in those taking garlic. The garlic powder used in the study was standardized for allicin, a sulfur compound that converts to allicin, long considered a primary active ingredient in garlic (Tattelman p. 103). Studies show garlic may reduce the risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Where does garlic get its clot-busting powers? Recently, scientists identified a substance in the herb called Ajoene that lubricates platelets in the blood. The more slippery platelets become, the less likely they are to clump together and form a clot, the first step to a heart attack or stroke. While early evidence continues to support garlics reputation as a blood thinner, more research is needed before experts can draw firm conclusions about the herbs role in preventing heart attack and stroke. Numerous heart-related studies have been conducted on a specific form of garlic - aged garlic extract (AGE). It undergoes an aging process that converts the odor-causing components of garlic into mild compounds that proponents claim are more stable than those found in raw or powdered garlic. Studies indicate that AGE, lowers cholesterol, reduces blood pressure and inhibits the formation of arterial plaque (Blumenthal et al. p. 23). As a Homocysteine-Reducer: In a research it was found to lower homocysteine levels, blood markers of inflammation that are considered major risk factors for heart disease. As an Antibiotic Alternative: One study found that garlic juice exhibited antibacterial activity against several germs, including certain antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Another mouse study revealed that garlic extract helped inhibit a strain of staph infection. As an Antifungal Therapy: garlic is helpful for fungal infections, particularly yeast infections and athletes foot. For yeast infections, it is recommended to eat 1-2 garlic cloves daily, crushed and taken with water or mixed into food. If one has athletes foot, tub  ½ cloves on the affected area two to three times daily. If one does not like raw cloves, then one should try capsules, gel caps or extracts (Brown, p. 51). As an Antidiabetic Agent: Research has shown that garlic is very effective as an antidiabetic agent (Eidi et al. p. 624). To Cure Warts and Corns: A study has shown that when lipid extract of garlic was applied on the feet with 1-2 corns twice a day then the patient recovered completely in just two days (Dehghani et al. p. 613).

The Social Contract and Its Impact on American Politics

The Social Contract and Its Impact on American Politics The term social contract refers to the idea that the state exists only to serve the will of the people, who are the source of all political power enjoyed by the state. The people can choose to give or withhold this power.  The idea of the social contract is one of the foundations of the American political system. Origin of the Term The term social contract can be found as far back as the writings of the 4th-5th century BCE Greek philosopher Plato. However, it was English philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) who expanded on the idea when he wrote Leviathan,  his philosophical response to the English Civil War. In the book, he wrote that in early human history there was no government. Instead, those who were the strongest could take control and use their power over others at any time. His famous summation of life in nature (before government) is that it was nasty, brutish, and short. Hobbes theory was that in the past, the people mutually agreed to create a state, giving it only enough power to provide protection of their well-being. However, in Hobbes theory, once the power was given to the state, the people then relinquished any right to that power. In effect, the loss of rights was the price of the protection they sought. Rousseau and Locke The Swiss philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) and English philosopher John Locke (1632–1704) each took the social contract theory one step further. In 1762, Rousseau wrote The Social Contract, Or Principles of Political Right, in which he explained that government is based on the idea of popular sovereignty. The essence of this idea is that the will of the people as a whole gives power and direction to the state. John Locke based many of his political writings on the idea of the social contract. He stressed the role of the individual and the idea that in a state of nature, people are essentially free. When Locke referred to the state of nature, he meant that people have a natural state of independence, and they should be free to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature. Locke argued that people are thus not royal subjects, but in order to secure their property rights, people willingly give over their right to a central authority to judge whether a person is going against the laws of nature and needed to be punished. The type of government is less important to Locke (except for absolute despotism): Monarchy, aristocracy, and republic are all acceptable forms of government as long as that government provides and protects the basic rights of life, liberty, and property to the people. Locke further argued that if a government no longer protects each individuals right, then revolution is not just a right but an obligation. Impact on the Founding Fathers The idea of the social contract had a huge impact on the American Founding Fathers, especially Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) and James Madison (1751–1836). The U.S. Constitution starts with the three words, We the people..., embodying this idea of popular sovereignty in the very beginning of this key document. Following from this principle, a government established by the free choice of its people is required to serve the people, who in the end have  sovereignty, or supreme power, to keep or overthrow that government. Jefferson and John Adams (1735–1826), often political rivals, agreed in principle but disagreed about whether a strong central government (Adams and the federalists) or a weak one (Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans) sufficed best for supporting the social contract. Social Contract for Everyone As with many philosophical ideas behind the political theory, the social contract has inspired various forms and interpretations and has been evoked by many different groups throughout American history. Revolutionary-era Americans favored social contract theory over the British Tory concepts of patriarchal government and looked to the social contract as support for the rebellion. During the antebellum and Civil War periods, social contract theory was used by all sides. Slaveholders used it to support states rights and succession, Whig party moderates upheld the social contract as a symbol of continuity in government, and abolitionists found support in Lockes theories of natural rights. More recently, historians also have linked social contract theories to pivotal social movements such as those for Native American rights, civil rights, immigration reform, and womens rights.  Ã‚   Sources and Further Reading Dienstag, Joshua Foa. Between History and Nature: Social Contract Theory in Locke and the Founders. The Journal of Politics 58.4 (1996): 985–1009.Hulliung, Mark. The Social Contract in America: From the Revolution to the Present Age. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2007.  Lewis, H.D. Plato and the Social Contract. Mind 48.189 (1939): 78–81.  Riley, Patrick. Social Contract Theory and its Critics. Goldie, Mark and Robert Worker (eds.), The Cambridge History of Eighteenth-Century Political Thought, Volume 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. 347–375.White, Stuart. Review Article: Social Rights and Social Contract- Political Theory and the New Welfare Politics. British Journal of Political Science 30.3 (2000): 507–32.