Regarding GARLIC...

[RD]

ha-ha-ha, good one Albert.

[Xtasia]

We are finding out all the time, that almost everything in moderation is good to some degree, but bad in excess.

Just because it was used in food does not neccessarily mean its acceptable or even advisable for consumption. Take for example Aspartame. It was FDA approved. Supposedly a healthier substitute for sugar, and Twenty years on the market has shown that aspartame is a deadly chemical poison that has probably caused more deaths than many wars.

Also there's the Echinicea debate...
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/42/1668_50864.htm - maybe.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medi...hp?newsid=9892 - no
http://cms.psychologytoday.com/artic...01-000035.html - yes

Now I'm not saying Garlic is in the same boat but we should definitely take the garlic debate with a grain of salt. It's definitely refreshing to hear another side of the story.

<plugs ears and starts singing lalalalalalala>

[dunl]

It's not a debate silly...he was just posting a link thinking others might wanta check out.

It's definitely refreshing to hear another side of the story.

Then no reason we shouldn't hear both, right?

Debating is fine, when civilized. RD and I have disagreed on many points, but as far as I remember, we have remained civilized most of the time. (not implying anyone here wasn't isn't, or isn't planning to be in the future. )

[reeferaddict]

I think the skepticism is because the reply from RD is from someone who stands to benefit from the sale of their products. While that may be the case, I could hardly believe that such products would be mass produced, marketed, and sold based solely on the hyperbole of hobbyists observations.

While the article could offer no conclusive proof of benefits, neither could it prove any harm - in the summary the author simply stated to use at your own risk. Personally I have used it, but have observed nothing either way in benefits or harm.

[RD]

IMO a healthy dose of skepticism is a good thing, but not if it makes one become paranoid.

A few months ago I spoke with a professor at the University of Florida in the Dept of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences, who specializes in dietary habits & nutritional disorders of fish. I was told that her dept had used New Life Spectrum (which contains garlic) "for years", as a control diet in their studies, as well as for newly arrived wild caught marine fish that are placed into quarantine, and that it "performs very well". I suspect that if they are using it for newly arrived, stressed out wild fish, they must consider it to be a very well balanced nutritional diet. The professor I spoke with deals directly with numerous marine species, has been involved in many marine fish studies over the years, and I suspect that she knows a tad bit more about the dietary requirements of fish, than the average hobbyist.

If she was at all concerned about the amount of garlic used in this food, she certainly failed to mention that fact to me.

Then again, perhaps I'm just making this all up, and the people in the link below don't even exist?
http://www.flseagrant.org/program_ar...tlas/index.htm

[Cap'n]

Originally Posted by Sushilicious

It was FDA approved.

Yet one more example of a government organization's perception being far different than their intention.

[Majestic_Aquariums]

I can attest to that-these two guy's can carry on a debate like no one's buisness, but both always have very valid evidence to back up their points-it's quite neat to see them go at it on the forums, (on a civil basis for sure) and then be able to sit down and have a beer as friends!

Originally Posted by dunl

Then no reason we shouldn't hear both, right?

Debating is fine, when civilized. RD and I have disagreed on many points, but as far as I remember, we have remained civilized most of the time. (not implying anyone here wasn't isn't, or isn't planning to be in the future. )

[RD]

Just a side note, I quit drinking years ago.



I also voluntarily removed my sig line, just so there's no confusion as to what my motives are/were for posting here.

[dunl]

That's right. As part of the oposing sides of the debate, RD usually does the cigarette smoking (non-garlic ones, if I remember), and I drink the beer.

[Bob I]

Originally Posted by Sushilicious

Take for example Aspartame. It was FDA approved. Supposedly a healthier substitute for sugar, and Twenty years on the market has shown that aspartame is a deadly chemical poison that has probably caused more deaths than many wars.

Even though this has nothing to do with garlic, I would hate for misinformation to rear its ugly head Aspartame is still going strong as we speak. Perhaps the writer is thinking of Saccharin, or perhaps Sodium Cyclamate , neither of which is a deadly chemical, but was pulled off the market due to a sugar lobby. Sodium Cyclamate was pulled off the market, but is now finding its way back in. Sugar Twin is Sodium Cyclamate BTW. In addition the FDA is American BTW.