By Faith Mudoga,
Garlic is a common cooking ingredient. It’s a plant that
grows in the same family as onions, leeks, and chives. It’s frequently
prescribed for heart and blood system problems.
As much as garlic contains a lot of health benefits and
we’re advised to incorporate it in our diet, having raw garlic or consuming too
much of garlic can have life-threatening side effects on the body.
Can
ruin your liver
It is one of the most important organs in our bodies and it
carries out important functions like; blood purification, lipid metabolism,
protein metabolism, and ammonia removal.
If garlic is consumed in large quantities, studies have
shown that it contains a chemical called allicin, which can be harmful to the
liver and can cause liver toxicity.
According to Rana SV, Pal R, Vaiphei K, Singh K. Garlic
hepatotoxicity: safe dose of garlic, an article published in 2006; Low amounts
of garlic (0.1 to 0.25 grams per kilogram of body weight) taken daily, on the
other hand, are safe for the liver.
Aggravates
bleeding
Garlic is known to be a natural blood thinner. You shouldn’t
eat a lot of garlic if you’re using blood thinning medicines like aspirin and
warfarin.
This is because the combined effect of blood thinning
medication and garlic is dangerous, and it may increase the risk of internal
bleeding.
According to the Indian Journal of anesthesia,
anesthesiologist Priya S Pradhan says, “It is better to stop garlic consumption
at least 7 days before a scheduled surgery as garlic has antiplatelet effects
and may increase bleeding during surgery.”
Nausea,
vomiting and heartburn
As per a report published by the Harvard Medical School,
garlic contains certain compounds that can cause GERD (gastroesophageal reflux
disease).
“GERD is so common in people who are obese. Garlic lowers
the tone of that spinster that keeps food in the stomach. As a result, if
someone is obese or has other problems the food comes back up in the esophagus
and they get a heartburn.” Rajani said.
According to the National Cancer Institute of the United
States, eating raw garlic on an empty stomach might cause heartburn, nausea,
and vomiting.
Bad
breathe
As per one Italian report by Francesca Borrelli, bad breath
and body odor were two of the most common adverse effects associated with
garlic.
If garlic is consumed in large excess it can lead to bad
breathe problems. The sulfur component in the garlic is the primary source of
bad breath.
Some people who consume garlic often fail to get rid of the
bad breathe even after brushing their teeth.
Aggravates
vaginal infection
Some people have been praising and using garlic for yeast
infection treatment but gynecologists have come out strongly to disapprove the
notion.
“Certain women insert garlic cloves into the vaginas as a
remedy to treat vaginal yeast infections. This is not recommended.” Wrote Martin
Lopez JE.
If you have a yeast infection, avoid eating garlic for
treating vaginal yeast infection as it can aggravate the yeast infection by
irritating the tender tissues of the vagina.
Can
cause dizziness
Garlic use in excess, according to specialists, can drop
blood pressure and cause a variety of symptoms like dizziness.
“Some people will get dizziness especially if they get up
quickly after consuming it. This mostly happens to people who are on blood
pressure medication and especially the uncontrolled one. If you are on such
medication you have to be careful with your garlic consumption.” Said Rajani.
Induces
sweating
Garlic consumption for a long period of time has been linked
to excessive sweating in clinical investigations.
“Foods such as garlic and onions can give you what I call
“garlic sweat” due to the high concentration of Volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) they contain. Like your cabbage and cauliflower, these foods also
typically contain Sulphur.” Explained Dr Dey.
May
Induce Sweating
Garlic, according to certain research, might produce
excessive sweating in some people. Sanjay K Banerjee author of Effect of garlic
on cardiovascular disorders states that, “Sweating after eating spicy food is a
normal response, so don’t be alarmed. It is, however, your body’s way of trying
to cool you down, after the capsaicin in spicy food sends signals to your brain
telling it that you’re overheating.”
Not
good for pregnant and nursing women
Pregnant women or lactating mothers should avoid eating
garlic during this period as it may induce labor in pregnant women. Nursing mothers
should avoid it as it alters the taste of milk.
