6 Worst Garlic Side Effects You Should Know

Garlic is really a wonder herb with many medicinal uses and health benefits. Garlic has been used for centuries so its safety is well established but like with any ingredient, if consumed in excess, it can cause certain side effects. Though uncommon, some people can also be allergic to garlic.

What Is Garlic?

Garlic is a species of bulbous plant and is closely related to our common onion. It is a perennial flowering plant that grows out of a bulb. Garlic plant has a tall stem that grows almost up to 3 feet. The plant produces flowers and is mainly of purple colour. Garlic is native to Asia and Iran but is now widely cultivated all over the world, China is the top supplier of garlic now.

Garlic Dosage:

I love garlic and consume a lot of it when added to dishes but I usually don’t go beyond 5 grams which is also the general suggested amount and it has never caused me any problems. Always use garlic essential oil mixed with a carrier oil for external applications and for internal consumption, I would suggest using plain garlic or garlic oil capsules.

For using externally, usually 1 to 2 % dilution of garlic essential oil with base oil is recommended, I would suggest starting with 1 % dilution. For internal consumption of garlic oil capsules, the recommended dosage is one 5000 mg capsule per day.

5 Top Garlic Side Effects

1. Garlic Breath:

Many of us would have experienced the embarrassing garlic breath after consuming foods that contain large amounts of garlic. Garlic breath is more strong when we consume sauteed or raw garlic compared to cooked garlic. Drinking adequate amounts of water and brushing after a meal rich in garlic can prevent garlic breath.

2. Body Odor

When our body breaks down foods that contain high amounts of sulphur compounds like garlic, it can cause body odor. Like bad breath, body odor caused due to garlic can be greatly reduced by increasing our water intake.

3. Garlic Allergy

Garlic allergy can cause skin inflammation, red welts and rashes, rapid swelling of the face and in extreme cases skin blisters and difficulty breathing. It can also cause photo allergy too. If you are allergic to garlic, please avoid all foods that contain garlic in any form.

4. Skin Burns

Garlic is one of the popular home remedies for warts. We pound fresh garlic and apply it as a poultice over the warts and it does help get rid of warts quickly but some people can experience skin burns when they apply fresh garlic. I would highly suggest doing a patch test before applying fresh garlic as a poultice.

5. Mouth Burns:

During this pandameic, many of us were resorting to natural remedies to improve immunity. A 72 year old woman started consuming raw garlic everyday to improve her immunity and within a few days she experienced severe burns and mouth ulcers. It quickly healed once she stopped consuming raw garlic so please practice caution when consuming raw garlic.

6. Drug Interactions

Garlic, especially taken in in large amounts like in the form of garlic tablets can interfere with certain medications like anticoagulants and it can also reduce the efficiency of anti aids drugs. If you are on any of these medications please mention it to your physician before consuming it in large doses.