Garlic is an herb known for its strong flavour, commonly used in cooking and grown around the world. As an alternative medicine, it has also been used to treat various health conditions, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even prostate cancer, among others.
Indeed, the health benefits of garlic, along with its versatile role in food preparation, makes it one of world’s most popular herbs. However, people are cautioned against consuming too much garlic, specifically raw garlic, as it can have harmful side effects on the body.
What are the health risks associated with excessive consumption of garlic? Keep on reading to know more about these possible dangers:
1. Bad Breath
If you eat too much garlic, the first obvious effect would be bad breath, which is mainly caused by the sulfur compound contained in the herb. In fact, “garlic breath” has been known to linger inside the mouth, even after brushing!
2. Skin Irritation
Have you ever noticed how your skin becomes red after peeling and chopping lots of garlic? This is because certain enzymes in the garlic may cause skin irritation, leading to rashes and a “hot” sensation quite similar to a burn.
3. Heartburn, Nausea, and Vomiting
Studies have shown that excessive consumption of garlic may cause gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in some individuals. Likewise, there have also been reports of people experiencing heartburn, nausea, and vomiting after eating fresh garlic on an empty stomach.
4. Headaches and Migraines
Consuming raw garlic may trigger headaches and migraines. Some experts believe that this could stimulate the trigeminal nerve — a major cranial nerve, that, if triggered — signals certain molecules to rush to the membrane that covers the brain, thus causing headaches.
5. Vision Changes
Studies have shown that excessive intake of garlic may lead to hyphema, a condition that involves bleeding inside the eye chamber and causes vision changes. If left unchecked, this condition could ultimately lead to permanent vision loss.
6. Diarrhea
Garlic is known to have gas-forming compounds such as sulfur. As a result, eating too much garlic, especially on an empty stomach, may cause diarrhea.
7.Digestion Problems
Excessive consumption of garlic could irritate a person’s gastrointestinal tract, thus leading to stomach and digestion problems.
8. Low Blood Pressure
As mentioned earlier, garlic has been used to treat high blood pressure. However, if a person is already taking blood pressure medications, consuming too much garlic may lead to hypotension or low blood pressure instead.
9. Internal Bleeding
Garlic is known to be a natural blood thinner. However, if it is consumed in large doses, along with blood-thinning medications (e.g. warfarin, aspirin, etc.), this could lead to internal bleeding, which is dangerous indeed!
10. Liver Damage
Studies have shown that eating too much garlic may affect the liver and even cause liver damage. Hence, it should be consumed only in small amounts or doses.
Despite the numerous health benefits of garlic, the above list shows that excessive intake of it poses certain risks to the body. As with most other herbs, garlic should be consumed in moderation, whether as a food ingredient or as an alternative medicine.
Ginger is a leafy-stemmed plant whose roots are the source of ginger spice, a flavoring agent used in numerous food and drink preparations. It is native to many parts of Asia, and is also now grown in parts of Africa, South America, and the Middle East region.
Aside from being a food and beverage ingredient, ginger is used as a treatment for common ailments, such as nausea, inflammation, menstrual cramps, osteoarthritis, migraines, diabetes, and other conditions. However, the excessive intake of ginger has been known to cause some side effects. Keep on reading to learn more about the possible dangers of ginger.
1. Mouth Irritation
Certain food items, like ginger, may cause allergies — also referred to as Oral Allergy Syndrome. This involves allergic reactions like itching, swelling, and irritation of the mouth, which eventually leads to an unpleasant taste.
2. Skin and Eye Irritation
Other possible allergic reactions to ginger are itchy eyes, skin rashes, and skin inflammation. If you find yourself exhibiting such reactions, it’s time to check your ginger consumption!
3. Gas and Bloating
Have you ever tried drinking ginger ale, only to experience some bloating later? This is because ginger has been known to affect the upper digestive system, which consequently leads to upper digestive gas and bloating.
4. Upset Stomach
When taken on an empty stomach, ginger may cause excessive gastric stimulation, which leads to digestive stress as well as an upset stomach. This could be due to gingerol, an active ingredient in ginger that may cause stomach irritation.
5. Diarrhea
Speaking of gingerol, this active ingredient is also known to accelerate the passage of food through the gastrointestinal tract. Hence, if you consume too much ginger, you may experience diarrhea sometime later.
6. Heartburn
Some people use ginger as an alternative medicine. However, if taken in higher doses, ginger may cause mild heartburn as a side effect.
7. Low Blood Sugar
As mentioned earlier, ginger has been used to treat diabetes since it can lower blood sugar levels. However, if you already take diabetes medication regularly, consuming too much ginger may lead to hypoglycemia or extremely low blood sugar instead.
8. Bleeding
Ginger is known to have anti-platelet or blood-thinning properties. As a result, consuming too much ginger may lead to excessive bleeding, especially if taken along with garlic, clove, ginseng, and other herbs.
9. Aggravated Heart Conditions
If you take blood pressure medications, try to avoid consuming too much ginger as this could cause heartbeat irregularities and aggravate heart conditions.
10. Unsafe for Pregnant Women
Some gynecologists say that excessive consumption of ginger may increase the risk of miscarriage, while causing other conditions like heartburn and acid reflux. To be on the safe side, avoid consuming too much ginger if you are pregnant.
Although ginger has been used as a food ingredient and alternative remedy for a long time, consuming too much may lead to certain side effects, as discussed above. If you experience any of these side effects, then it’s time to watch and limit your ginger consumption.
