Garlic to the Rescue??

Day: 330

Goal: Get to the bottom of why I feel so sick today!!

Ok, so today I felt like total (earmuffs) SHIT!! I could barely standup at work… I was dizzy, nauseous, achey, and weak. Ben kept asking me if I was pregnant… what a joke. I think it was quite possibly one of the worst “girly” days I’ve ever had… at least sense I was really young and would have to stay home from school and stuff. It was so bad, that I’ve decided there had to be a catalyst to the effects. The only thing I could come up with though was the fact that I consumed an abnormal amount of garlic the past two nights. Like, kind of, an amount that is inhuman. I really don’t know how it could be safe now that I think about it… something like 8 cloves!! (What can I say, I cooked a potent Italian dinner one night and Leslie kept the ball rolling with the Italian theme the very next night). I decided to do a little research, and here’s what I found:

Side Effects of Garlic - for the Consumer (from Drugs.com)

Garlic

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Garlic:

Burning of the mouth, stomach, and throat; changes in the menstrual cycle; lightheadedness; nausea; sweating.

Garlic (From the University of Maryland Medical research center)

Precautions:

The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the body and treating disease. Herbs, however, contain components that can trigger side effects and that can interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, herbs should be taken with care, under the supervision of a health care provider qualified in the field of botanical medicine.

Garlic is considered to have very low toxicity and is listed as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Side effects from garlic include upset stomach, bloating, bad breath, body odor, and a stinging sensation on the skin from handling too much fresh or dried garlic. Handling garlic may also cause skin lesions. Other, more rare side effects that have been reported by those taking garlic supplements include headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle aches, dizziness described as vertigo (dizziness), and allergies such as an asthmatic reaction or contact dermatitis (skin rash).

Garlic has blood-thinning properties. This is also important to know if you are going to have surgery or deliver a baby. Too much garlic can increase your risk for bleeding during or after those procedures.

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So I think it’s pretty safe to say that the Garlic probably did have some affect on the way I was feeling. I’m normally a huge advocate of the “garlic for health” revolution, and I still am, but now I have to say that one must cautiously proceed with garlic consumption! There is such a thing as too much of a good thing! (Especially if you’re already and anemic girl, who’s on her cycle, and has a tendency to be slightly dramatic in cases of bodily discomfort…)