In addition to aiding digestion, strengthening the stomach, promoting appetite, and having antibacterial properties, garlic and garlic preparations also have strong effects on regulating blood lipids, lowering cholesterol, anticoagulation, inhibiting tumor cells, lowering blood sugar, protecting the liver, and enhancing immunity. Garlic not only has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects but also helps prevent and treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and cancer, making it highly favored by people. Allicin in garlic has good anti-inflammatory effects and is very effective against bacteria that cause colds and diarrhea. However, although garlic is beneficial, it is not suitable for everyone and should not be consumed daily.
I. Patients with Eye Diseases
People suffering from eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, conjunctivitis, styes, and dry eye syndrome should eat less garlic. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that long-term and excessive consumption of garlic can "damage the liver and harm the eyes." Therefore, patients with eye diseases should try to avoid garlic, especially those who are in poor health or have weak qi and blood, otherwise, over time, symptoms such as vision loss, tinnitus, dizziness, and memory decline may occur.
Life Tips:
In addition to eating less garlic, it is best to eat more eye-nourishing foods when you have an eye disease. The occurrence of dry eye is related to vitamin A deficiency, so you should eat more foods rich in vitamin A, such as animal liver, eggs, and milk. In addition, carotene or carotenoids in foods like carrots, tomatoes, and spinach can also be converted into vitamin A in the body. Some people have symptoms such as photophobia, tearing, blurred vision, and easy fatigue, which are related to a lack of riboflavin (vitamin B2) and vitamin B1 in the body. They should eat more pork heart, lean meat, green vegetables, eggs, milk, beans, fish, and brown rice to supplement. If you have conjunctivitis or a sty, you should eat more cooling fruits and vegetables such as mung beans, cucumbers, bananas, and winter melon.
II. Some Patients with Diarrhea
When non-bacterial enteritis or diarrhea occurs, it is not advisable to eat raw garlic. Eating raw garlic again will stimulate the intestines with the pungent allicin, causing congestion and edema of the intestinal mucosa to worsen, promoting exudation, and aggravating the condition. If diarrhea has already occurred, eating garlic should be done with even more caution.
III. Patients with Liver Diseases
Many people eat garlic to prevent hepatitis, and some even continue to eat it daily after contracting hepatitis. This practice is extremely unfavorable for hepatitis patients because garlic has no effect on the hepatitis virus. On the contrary, certain components of garlic can irritate the stomach and intestines and inhibit the secretion of intestinal digestive juices, thus aggravating various symptoms in hepatitis patients such as nausea.
In addition, the volatile components in garlic can reduce red blood cells and hemoglobin in the blood and may cause anemia, which is not conducive to the treatment of hepatitis.
IV. Other Patients with Severe Diseases
For healthy people, consuming spicy foods like garlic and chili is beneficial for maintaining long-term health. However, for patients with severe illnesses who are on medication, these foods have significant side effects. They can not only render the medication ineffective but may also have a chain reaction with the drugs, endangering the patient. At the same time, other spicy foods that may have a chain reaction with drugs include: ginger and fennel.