People suffering from eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, conjunctivitis, styes, and dry eye syndrome should best eat less of it. 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 and have weak qi and blood. Otherwise, over time, symptoms such as decreased vision, tinnitus, dizziness, and memory loss may appear.
Life Tips
In addition to eating less garlic, it is best for those with eye diseases to eat more eye-nourishing foods. The occurrence of dry eye is related to vitamin A deficiency, so it is advisable to eat more foods rich in vitamin A, such as animal liver, eggs, and dairy products. In addition, carotene or carotenoids in foods like carrots, tomatoes, and spinach can also be converted into vitamin A in the body. Some people experience symptoms like photophobia, excessive tearing, blurred vision, and easy eye fatigue, which are related to a deficiency of riboflavin and vitamin B1 in the body. They should eat more pork heart, lean meat, green vegetables, eggs, dairy, beans, fish, and brown rice to supplement these nutrients. If you have conjunctivitis or a stye, you should eat more cool fruits and vegetables like mung beans, cucumbers, bananas, and winter melon.
II. Patients with Liver Diseases
Many people eat garlic to prevent hepatitis, and some even continue to eat garlic daily after contracting it. This practice is extremely detrimental to hepatitis patients because garlic has little effect on the hepatitis virus. On the contrary, certain components of garlic can irritate the stomach and intestines, inhibit the secretion of intestinal digestive juices, and thus worsen symptoms such as nausea in hepatitis patients.
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.
III. Some Patients with Diarrhea
When suffering from non-bacterial enteritis or diarrhea, it is not advisable to eat raw garlic. Eating raw garlic will further stimulate the intestine 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, consuming garlic should be done with even more caution.
IV. Other Patients with Severe Illnesses
For healthy people, eating spicy foods like garlic and chili helps maintain long-term health. However, for patients with severe illnesses or those who are on medication, these foods have significant side effects. They can not only render medication ineffective but may also cause chain reactions with drugs, putting the patient in danger. Other spicy foods that may potentially cause chain reactions with drugs include: ginger and fennel.