Eating spicy foods such as garlic and chili can have significant side effects for people with serious illnesses or those who are on medication. It not only can render the medication ineffective but may also trigger a chain reaction with the drugs, putting the patient in danger. This is the view of Canadian medical scientist Foster, presented at the recent annual meeting of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists in Toronto.
Foster said he had seen two cases where AIDS patients were hospitalized immediately after eating garlic. Following these incidents, researchers studied and confirmed that garlic can indeed cause a chain reaction with certain medications, thereby endangering the patient. He pointed out that patients with AIDS, heart disease, and cancer should not eat garlic while on medication, as the risk of a dangerous chain reaction between garlic and drugs is highest for these individuals. At the same time, he also suggested that other spicy foods that might cause a chain reaction with medication include ginger, fennel, celery leaves, sage, dried thyme, ginger powder, and ginkgo leaves.
Scientific research has confirmed that the aforementioned foods, whether used as seasonings, herbs, or natural products, pose a danger to patients who are taking medication. Therefore, it is advised that people with serious illnesses should avoid consuming spicy foods in excess.