Three Types of People Should Not Eat Garlic
Green onions, ginger, and garlic are indispensable condiments in daily life. Some people even enjoy eating raw garlic with their noodles, not only to enhance the meal's flavor but also for its excellent antibacterial properties. Despite this, there are three groups of people who should avoid consuming garlic.
Not Suitable for Patients with Liver Disease:
Many people believe that garlic's antibacterial and antiviral properties can prevent hepatitis, and some continue to eat garlic daily even after contracting the disease. This practice is extremely detrimental to hepatitis patients. Garlic has little effect on the hepatitis virus; on the contrary, certain components in garlic can irritate the stomach and intestines, inhibit the secretion of digestive fluids, and impair food digestion, thereby exacerbating symptoms like nausea in hepatitis patients.
Furthermore, the volatile components in garlic can decrease red blood cells and hemoglobin in the blood and may lead to anemia, which is unfavorable for the treatment of hepatitis.
Not Suitable for Those with Non-Bacterial Diarrhea:
When suffering from non-bacterial enteritis or diarrhea, one should not eat raw garlic. Inflammatory conditions cause the intestinal mucosa to become inflamed, with the intestinal wall's blood vessels dilating,充血 (congesting), swelling, and increasing in permeability. This leads to a large amount of protein, electrolytes like potassium, sodium, calcium, and chloride, and fluids seeping into the intestinal cavity. The excess fluid stimulates the intestines, accelerating peristalsis and resulting in symptoms like abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Eating raw garlic in this condition will further irritate the intestines with its pungent allicin, worsening the congestion and swelling of the intestinal mucosa, promoting more fluid leakage, and exacerbating the condition. Extra caution is needed if one already has diarrhea.
Not Suitable for Patients with Eye Diseases:
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, long-term and excessive consumption of garlic can "damage the liver and harm the eyes." Therefore, patients with eye diseases should avoid eating garlic as much as possible. This is especially true for those who are in poor health or have weak qi and blood, as prolonged consumption can lead to declining vision, tinnitus, a heavy head and light body, and memory loss. For individuals with myopia or other eye diseases who are undergoing traditional Chinese medicine treatment, it is crucial to avoid garlic, as it can directly affect the treatment's efficacy. The negative impact of eating large amounts of garlic is most significant during the summer and autumn seasons.