Garlic + Stomach

Fancy learning the how and why garlic can cause stomach ache? Read on.

Have you ever experienced a stomach ache after eating garlic?

When eating garlic, some people may experience abdominal discomfort or severe pain.

Adding too much garlic to your food can actually have some side effects such as nausea, cramps, vomiting, and other digestive acids issues.

This often happens to people with sensitive stomachs or having irritable bowel syndrome.

If you typically eat four to five cloves of garlic per day, be aware that it may upset your stomach.

At the very least when eating raw garlic it will give you bad breath.

I took a cooking class in Rome, and I learned an interesting fact from my Italian instructor. He informed us that if you eat the middle green part of garlic, that it will make your stomach gurgle and feel unpleasant.

So, now every time I cook garlic, I always remove the middle sprouting part.

To remove the green sprouting part, cut the garlic in half-length wise and then peel out the middle. The end result should look like this…(image below).

For the purpose of this post, we will talk about garlic allergies

How to fight garlic allergy or Intolerance?

Many adults, do suffer from asthma that are caused by short exposure to certain types of chemicals, dust and pollution during their daily lives.

Does garlic make you gassy?

I know a few of my friends that suffer from it. After a few hours upon starting their digestion, they literally pass gas, others straight with bombastic sounds, surrounded by odors.

Some people when eating at restaurants or friend’s houses they may consume foods that are very high in fructans which you wouldn’t know or thought about it.

So, always ask if you don’t know how you will respond to it.

How to relieve stomach pain from garlic?

To relieve pain if you are among the people with sensitive stomachs, do not cook the green sprout inside the clove.

Why?

That is because a chemical reaction takes place specially when its old. It can be a bit bitter so like we said above, split the clove in two and pull it out.

In France, the garlic is often used fresh or aka (in French )“L’ail sec”and not dried. Avoid to keep the cloves of garlic for too long, as a green germ grows inside and that is why the bitter sprout will trouble your stomach.

Must be removed before any type of cooking.

As with all food intolerances, garlic symptoms are highly different from person to person. But all can be avoided.

Be aware if you are asthmatic with frequent shortness of breath when closely exposed to raw garlic. The reason being is: dust. You walk through a market or supermarket alley, and suddenly you feel tired and/or have some difficulty to breath.

This may trigger a serious asthma attack and can quickly escalate if not treated due to other types of dust around you.

Can garlic be poisonous for some people?

Not exactly. However, a potential complication from a garlic allergy is anaphylaxis. That could be triggered even with small amounts. Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially fatal allergic reaction. But be reassured this is quite rare.

A very low percentage of humans will suffer from anaphylaxis (thanks God for that) which can be caused by garlic allergy. Experts say that it’s more likely to occur from exposure to raw garlic bunches.

To sum up:

If you are asking: is garlic hard on your stomach? Does garlic cause digestive problems?

The short answer, as we have learned above, is yes, garlic can create all sorts of trouble for people with sensitive stomachs. Be aware, if you have small or large intestinal problems.

Kids or adults with severe allergies, or people with severe respiratory problems, should stir away from it. Avoid market places.

The foodies know that garlic can improve the taste of food when added to it, resulting in amazing flavors. In many cases, it is know to us that it can bring health benefits to certain groups of people.

Bonus tip:

You can read on Dr.Axe’ post and discover how to create some natural home remedies. To fight this unwanted and nasty condition.

What are your thoughts on garlic in general? Do you have any intolerances or digestive issues? Example: reflux, bloated, bloating gas, etc.

Please share your experience or pass it on, so others can learn from it.

Related post:

• Garlic Health Benefits
• Garlic (plant)