Many times, people have asked “can you eat garlic while pregnant?” Eating garlic during pregnancy may have benefits but are there side effects of garlic during pregnancy? Continue reading this article to find out more.
Before telling you about the potential side effects of garlic during pregnancy, let us, first of all, consider what garlic is and then, the health benefits of garlic while pregnant. let’s go!
Table of Contents
What is Garlic?
Garlic (Allium sativum) is a herb that is grown all over the world and is an ingredient commonly used in many recipes. But it’s more than just a flavoring; It offers several medicinal benefits.
Garlic belong to the species of the onion genus Allium. Garlic is closely related to the onion, shallot, leek, and chives.
it is native to Central Asia and northeastern Iran and is a common condiment worldwide, with a history of several thousand years of consumption and human use. It was known to ancient Egyptians and was used as a flavoring agent for traditional foods and medicines. In ancient Rome, it was “used widely as food among the poor”. China produces about 80% of world garlic production.
As mentioned above, eating garlic has a lot of benefits for men. Also, there are many garlic benefits for women too, even for the pregnant woman. But are there side effects of garlic during pregnancy? Stay on this article to know.
How Safe is it to Consume Garlic During Pregnancy?
Garlic is safe to consume as long as it is consumed in moderate amounts. This is especially true for the first trimester of pregnancy. If you want to add garlic to any of the dishes you prepare, make sure you don’t add too much during the first trimester of pregnancy, as this could have negative effects on the fetus.
Furthermore, there can be side effects of garlic during the second trimester and third trimester of pregnancy. Therefore, you should also exercise caution during these periods as the consumption of excess garlic can lower the blood pressure and cause the blood to thin. Therefore, it is advisable to consult a doctor on how much garlic is right for you.
How Much Garlic is Suitable for a Pregnant Woman?
Pregnant women can eat up to two to four cloves of fresh garlic a day. This gives about 600 to 1200 mg of garlic extract. During pregnancy, you can also use about 0.03 to 0.12 ml of garlic essential oil. In addition to this, you can also discuss with your doctor the feasibility of taking garlic supplements while pregnant.
Now, let us see how garlic and pregnancy are related; the benefits and the side effects of garlic during pregnancy.
Benefits of Eating Garlic During Pregnancy
1. It Reduces Cholesterol Levels and the Risk of Heart Problems
Garlic is a well known remedy for heart problems. Eating garlic during pregnancy can reduce the risk of complications. Garlic in its crushed or minced form contains an allicin compound that helps balance cholesterol levels.
2. Reduces Fatigue
Garlic is also known to reduce fatigue in pregnant women. Fatigue is a common problem during pregnancy. Eating garlic can even relieve dizziness and vomiting during pregnancy.
3. It Helps Reduce the Risk of Preeclampsia
Preeclampsia is a common complication characterized by high blood pressure and high urine levels. It can cause many problems for both mother and baby. If a woman’s kidneys and liver are not functioning properly during pregnancy, or if there is a risk of blood clotting or pulmonary edema, there may be an alteration of blood flow in the placenta, which may result in delivering prematurely.
But eating garlic can help solve this problem. Eating garlic can reduce the risk of high blood pressure and also maintain the levels of protein in the urine.
4. It Can Help Fight Yeast Infections
Garlic has a compound known as allicin. Allicin is rich in antifungal properties, making it an ideal remedy against fungal infections of the vagina, such as yeast hypersensitivity syndrome and chronic candidiasis.
5. It Helps Prevent Cancer
The consumption of garlic can prevent the incidence of cancer, especially colon cancer. Eating garlic, onion, and chives can reduce the risk of cancer of the stomach and esophagus.
6. It Can Help Treat Skin Problems
The antimicrobial properties of garlic make it an ideal solution for skin infections or even oral infections. It is known that the topical application of garlic, that is, the application of garlic on the surface of the affected area in such cases provides relief.
7. Reduce the Risk of Infections
Eating foods with garlic can improve your immune system and help you fight off various diseases. By eating garlic, you can fight infections, cold or flu and also, keep your baby healthy.
8. It can Help Prevent Hair Loss
Garlic is rich in allicin, a compound based on sulfur. Sulfur is known to prevent hair loss and also promotes the growth of new hair.
Side Effects of Garlic During Pregnancy
Despite the many benefits it offers, garlic, consumed in large quantities, can cause adverse effects in pregnant women. These are some of the side effects of excessive consumption of garlic during pregnancy.
- Garlic is a natural anticoagulant. One of the side effects of garlic during pregnancy is that if you consume excessive amounts of garlic, it can cause uncontrollable bleeding during labor or delivery or a normal or cesarean section.
- Too much garlic can affect your digestive system and cause stomach problems. In this case, you should see a doctor.
- One of the many other side effects of garlic during pregnancy is that it can also decrease the absorption capacity of iodine and cause hypothyroidism.
- Excessive intake of garlic can cause low blood pressure. Low blood pressure may be beneficial for women with preeclampsia, but it can be harmful for others. During pregnancy, the blood pressure drops in the first weeks because of expanding vessels. However, when the blood pressure drops to a dangerous level, the woman’s body may go into shock and therefore lose consciousness.
- Garlic may react negatively with certain anticoagulants such as insulin, cyclosporine, coumadin, and saquinavir.
- Many women think that eating garlic during pregnancy can cause miscarriage. Although garlic has some properties that can cause a miscarriage, it only occurs when a woman consumes it in large quantities.
- If taken in excess, garlic can cause some side effects during pregnancy such as increasing insulin release and lowering blood sugar levels.
Summary and Recommendation
Garlic has many great benefits for a pregnant woman as already listed and explained above. But there are also side effects of garlic during pregnancy, especially when consumed in excess.
As a pregnant woman, you can consume about two to four cloves of fresh garlic a day which is about 600 to 1200 mg of garlic extract. During pregnancy, you can also use about 0.03 to 0.12 ml of garlic essential oil.
Again, the side effects of garlic during the second trimester and third trimester of pregnancy can be very severe. Therefore, you should also exercise caution during these periods. This is because the excessive consumption of garlic can lower the blood pressure and cause the blood to thin.
It is always advisable to consult your doctor on how much garlic is right for you so as to prevent the side effects of garlic during pregnancy.
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Just Health Care Tips.
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