Garlic can be beneficial to the body. It has some medicinal properties, one of which is boosting your immune system. It's sometimes used in supplements as a treatment for colds and other infections. But for this same reason, garlic can be harmful to people with lupus.
Garlic has three active components that may boost the immune system — ajoene, allicin, and thiosulfate. These components impact the immune system by increasing white blood cell activity. The sulfur in garlic is also known to have anti-cancer properties. It can suppress cancer cells and prevent them from developing in the body.
Garlic also has anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic, and antioxidant properties. It causes some vasodilation, thus lowering your blood pressure, improving your cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the formation of blood clots in your blood vessels.
Lupus is an autoimmune condition. That means that a person with lupus already has an overactive immune system. Since garlic helps to activate the immune system, it has the potential to cause lupus flares. You should avoid eating a lot of garlic or taking garlic supplements if you have a known case of lupus or are showing signs of lupus.
Garlic Supplements
There are several types of garlic supplements available. Different supplements may contain different compounds derived from garlic. Some examples of garlic supplements include:
- Garlic fluid extracts. It's made by soaking garlic cloves in water and ethanol for about 20 months.
- Garlic oil macerates. This supplement is made by incubating garlic cloves in oil at room temperature.
- Powdered garlic. Also known as dehydrated garlic, it's made by drying sliced garlic cloves at a low temperature.
- Steam-distilled garlic oil. As the name suggests, it's made by steam distilling crushed garlic cloves and then dissolving the product in vegetable oil.
A small amount of garlic may not have a significant effect on your symptoms. However, supplements may contain more of the compounds in garlic that can cause lupus flare-ups. For this reason, garlic supplements should be avoided.
Other Side Effects of Garlic
Eating garlic in food or taking garlic supplements might have other adverse effects on your body. Some of them include:
- Bad breathe
- Body odor
- Diarrhea
- Heartburn
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Belching
- Flatulence
- Allergic reactions (in some people)
Some people may experience serious complications — like uncontrolled bleeding — after taking some garlic supplements orally. There have been some reported cases of spontaneous bleeding and postoperative bleeding linked to garlic supplements. Also, exposing your skin to garlic for long periods of time (more than six hours) may cause burns, blisters, or skin lesions.
Talk to your doctor about removing garlic from your diet if you have lupus and suspect that garlic is causing your lupus flares.