Garlic Allergy
Some Interesting Facts About a Garlic Allergy
Garlic does have many different health benefits, from preventing some forms of cancer to lowering blood pressure, but for some people eating garlic means triggering their garlic allergy. People reporting all of the benefits of garlic rarely suggest that they do not apply to everyone who eats garlic. But, there are some people who eat garlic and it makes them very sick.
People with allergies to foods, such as soy, gluten or milk products can generally go to a health food store and find substitutes that are edible. It might be a drag to be a kid and not be able to eat certain cookies, for example, but there are also gluten-free cookies to be found and even bags of gluten-free flour with which to make homemade cookies.
The problem with having an allergy to garlic is not so much that you can’t avoid cloves of garlic. You can do that by just not buying them. But garlic and onions are used as a flavoring in many, many foods, and much of the time they are not even listed as separate ingredients because they are under the cover-all label of “natural flavorings.”
Garlic can also fall under the broad label of spices. For instance, catsup and tomato soup often contain garlic with no mention of it on the label. Garlic is not one of the substances specified by the USDA as one that has to be mentioned on packaging, such as peanuts or soy. Garlic as a substance by itself must be listed on labels, but this requirement to list garlic can be skirted by using garlic oil, as this product does not have to be specified.
Just about every spaghetti sauce contains garlic, as does chili powder, pickles, mustard, processed meats, soups, chips, popcorn, bread and many other foods. People who are allergic to garlic are allergic to onions and vice-versa. Onions are also contained in just about any product imaginable, even if it is also obscured under flavorings.
The thing is, if you are allergic to garlic and onions, the results can be severe. For instance, it can trigger the inability to breathe in people with asthma. It can cause blistering of the skin, rashes and swelling. People with these reactions need immediate treatment at an emergency room.
But a garlic allergy is not always as easy to identify. That’s because its symptoms are the same as those for many other conditions. These can include nausea, headaches, cramping, gas, diarrhea, bloating, etc. These symptoms cause many people to take an over the counter remedy for indigestion and not even think about having a garlic allergy.
If you do have an allergy to garlic and onions, you are not alone. It is suspected that in the United States alone, one in every fifteen hundred people has a garlic allergy. So, if you are experiencing any of the symptoms we listed above, it might be because you are allergic to garlic. Talk to your doctor or medical professional about getting an allergy test.