goldicedance Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 Has anyone ever been told that people with POTS should avoid garlic? If so, why?Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocugirl11 Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 UM, Yeah! I def can't have it! My Dr. didn't explain, but told me to AVOID it. So just to let ya know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lukkychrm42 Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 I don't remember exactly, but I think that garlic maybe helps to lower BP? So it can be considered good for some people, but not if yours is too low or drops. I love it and have never tried to avoid it, because it just doesn't seem like it would make such a huge difference, but if anyone out there actually does and notices a difference, I'd be interested in hearing about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yogini Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 Has there been a study done on this? Most of the advice out there is meant for regular folks who tend to have high BP. So when they say that garlic is good for lowering BP, this is how regular folks react to it. Breathing exercises and beta blockers are also generally thought to lower BP, but I have found that they have the effect of stabilizing and supporting my low BP. So unless a study has been done specifically for POTS, I wouldn't worry too much about garlic...besides, it's just too yummy for me to think about giving up!The only other thing I can think of is that heavy, garlicky meals (such as pasta) could cause pooling to the stomach or aggrevate GI problems for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 I have read that garlic lowers blood pressure, but I don't remember where. It could have been POTS literature or it could have been a nutrition book. I avoided it completely for a couple of months once, but I never noticed a change in my blood pressure or in my overall health. So I've gone back to eating garlic and I don't feel guilty about it! But, who knows, for some people garlic may have more of an effect on blood pressure. So it might be worth it to go without for a while just to see if it helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorguest Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 Garlic has some vasodilating properties and thus lowers blood pressure. I am not sure how much garlic one has to eat per day or week to have that effect, but I think if you have some garlic flavoring in your meals, it should not have an effect on POTS. I think it's like niacin situation - it causes flushing and vasodilation in large amounts, but in small amounts, it's a necessary vitamin B3. If you like garlic, there is probably no reason to give it up due to POTS, but also you may want to use it in moderation to avoid vasodilation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldicedance Posted June 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 Thanks, doctorguest. I guess that I should not continue eatting a bowlful of crushed garlic each evening. It is great for preventing colds, etc...no one wants to get near me!Just kidding...thanks for your input.Lois Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorguest Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 Lois, are you seriously eating that much garlic or are you kidding??? If you're not kidding, and that much garlic never caused problems for you, there is no reason to stop enjoying your garlic evening snacks. I am personally not a big fan of garlic - the less the better for me, same with black pepper, by the way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flop Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 I'm not a fan of raw garlic - my mum makes a hot lemon/honey/garlic/ginger drink to soothe colds etc but the raw garlic version tastes awful. On the other hand a couple of slices of warm garlic bread with pizza / pasta is really nice - I just try to make sure that everyone eats some so we smell the same the next day! I've never noticed any specific POTS symptoms related to eating garlic - maybe you have to go overboard or take strong garlic supplements to trigger vasodilatation?Flop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldicedance Posted June 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 I was just joking about the amount of garlic I was consuming. Wanted to see if someone was paying attention! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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