Remedy for Garlic Allergy

If testing has determined that you’re allergic to garlic--or even if you have negative symptoms after eating garlic--the best thing you can do is to avoid it all together. This proves to be difficult, though, unless you do all of your cooking at home. Most restaurant dishes and processed foods contain garlic, even if it’s just a small amount. Consider trying some supplements, herbs and lifestyle changes to help avoid and manage problematic symptoms of ingesting garlic.

Lifestyle Changes

• Avoid garlic when possible. Symptoms of a garlic allergy range from stomach problems to skin rashes. If you suffer from asthma, exposure to garlic could also exacerbate your asthma symptoms. If you don’t necessarily suffer from an allergy to garlic you might still experience flatulence or heartburn if you’re garlic sensitive.

  James Balch and Mark Stengler, authors of “Prescription for Natural Cures,” suggest varying your diet, as too much of one particular food could encourage the development of allergies or sensitivities. In addition, drink a glass of water every two hours you’re awake to help flush out allergens--in this case, garlic.

  If you have an allergic response to garlic, detoxify your body with a 24-hour juice cleanse. If you suffer frequent attacks, do a one to three day juice cleanse every three months.

Herbs and Supplements

• To reduce your allergic response to garlic, Chrystle Fiedler, author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Natural Cures,” suggests using anti-inflammatory supplements such as bromelin to reduce garlic allergy symptoms. Fiedler suggests taking 500 mg twice a day. If you’re worried about garlic’s effects on your digestive tract, take bromelin with a meal. If you’re experiencing a reaction to garlic, take bromelin 20 minutes before or after a meal for its anti-inflammatory effects.

  Fiedler also says that your garlic allergies--and other food allergies--might be caused or exasperated by a deficiency in digestive enzymes. To increase stomach acid, take betaine hydrochloric acid (HCl). Balch and Stengler recommend taking one to two capsules of HCl with each meal, particularly one that contains garlic.

  Quercitin has anti-allergy properties. Take 500 mg three times a day. In addition, L-glutamine repairs the lining in the small intestine and improves nutrient absorption. Take 500 mg three times a day.

  The bioflavonoids found in vitamin C might reduce your garlic allergy symptoms. Take 1,000 mg three times a day.