Can You Get Food Poisoning From Garlic?

Every year, about 48 million people in the United States eat something that makes them sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Produce is a common cause of food poisoning, but garlic poisoning is more likely to occur due to poor handling at home.

Causes of Food Poisoning From Garlic

While not as common a culprit of foodborne illnesses as, say, leafy greens or undercooked meat, it is possible to get food poisoning from garlic.

Garlic poisoning is more often caused by poor handling of the root vegetable at home, according to Michigan State University.

Garlic-flavored oil may be a staple in your kitchen, but if you're preparing your own at home you may place yourself at risk of botulism. Spores of Clostridium botulinum are found in soil and may inadvertently contaminate your bulb of garlic. These spores are harmless when exposed to oxygen, but they thrive in an oxygen-free environment at temperatures of 50 degrees Fahrenheit and above.

Homemade garlic-flavored oil stored in a kitchen cupboard is the perfect environment for the growth of this dangerous bacteria. Furthermore, the bacteria are odorless and tasteless, so there's no way to know until after you've gotten sick.

If you make your own garlic oil, Michigan State University recommends you keep the oil in the refrigerator and discard it after four days. If garlic oil is kept at room temperature for more than two hours, throw it away to prevent the risk of food poisoning.

Signs and Symptoms of Botulism

Botulism poisoning is very rare, according to Mayo Clinic, but can occur through a few means.

Along with homemade garlic-infused oil, home-canned foods and potatoes cooked in foil and allowed to cool are potential sources of foodborne botulism. Infant botulism is the most common type of botulism and occurs when spores are ingested (from honey, dust, or soil) and grow in the baby’s intestines.

Botulism poisoning is serious and requires immediate medical attention. The toxin affects your nervous system and muscle control and can be deadly if it affects your respiratory system.

Symptoms of foodborne botulism from include:

• Dry mouth
• Problems swallowing or talking
• Blurry vision
• Difficulty breathing
• Paralysis
• Facial weakness or droopy eyelids
• Nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal cramps

Seek medical attention right away if you suspect you may have botulism. Symptoms from foodborne botulism usually develop within 12 to 36 hours of ingestion, according to Mayo Clinic.

Treatment includes an antitoxin injection, which lowers the risk of complications. Because of the effects the toxin has on your nervous system and muscles, rehabilitation may be needed to restore function.

Other Causes of Stomach Pain from Garlic

Garlic contains fructans, which are a type of fiber that can be difficult for some people to digest, particularly those with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to Monash University. In these individuals, when fructans are digested in the gut, they can produce gas, bloating, pain, and other IBS symptoms.

However, IBS can affect everyone differently, so while garlic can be a trigger for some people, individuals’ tolerance can vary.

Other reasons you might get sick from garlic include an intolerance or allergy. Garlic is an uncommon food allergy, notes Cleveland Clinic, but can occur if your immune system mistakenly detects garlic as harmful. This can cause symptoms like difficulty breathing or a skin rash. Garlic intolerance is more common and originates in the digestive system. Symptoms can include bloating, gas, abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea.

If you have a garlic allergy, you’ll need to avoid it entirely. If you come in contact with it accidentally, antihistamines can reduce symptoms, and emergency epinephrine may be needed to prevent anaphylaxis, a severe life-threatening reaction.

Doing your best to avoid garlic will also help prevent unpleasant GI symptoms if you have a garlic intolerance.

Talk to your doctor if you take these steps and still experience unexplained digestive symptoms like frequent diarrhea, gas, and bloating so they can help you figure out the cause and appropriate treatment.