Excessive Consumption of Garlic as a Nutraceutical may Lead to Transient Coagulopathy-First report

Indiscriminate nutraceutical consumption may invite troubles

Abstract

Garlic is a commonly used spice with multiple health benefits. There are numerous active ingredients in garlic, like organosulphur compounds, saponins, phenolic compounds, and polysaccharides, which can affect the various pathways in the human body through different mechanisms. The positive effects of garlic like preventing hypertension, maintaining a healthy lipid profile, decreasing body fat and many others are well known.  This one-dimensional knowledge has led people to consume garlic excessively as a nutraceutical. It is imperative to spread awareness about the potential derangements that unregulated consumption of garlic can exert on the human body so that people can strike a perfect balance and understand the safe limits for garlic consumption. We are presenting first report of a peculiar case of coagulopathy induced due to excessive dietary consumption of garlic. The features of this coagulopathy were its mild severity, asymptomatic presentation, and reversibility after cessation of garlic intake. This abnormality probably occurred due to various interactions at the molecular level between the clotting factors and the bioactive compounds in garlic. As such, intake of garlic may require supervision in patients with an elevated risk of bleeding.

Keywords: Garlic, Nutraceutical, coagulopathy, Clotting factors.