If eating freeze-dried garlic slices make you feel sick, you should consider talking with your doctor. Garlic, which is in the onion family, is considered a high gas-forming food that could trigger heartburn, gas pains and other digestive problems, according to the University of Michigan Health Services. Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and painful abdominal sensations may develop for various reasons after consuming freeze-dried garlic slices.
Gas Pains
Gas pains are a common reaction to consuming freeze-dried garlic slices. Every time you eat food, your digestive system needs to break down the carbohydrates, sugars and proteins in the food to allow the body to absorb the nutrients. If your digestive system has a difficult time breaking down freeze-dried garlic, you will develop excessive gas, which can lead to abdominal pain, cramping and bloating. Bloating occurs when your stomach becomes distended because of trapped gas. If eating freeze-dried garlic causes gas pains to develop, the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse recommends avoiding it.
Heartburn and Indigestion
Freeze-dried garlic may also trigger symptoms of indigestion and heartburn. Heartburn is the result of acid reflux that occurs from indigestion. Garlic is a common food that can lead to a painful, burning sensation in your chest that is a result of stomach acid entering the esophagus. The acid causes damage and irritation to the soft tissues of the esophagus, leading to discomfort, the feeling of fullness and pain that gets worse at night. If you develop heartburn more than twice a week, you may have gastroesophageal reflux disease, also called GERD. See your doctor if you think you may have GERD.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
If consuming freeze-dried garlic causes diarrhea, constipation, nausea, stomach upset and cramping consistently, you may have a common digestive condition called irritable bowel syndrome. IBS is not fully understood, but certain foods and stress can trigger common digestive symptoms. Garlic may or may not trigger your IBS symptoms because different foods affect each person differently. If your doctor has diagnosed you with IBS, talk with her about avoiding freeze-dried garlic.
Considerations
If you develop severe chest or abdominal pain, a fever or vomiting, call your doctor. While it's rare, you may have food poisoning if you develop more severe symptoms that do not go away. Food poisoning occurs when you ingest a food that contains an infectious organism, such as bacteria, toxins or parasites. Most food poisoning symptoms subside with one to 10 days, depending on the type of infectious organism.
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