Bear's garlic
Scientific names: Allium ursinum
Family: Liliaceae
Alternate names: Ail des Bois, Ail à Feuilles Larges, Ail des Ours, Ail Pétiolé, Ajo de Oso, Ajo Silvestre, Baerlauch, Bear Garlic, Broad-leaved Garlic, Hog's Garlic, Ramsons, Wild Garlic, Wood Garlic
Actions: Anti-inflammatory, Platelet aggregation inhibitory
Background
Bear's garlic is an herb. It grows throughout most parts of Europe and Asia. The leaf and bulb are used to make medicine.
People use bear's garlic for indigestion, intestinal gas, high blood pressure, skin rash, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
People use bear's garlic for indigestion, intestinal gas, high blood pressure, skin rash, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Safety Safety definitions
When taken by mouth: There isn't enough reliable information to know if bear's garlic is safe or what the side effects might be.
When applied to the skin: There isn't enough reliable information to know if bear's garlic is safe or what the side effects might be.
Bleeding disorders: Bear's garlic might slow blood clotting. This might make bleeding disorders worse.
Surgery: Bear's garlic might slow blood clotting. This might interfere with blood clotting during and after surgery. Stop taking bear's garlic at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
When applied to the skin: There isn't enough reliable information to know if bear's garlic is safe or what the side effects might be.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if bear's garlic is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.Bleeding disorders: Bear's garlic might slow blood clotting. This might make bleeding disorders worse.
Surgery: Bear's garlic might slow blood clotting. This might interfere with blood clotting during and after surgery. Stop taking bear's garlic at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
Effectiveness
NatMed Pro rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate.
Insufficient evidence Effectiveness definitions
- Indigestion.
- Intestinal gas.
- High blood pressure.
- "Hardening of the arteries" (arteriosclerosis).
- Skin rashes, when applied to the skin.
- Other conditions.
Dosing & administration
The appropriate dose of bear's garlic depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for bear's garlic. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
Interactions with pharmaceuticals
Medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Bear's garlic might slow blood clotting. Taking bear's garlic along with medications that also slow blood clotting might increase the chances of bruising and bleeding.
Some medications that slow blood clotting include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, ticlopidine (Ticlid), warfarin (Coumadin), and others.
Interactions with herbs & supplements
Herbs and supplements that might slow blood clotting: Bear's garlic might slow blood clotting. Using it with other herbs and supplements that have this same effect might increase the risk of bleeding in some people. Some of these herbs and supplements include angelica, danshen, garlic, ginger, ginkgo, red clover, turmeric, willow, Panax ginseng, and others.
Interactions with foods
There are no known interactions with foods.
Action
Bear's garlic has chemicals that might help protect against heart disease, by reducing blood platelet activity and lowering blood pressure.
vital.ly has licensed monographs from TRC Healthcare.
This monograph was last reviewed on 30/04/2023 10:00:00 and last updated on 30/10/2020 02:27:05. Monographs are reviewed and/or updated multiple times per month and at least once per year.
Natural Medicines disclaims any responsibility related to medical consequences of using any medical product. Effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this monograph is accurate at the time it was published. Consumers and medical professionals who consult this monograph are cautioned that any medical or product related decision is the sole responsibility of the consumer and/or the health care professional. A legal License Agreement sets limitations on downloading, storing, or printing content from this Database. No reproduction of this monograph or any content from this Database is permitted without written permission from the publisher. It is unlawful to download, store, or distribute content from this site.
Natural Medicines rates safety based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Likely Safe, Possibly Safe, Possibly Unsafe, Likely Unsafe, Unsafe, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate. For more information about Natural Medicines’ Safety Rating System, click here.
The Natural Medicines Effectiveness Ratings are assigned for specific indications. A product might be rated "Possibly Effective" for one condition, but be rated "Likely Ineffective" for another condition, depending on the evidence. For more info click here.
