The following foods help fight symptoms like coughing and sneezing and boost the immune system.
Environmental cold, weak defenses (often due to poor diet), stress or lack of rest favor the onset of colds and flu.
It is shown that the feed It is a shield against respiratory infections. The following foods help fight symptoms such as coughing and sneezing and boost immune systemkeeping colds and flu at bay.
1. Onion: antiseptic action
Contains sulfur compounds with antiseptic properties, making it another good remedy for the winter cold. During these days, you will be especially comforted by a hot onion soup for dinner.
2. Orange juice: you catch fewer colds
You’ll do better if you include citrus fruits in your menus. Orange or mandarin are fruits rich in vitamin C which, although they do not prevent catching a cold (as many believe), stimulate the defenses, which helps your body to be stronger and ready to defeat him.
3. Honey: calms coughs
Honey has always been used to relieve sore throats and, mixed with milk or lemon, to soothe coughs.. Although according to a recent study, it can be as effective as antitussives (against cough) with the advantage of not having adverse effects. However, it is not recommended for children under one year old due to the risk of botulism.
4. Chicken broth: remedy against mucus
Poultry broth or chicken soup is not only comforting in catarrhal states. Drinking fat-free broths helps prevent dehydration, improves nasal congestion and promotes the elimination of mucus. In addition, according to the Mayo Clinic (USA), hot liquids help reduce throat inflammation.
5. White meats and whole grains: they shorten the cold
Apparently, taking 75mg of zinc a day seems to help reduce the duration of colds by 20-40%.. Keep in mind that the foods richest in this mineral are white meat, shellfish, fish, nuts, whole grains and legumes. Include them in your diet.
6. Legumes: stimulates the defenses
Legumes such as chickpeas provide vitamins B6, B12 and B9 (folic acid) which participate in the formation of DNA and proteins involved in the immune system. And its role is so decisive that recent studies have shown that, for example, a vitamin B6 deficiency reduces cellular immunity in healthy elderly people, while if this deficiency is replaced, the defenses normalize.
7. Probiotics: taking care of the intestinal microbiota
The yogurtthe kefirthe fermented cabbage or the miso They contain lactic acid bacteria (lactobacillus) which maintain the balance of the intestinal bacterial flora and which could help reduce the intensity of cold symptoms, as observed in a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
8. Water: hydrates the mucous membranes
If you are not hungry when you have a cold, for the first two days you do not need to eat a lot of solid foods, but you should eat liquids such as juices, purees or ready made soups home. Yes it is essential that you drink enough fluids (8 to 10 glasses of water) to facilitate the elimination of mucus and hydrate the mucous membranes.
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