Healing Foods for Colds
Some estimates say that people get a billion colds a year, and there are more than 200 viruses that can cause them. Millions of people get the influenza virus each year. About 200,000 people develop complications from flu and have to be hospitalized, and it is estimate that nearly 36,000 people die from flu complications every year.
Both of these viral diseases can spread easily. All it takes is close contact, whether you inhale a virus or pick it up from a surface an infected person has touched. Cold symptoms tend to last 1 to 2 weeks, with the first signs being sneezing, scratchy throat, and a runny nose; later, you have nasal congestion, cough, muscles aches, and a headache. Colds can lead to bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infections, sinusitis, and an increase in asthma symptoms.
The flu, on the other hand, hits suddenly and gives you a high fever, headaches, a dry cough, a sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, muscles aches, and an upset stomach that lasts from 2 days to 2 weeks. It may also make you feel extremely fatigued and may lead to pneumonia in some people.
Healing Foods for Colds and Flu
One reason adults have fewer colds than children do is that we build our immunity as we get older. But any time your immunity dips, you’re at risk of catching a virus. One way to stay in tiptop shape is to eat a diet full of immunity-boosting foods.
Chicken soup: Chicken soup has been used as a cold remedy for centuries. Members of the Jewish religion sometimes call chicken soup Jewish penicillin. Not only does the soup provide the fluids you need to help fight off viruses, but studies have found that it reduces inflammation, which leads to colds. In the laboratory, after exposing the samples to several diluted variations of chicken soup, researchers watched the movement of nuetrophils, the most common white cells in the blood that defends against infection. They found that the soup reduced the activity in the neutrophils, which researchers suspected lowered the activity in the respiratory tract that causes inflammation and cold symptoms. In other words, the soup can give you much-needed relief.
The researchers couldn’t pinpoint a specific ingredient in the soup that made it an effective cold fighter, so they believe it’s the combination of vegetables and chicken that soothes the symptoms. The soup they made included a stewing hen, or baking chicken, chicken wings, onions, a sweet potato, parsnips, turnips, carrots, celery, parsley, and salt and pepper. It is also recommend to add lots of garlic, ginger, and hot pepper. If you’re not well enough to cook, buy some chicken soup from the supermarket. Researchers found that even commercial soups were effective.
Citrus fruits and other foods rich in Vitamin C : When researchers reviewed 21 studies that used 1 to 8 grams of vitamin C a day, they found out that this antioxidant reduced cold symptoms by 23 percent, on average. In one study in the United Kingdom, 168 people received either a vitamin C supplement or a placebo twice a day for 2 months between November and February . Those taking vitamin C had significantly fewer colds or recovered from colds more quickly. And a group of six studies that examined runners, skiers, and soldiers who were exercising in a subarctic climate showed that vitamin C lowered their risk of catching a cold by 50%. Many experts suggest taking 1,000 mils. of vitamin C a day but it’s always good idea to get as many phytochemicals as you can from food. Try reaching for citrus fruits, bell peppers (especially red ones), broccoli, Brussels sprouts, butter squash, cantaloupe, kiwi fruit, papaya, strawberries, sweet potatoes and tomatoes.
High amounts of vitamin C can cause diarrhea in some people, so if you notice this side effect, cut back on your supplement dose.
Elderberries: These small, dark berries contain more than a dozen antiviral compounds and flavonoids that stimulate the immune system to help ward off disease. They also contain anthocyanins, which help reduced inflammation and relieve the aches and pains of a cold or the flu. A small study published a few years ago showed that 93 % of flu patients given Sambucol were completely symptom free within 2 days; those taking the placebos recovered in about 6 days. We suggest having a glass of wine or juice or spreading the jam on your bread may be even more effective. Our ancestors have been eating elderberries for million of years, so our bodies are programmed to grab those flavonoids when we eat them. Our genes also recognize the phytochemicals in elderberries that aren’t present in Sambucol or the prescription drug zanamivir (Relenza) which treats the flu.
We won’t know which is better at fighting the flu–elderberries or Relenza or
Sambucol — until they’re compared in clinical trials.
Garlic, onions, and leeks: If you want to increase the effectiveness of your chicken soup, add plenty of garlic and onions. Together they contain probably more than a dozen broad-spectrum antiseptic compounds and more than a dozen immunity boosters. They also help open the sinuses. Garlic contains one of the most potent broad-spectrum antibiotics among plants, called allicin, as do other members of the garlic family. Like chicken soup, garlic and onions have been used for health reasons for centuries. Researchers have found that garlic specifically helps keep a cold at bay. In a Finnish study, 52 volunteers were given Nasaleze cellulose extract ( a plant material) alone or with powdered garlic extract. They were told to spray it into each nostril once a day or three times a day if they developed an infection while traveling. After 8 weeks, those who received the combination of cellulose and garlic had significantly fewer infections than those who received only the cellulose. In another study, 142 people were either given a placebo or a garlic supplement for 12 weeks between November and February. The volunteers who were given garlic reported a total of 24 colds, while those receiving placebos got 65 colds. And when the participants did get the colds, the placebo group had them for significantly longer.
Ginger: Inside the shavings of a ginger root are chemicals called sesquiterpenes that specifically work against rhino viruses, the most common family of cold viruses. Ginger also contains substances that suppress coughing, reduce pain and fever. It’s even a mild sedative, which can help you rest if you’re sick with a cold. It is recommended to add a couple of tablespoons of shredded ginger root to your teacup and pour boiling water over it to make a soothing hot infusion.
Honey: The World Health Organization has cited honey as a potential remedy for colds becauseit coats the throat and relieves irritation. It also has a antioxidant and antimicrobial properities, which help fight infection from viruses, bacterial, and fungi. In one study, researchers at the PSU College of Medicine directed the parents of 105 children who had upper respiratory infections and a nighttime cough to give their kids either a spoonful of buckwheat honey ( a dark honey packed with antioxidants), a honey-flavoured -over-the-counter cough suppressant, or no treatment at all at bedtime. After just one night, the parents rated honey as the best cough relief remedy.
A WARNING, however, DON’T GIVE HONEY TO CHILDREN UNDER 1 YEARS OF AGE. It can lead to infantile botulism, a condition in which the spores in honey germinate into bacteria in the bowel and become toxic. Taking a spoonful of honey at night also isn’t something you or your kids should get into the habit of doing if you don’t have a cough, because it could promote dental cavities. If you have diabetes, use caution when taking honey.
Water and Tea: A common refrain from doctors when you are sick with a cold or the flu is “Drink plenty of fluids.” That’s because drinking the recommended 8 glasses of water a day helps your immune system function properly and keeps your throat moist so it’s easier to clear away mucus. It also replaces fluid that are lost due to a fever. Drinking tea can pack a double whammy for a cold or flu virus. Not only reducing congestion but preventing the virus from multiplying. Adding moisture to the air you breathe with a humidifier can also help with your symptoms.
Yogurt: A cool, creamy cup of yogurt can help stop a cold or flu virus in its tracks. When a virus invades your body, it multiplies, but yogurt that contains beneficial bacteria called Lactobacillus reuteri has been found to block the replication of the virus. In one study, researchers gave 94 workers a supplement reported of Lactobacillus reuteri, while 87 workers took a placebo. Those taking the supplement reported 56 % fewer colds than the group taking the placebo.
Brazil nuts, seafood, and other selenium-rich foods: Just 1 ounce of Brazil nuts contain well above the daily value for selenium, a mineral that helps boost your immunity. In fact, the average Brazil nut contains about 70 micrograms of selenium, which is why it is recommended that these nuts be a top source when you want selenium rich foods . But most nutrionists will suggest delicious lobster, oysters, clams, crabs, tuna, and cod, which also contains selenium. Your choice may come down to taste, or possibly to what your body will tolerate. Some people are allergic to Brazil nuts, and some react to seafood. In studies done on mice, researchers found that a deficiency of selenium and vitamin E can make a flu infection more severe. And researchers in Britain found that having enough selenium in your body increases the production of proteins called cytokines, which help remove the flu virus from your body.
Caraway seeds: Caraway seeds scored well for foods that help with colds and coughs. The seeds rich in limonene, which has flu-fighting properties. Sprinkle some into any cold, cough or flu tea you might be brewing.
Grape leaves and red wine: Like the beneficial bacteria in yogurt, the resveratrol in red wine has been found to stop the flu virus from multiplying once it enters your system. Laboratory studies in Rome have found that polyphenols in the wine has a strong effect on the replication of the flu virus. If you are heading to the liquor store, you may want to pick up a bottle of pinot noir from California. University of Mississippi researchers found it to have the moist resveratrol of the 11 wines they tested. You can get even more resveratrol from grape leaves, the red inner husks of peanuts, or the edible weed Mexican bamboo.
Mushrooms: The mushroom, a time-honoured tonic food and herbal medicine, has several pharmacological properties, including boosting immunity. Traditionally, mushrooms were used to increase energy and support immune function, and modern scientific studies demonstrate that those effects are real. Mushrooms work by the increasing the production of cytokines, which play essential roles in immune defenses against infection.
Black pepper: Black pepper is one of the ingredients in chicken soup that makes it an effective remedy for congestion and cough. Asian Indians gargle with a infusion of black pepper to relieve a sore throat. Taking a mixture of black pepper, ground ginger, and a little vinegar helps increase the absorption of other medicines, whether they over-the - counter cold medicines or herbal supplements.
Salt water or lemon water: Some doctors advise their patients to gargle with warm salt water to soothe a sore throat and relieve a cough. Drinking warm water flavored with fresh lemon juice and a little honey can have the same effect.
Here are some herbs that can help keep you healthy during cold and flu season.
American ginseng (Panax quinguefolius ): This herb, which if different from Asian ginseng, has been shown to help keep colds and flu at bay. In one study, 279 people in Alberta, Canada, who had had at least two colds in the previous year, were given either two capsules a day of American ginseng extract or a placebo, beginning at the start of flu season and continuing for 4 months. On average, those taking ginseng had significantly fewer colds or colds of shorter duration than the placebo group. When researchers tested Cold-fx, a standard extract of American ginseng, with seniors, they found that it reduced the risk of developing a respiratory illness by 48% and the duration of symptoms by 55%. Most people don’t treat ginseng as a food, but Asians often add it to soups (with pork more often than chicken)
Aniseed (Pimpinella ansium): The German Commission E, a government agency that evaluates the safety and efficacy of medicinal herbs, endorses aniseed for reducing phlegm. It is recommended to make an infusion by steeping 1 to 2 tablespoons of crushed aniseed in 1 or 2 cups of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes.
Astraglus (Astragalus propinquus ): This herb has been used to improve immunity in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is known for treating several viral illnesses, including colds and other upper respiratory infections, by decreasing inflammation and improving lung function. Americans rarely eat this Chinese answer to echinacea as an immune booster.
Echinacea ( Echinacea spp.): Extracts of echinacea roots have antiviral activity that fights the flu and other viruses and increases levels of properdin, a chemical in the body that strengthens immune defenses against viruses and bacteria. However, studies have been mixed about its effectiveness. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine performed a clinical trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2005, that found that three echinacea root preparations, at a dose of 900 mills. daily to protect volunteers from the cold and virus or reduce a cold’s severity or duration. Other studies have had similar results. One meta-analysis published in 2007 by researchers from the University of Connecticut included 14 unique studies. They found that taking echinacea reduced the chances of getting a cold by 58%. It had also been shown to shorten a cold.
