Having the cold or flu can just be plain miserable. A simple cold can have you end up in the hospital with an ear infection or pneumonia, while the flu can keep you hospitalized due to complications. Sometimes the over-the-counter medications aren’t as helpful as they claim and probably make you feel worse before you get better. Luckily, there are common foods that you can eat to help to prevent you from getting a flu or cold.
5 Foods That Help Prevent Flu and Colds
Onions
Although your friends and family may steer clear of you with this food, but at least the cold and flu will be at bay. Onions contain allion and allicin and it is recommended to eat serving of raw onions every few hours. If you aren’t into eating them alone, you can add some chopped onions into your meal.
Chicken Soup
One of Grandma’s age old remedies when you have a cold, but you can eat it anytime when you feel the sniffle and sneezes coming on. No one knows for sure why chicken soup works so well, but some scientist have come up with a few reasons. One is that it can raise the temperature of your throat and nose, preventing the virus to inhabit there any longer that prefer cooler, drier climates. Another reason it thins out the mucus in the nose, helping you to blow it out easier. The soup also inhibits neutropolis, or white blood cells, which are released in a huge amount when you have a cold.
Citrus Fruits
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can reduce cold symptoms. The majority of vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons. Even vegetables such as sweet potatoes, broccoli and butternut squash can be eaten for vitamin C. It is recommended only to consume about 1 to 8 grams of vitamin C as a high dosage can lead to digestive problems. Supplements can be taken if you prefer which will work just as well.
Ginger
If you do end up with a cold, ginger is a natural pain reliever and mild sedative for when you really need some rest. Rhinoviruses are the most common cold that a person will get and ginger contains the chemical sesquiterpenes that will target that type of virus. The root will also help to soothe your throat and suppress coughing.
Spices
Consuming a teaspoon of spices everyday can help ward off the flu. Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and turmeric are the best to use and add into your foods. Ayurveda, a traditional Indian medicine, recommends using the spices to help sweat out a fever if you happen to be already ill.
Have you tried any of these 5 Foods That Help Prevent Flu and Colds and have they worked?
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