Cold-Fighting Foods

[rtebalt]

By Dustin Driver

Guys love quick cures and the hopeful promise of scientific wonder potions. When we get sick, we reach for over-the-counter chemical concoctions. The modern miracle juice comes in a dazzling rainbow of colors — one for every cold or flu symptom imaginable. And sure, they’ll knock you out until the cold gives up, but they’re not true remedies.

If you really want to fend off the flu or kill a cold, you don’t have to look any further than your fridge. That’s right: Many foods harbor antiviral and antibacterial agents that can help your immune system slaughter nearly any nasty bug. The following ingredients can prevent infection or boost your body’s natural defenses.

Cayenne pepper and hot chilies

If your head feels like it’s packed with Elmer’s glue, skip the pills and pop a chili pepper instead. Capsaicin, the chemical that gives chilies their bite, acts as a decongestant, expectorant and pain reliever all at once. Remember how your nose, mouth and eyes ran after your friend dared you to munch on a jalapeno? Imagine the same effect when your head is clogged by a cold. Capsaicin encourages your body to thin down all that mucus so you can hack it up and get rid of it.

It may seem counterintuitive, but capsaicin does deaden nerves when it’s applied. The chemical depletes the neurotransmitter “substance P,” which relays pain signals to the brain. It also cranks up the body’s production of collagenase and prostaglandin, which reduce pain and swelling. Got a sore throat? Gulp down some Tabasco sauce.

Chilies are also packed with vitamin C. In fact, one chili can contain up to four times as much vitamin C as an orange. And vitamin C, as we’ll see, has been proven to shorten the duration of colds.

Chicken soup

Science has confirmed grandma’s wisdom: Chicken soup is undoubtedly good for a cold. But grandma knew it without holding clinical trials or applying for research grants, so what gives? Doctors at the University Of Nebraska Medical Center actually tested the cold-healing powers of chicken soup.

In fact, they used grandma’s recipe, which included chicken, onions, sweet potatoes, parsnips, turnips, carrots, celery stems, and parsley. After conducting a number of laborious tests, researchers were able to pinpoint one of the soup’s active, cold-fighting ingredients: chicken stock. The base for all chicken soups actually slows down mucus production, helping you breathe easier during a cold.

The researchers went on to test 13 different brands of store-bought chicken soup. Nearly all of them suppressed mucus production to some degree. Vegetarian versions, however, were missing the crucial ingredient.

So even if grandma isn’t around to make you the family chicken soup, grab a can of Campbell’s. The steamy broth will definitely help you get over your cold more quickly.

Orange juice
When you got sick as a kid, your mom poured orange juice down your gullet. As with most things, your mom knew what she was doing. Orange juice is great medicine for a cold. It contains tons of vitamin C, which has been more or less proven to shorten the duration of colds.

In the ‘70s, Dr. Terence Anderson and colleagues at the University of Toronto published a number of studies that suggested that taking the FDA-recommended daily dose of vitamin C (about 90mg) could shorten the duration of a cold by a day.

Other researchers and doctors, including the legendary biochemist Linus Pauling, suggested that taking up to four times the daily recommended dose of vitamin C could do wonders. More recent studies, however, have shown that mega-dosing vitamin C has no real benefits over taking the recommended dose.

So how much vitamin C is in orange juice? Depending on the brand, there are about 120 mg in one cup — that’s more than the recommended daily dose. So the next time you come down with a cold, reach for the OJ. And remember: The fresher, the better, so go for the freshly squeezed stuff if you can.

Ginger tea
If you catch the sniffles in China, you’ll likely be served ginger tea. Herbalists in the ancient country have been prescribing the stuff for centuries. They claim that ginger tea can miraculously cure colds, relieve headaches, negate nausea, and even improve circulation.

There’s evidence that ginger, taken as a tea or by itself, does have mild analgesic (pain-relieving) effects. Other studies have shown that ginger fights certain types of viruses. So a cup of ginger tea or some freshly crushed ginger mixed in hot water can ease cold symptoms and help you recover more quickly.

Garlic
The ancient Egyptians loved garlic so much that they used it as currency. Today, you might not be able to trade a clove or two for an Xbox game, but you can use the pungent plant to fight off an invading virus. Garlic contains allicin, a chemical compound that destroys bacteria and makes it seriously hard for viruses to stay alive.

A 2001 study by the Garlic Centre in East Sussex, England, found that people who took an allicin supplement were half as likely to catch a cold than those who did not. Of course, eating raw garlic or garlicky foods would have a similar effect.

Garlic is so good at fighting the flu that chemists are studying ways to refine its potent punch. Ajoene, a derivitive of allicin, slaughters bacteria and inhibits the growth and reproduction of many viruses.

How do you know you’re getting enough garlic? Try eating a clove a day, either raw or cooked in your food. But remember: Cooking does diminish garlic’s potency, so you may want to add more than one clove to your pasta sauce to get the full benefits.

food fight:
Don’t give into the temptation of buying a bottle of brightly colored cold syrup at the drugstore. Instead, dive into your fridge or your pantry and fight your cold with natural ingredients. Mother Nature has provided you with an extensive array of edible treatments that will work just as well as — or even better than — their man-made counterparts.

[redring]

I need to find foods that fight inflamation. any ideas??

[wilbe95]

Inflammation Fighting Foods I Whole Grains I Arthritis Today
This article states you should focus on whole grains.

If you are making your own breads you know if they are really whole grain. If you buy the store bread read the labels. Some bread will say it is whole wheat, but it is still processed and not much healthier than white bread. Bread that really is whole grain now has a logo that says Whole Grain Council on it The Whole Grains Council this site will help you to know the difference.

Also just an FYI, I also teach nutrition education and most of the information has been some accurate be careful of thinking that there is a “one food” item out there that will fix your health problems. MyPyramid.gov – United States Department of Agriculture – Home can be designed to fit your needs and is considered the best source for nutrition education. If you are looking for a diet-even though we do not recommend a diet-Weight Watchers is the best choice out there because it isn’t a diet it teaches you how to add the healthier foods to your meals.

Sorry don’t mean to ramble, but there are a lot of things out there and you need to be careful with whose recommendation you take as some can lead to worse problems. If you find a source on the internet make sure it ends in a .edu, .gov the others are mainly someone’s opinion and not necessarily fact. Research changes on a daily basis depending on the newest studies conducted. Be safe and if it sounds too good to be true avoid it.

Thanks for listening. 🙂

[beansthemama]

Thank you so much, this was a very helpful post!

[redring]

OH dont worry. DH just seems to keep coming up with problems that all seem to be caused by difrent kinds of inflamation. I talked to our DR about it and he dident seem worried but I would like to do somthing. I think its his diet. What he easts is awfull. He is eating whole graine bread now. I would just like to introduce foods that will help keep the inflamation at bay. in the past few years he has had inflamation of the stomach,ankle,ureathera,neack (casuses a migraine).All reaccuring, not to mention tendenites. I have introduced whole wheat bread, fresh garlic, olive oil,lots of fresh herbs,I can sneak in mushrooms here and there. He wont touch anything green but grean beans. I on the other hand I eat almost anything. 🙂

[wilbe95]

redring, does your husband drink milk? or eat other fortified dairy products? just curious. I recently did some research on Vitamin D and have seen some positive results from people increasing thier Vitamin D intake and inflammations lessening. I wouldn’t try a supplement unless the doctor is in agreement, but can increase it by eating more fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, basically the more natural a food is the better.

[redring]

he can and will drink a gallon of milk in two days if O dont complaine. He laikes cheese on anything. Rarly easts fish. He mostly wants mcdonalds all the time but I try my best to keep him away from the fast food.

[JoAnn]

redring,

Your Dh and mine could be long lost brothers (the way they eat). Minus Micky D’s he is a Burger K guy–when he can get it. But I’m the one that has that problem with inflamation (artho is not very kind to me at times). Takes it toll thur out my body…
Kim, thanks for posting on this subject. I know that I’ve gotten alot out of this posting.

[Author]

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