Your diet has a major impact on the course of your disease. There are foods that help you heal faster.
A balanced diet can have a positive effect on your immune system – the more vitamins you take in, the stronger your immune system becomes. Even if it does catch you and you may even lose your appetite as a result, it’s even more important that you eat now. Your body needs calories and nutrients to fight off the infection.
But what does the perfect meal plan look like when you have a cold? On the one hand, you should rely on drinks and foods that provide moisture. At the same time, courts should not be too demanding. A dish with a variety of spices is less suitable, choose something nutritious and at the same time calming.
yogurt and fruit
If you have a cold, a probiotic yoghurt is useful because of its “good” intestinal bacteria. The body’s defense system is a complex network of cells, messenger substances and proteins. As is so often the case, your intestinal health plays a role here. You combine foods that contain vitamin C with the yoghurt – these are citrus fruits, berries and kiwis.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant substance that intercepts free radicals and renders them harmless. During a cold, these aggressive substances form as part of the immune response. Vitamin C then prevents the free radicals from gaining the upper hand. Instead of eating fruit for breakfast, you can get it from peppers and broccoli at dinner.
cough syrup substitute
Honey can reduce the frequency of coughs, in some cases even better than over-the-counter cough syrups. This was proven in a study related to children. There are no studies of this type (yet) in adults, but it is suspected that it looks similar. Honey consists of 75 to 80 percent fructose and glucose, which the body also uses to generate energy.
The main reason why it works so well for colds is its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. And he covers the neck from the inside. Best of all, you simply add a tablespoon of honey to your tea or porridge.
Chicken soup as a classic
Hydration facilitates the elimination of secretions. So when you’re sick, soup and broth are your friends. If they also contain protein – for example in the form of chicken – so much the better. White chicken meat contains increased amounts of cysteine, a component of acetylcysteine. The expectorant active ingredient is added to many cough relievers.
In 2000, a study was published examining how chicken soup affects immune cells that trigger inflammation at sites of infection. The cells bathed in chicken soup for the study did not migrate as much towards the simulated site of infection. Sipping soup or a hot drink, even if it’s just hot water with a little ginger, can also help clear nasal mucus and make breathing easier.
Inner warmth for dinner
Horseradish, elderflower tea and ginger are sweat-inducing – conducive to getting rid of the infection. The horseradish contains so-called mustard oils, which have an antimicrobial effect and stimulate blood circulation in the mucous membranes. This helps with a stuffy nose. How regarding a horseradish salmon bread?
Well known: the arousing ginger promotes blood circulation and thus creates a pleasant feeling of warmth. It doesn’t always have to end up in tea, but can be grated over muesli or in a smoothie or enjoyed in pickled form on bread or with fish.
Always ready: garlic and onions
You’ve already noticed that your diet doesn’t have to be that different when you have a cold. Garlic and onions are also good examples of this fact. The ingredient allicins contained in garlic is responsible for its healing effect and is considered a natural virus inhibitor.
White, yellow and red onions also relieve coughs and colds. They have an anti-inflammatory, germ-killing, antibacterial and pain-relieving effect. They also contain alliins, which act like a natural antibiotic once morest pathogenic germs, fight off bacteria and strengthen the immune system.
