When is the last time you had a cold? We talk about having a cold as if it’s a single entity, but over 200 viruses can cause the common cold. No matter which one you have, colds are pesky and can make it hard to sleep or smell things for a few days. Not to mention, people steer clear of you when you’re sneezing and coughing! It’s not surprising that colds are so contagious. The viruses that cause colds can live on surfaces for anywhere from 3 hours to 2 days. Plus, studies show that if someone coughs or sneezes, you must be at least 6 feet away to avoid being exposed!
Despite so many advancements in medical technology, there still isn’t a cure for the common cold. The best you can do is treat the stuffiness, nasal discharge, and dry cough with symptom-relieving medications and strategies. Nasal sprays and decongestants can help in some cases. What you eat can make you feel better or worse too. The next time you have a cold or the sniffles, add some of these foods to your plate.
Chicken Soup
Studies show that a warm cup of chicken noodle soup, grandma’s remedy, may ease some annoying cold symptoms. Many of the symptoms we experience with a cold are because of the inflammatory response your body mounts to fight it. Chicken soup seems to calm the inflammatory response. However, there are some foods you should avoid if you have a cold or upper respiratory infection. Here are five you should know about.
Hot Tea
A study published in the journal Rhinology found that subjects who drank hot beverages with a cold reported significant improvement in nasal stuffiness and subjective measures of airflow. Therefore, they breathed easier! They also reported improvements in nasal discharge, sneezing, cough, sore throat, and fatigue. Any hot tea should help with subjective symptoms of stuffiness, but white tea is a standout choice. Research shows white tea has anti-viral activity, even more than green tea. Plus, it’s lower in caffeine than black or green tea and has a light, refreshing taste that satisfies when you’re under the weather.
Garlic
When grandma makes that chicken soup, tell her to add some garlic. According to some studies, aged garlic extract can shorten the course of a cold and relieve some of the symptoms. These benefits may arise from the ability of garlic to boost the function of immune cells that fight viruses. You want your immune system to fight it out with the virus so you can get well faster!
Chili Peppers
Spicy food might not sound that appealing when you’re sick, adding some chili peppers to a meal helps open clogged nasal passages by thinning mucus. However, you might trade one symptom for another. Once the mucus thins out, you may end up with a runny nose instead! According to one study, an extract of capsaicin (the active ingredient in chili peppers) may quiet a dry cough too. The spicy nature of capsaicin may desensitize the cough receptors that make you keep hacking with a cold!
Honey
Another way to calm a pesky cough is with two teaspoons of honey. In fact, you can add it to hot white tea for even more cold-relieving power. In fact, research shows that honey relieves cough as well as a prescription ingredient in cough medications called dextromethorphan. This is an appropriate treatment for adults and children age 1 and older. Avoid giving honey to younger children as their immature immune system places them at higher risk of infant botulism if they consume honey that contains botulism spores.
Ginger
The spicy kick of ginger may help open up your nasal passages temporarily, but this anti-inflammatory spice has other benefits when you have a cold. Some research shows it thwarts the ability of viruses to bind to tissues and seems to fight a certain virus called human respiratory syncytial virus, one cause of the common cold. Why not make tasty, hot ginger tea with honey or nibble on crystallized ginger?
Foods to Avoid
Hydration is essential if you have a cold, especially if you’re running a fever. Plus, staying well hydrated helps thin out mucus so you breathe easier and are less stuffy. Therefore, don’t drink alcohol and limit the caffeinated beverages you drink such as soft drinks or energy drinks. Studies show that caffeinated beverages like coffee don’t lead to a negative fluid balance in moderation, so you don’t have to avoid coffee in moderation. Make sure you’re eating enough water too!
Stick to whole, unprocessed foods, including vitamin C–rich produce. There’s no evidence that vitamin C prevents the common cold, but some studies suggest it may shorten the duration of a cold by a day or two. When you’re sick, you need nutrient-dense foods. So, avoid junk food, refined carbs, and foods with added sugar. Give your body the nutrients and micronutrients it needs to heal and protect you against future encounters with cold viruses.
The Bottom Line
Don’t forget to get lots of rest too! Lack of sleep suppresses your immune system by boosting the release of the stress hormone cortisol. So, it can delay healing from a cold and increase your risk of getting another one. Common sense matters for preventing colds. Stay away from sick people, wash your hands frequently, exercise but don’t overdo it, and get seven or more hours of sleep each night. It won’t guarantee that you never get another cold, but it will lower your odds of the sniffles and the sneezes that make their rounds in the winter. Plus, you need healthy habits to lower your risk of chronic diseases too.
References:
- Science Daily. “New Study Supports Chicken Soup As A Cold Remedy”
- 2008 Dec;46(4):271-5.
- Science Daily. “White Tea Beats Green Tea In Fighting Germs”
- org. “Infant Botulism”
- Fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale) has anti-viral activity against human respiratory syncytial virus in human respiratory tract cell lines.” J Ethnopharmacol. (2013).
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