5 Cold and Flu-Fighting Foods to Boost Your Immune System
In most cases, the common cold and flu are non-threatening, but they can leave you feeling terrible, to say the least. These infections are extremely common, affecting most of us at least twice or thrice a year. This is not surprising, considering that hundreds of viruses can cause them.
This doesn’t mean that you’re helpless. When fighting the cold and flu, there’s nothing more effective than a healthy immune system.” One method to bolster this natural defense is through IV therapy for immune boost, which provides a direct infusion of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients into the bloodstream, potentially enhancing the body’s capacity to ward off infections and promote overall health.
In addition to maintaining optimal nutrition and hydration, a few other foods can be particularly helpful when it comes to cold or flu prevention and recovery. In this article, you’ll discover and learn five cold and flu-fighting foods to boost your immune system.
Table of Contents
5 Foods to Fight the Common Cold and Flu
Ginger
A rhizome or root, ginger is commonly used as a culinary spice worldwide. Its uses extend beyond the kitchen, with a long history in traditional and folk medicine. The root is packed with nutrients and bioactive compounds that give it various health benefits. It has long been touted as an effective remedy for the cold and flu, claims that are now supported by a growing body of evidence. Ginger’s health benefits are primarily attributed to unique compounds like gingerols and shaogals.
These compounds exhibit both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, which is why they help to strengthen immune function and reduce inflammatory symptoms associated with the cold and flu. Aside from reducing the severity of the infection and speeding recovery, some studies also demonstrate antiviral action against respiratory tract infections. Fresh ginger is generally thought to be most helpful when dealing with the cold or flu and can be chewed on raw, used to make an herbal tea, or added as garnishing to other foods.
Garlic
Garlic may be the last thing you want to chew on if you’re going on a date, but if you’re down with the flu, that’s not something you need to be concerned with. Naturopaths and herbalists often recommend using garlic to prevent or treat the common cold and flu, among other conditions. While not all of these claims can be validated, research shows that garlic possesses strong antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties.
Researchers believe that most of these health benefits can be traced to garlic’s primary bioactive compound – allicin. Garlic also helps to prevent and treat infections like the flu by supporting and stimulating healthy immune function. It is so effective at fighting the cold and flu that one study showed a 63% reduction in common cold infections among individuals who regularly consumed garlic cloves. It’s worth noting that the researchers also observed a reduced recovery period in the group.
Mushrooms
It’s not unusual for people to have mixed feelings about mushrooms with all those conflicting stories. Just remember that there are so many different types of mushrooms out there, and they’re not all the same. Yes, some of them are poisonous and hallucinogenic, but the edible varieties in most grocery stores are highly nutritious.
They are low in sodium and calories and contain no cholesterol or fat. Aside from their nutritional value, mushrooms are also a good source of antioxidants, beta-glucans, and B vitamins such as riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and niacin, all of which support your immune system. Researchers have also found some evidence that mushrooms may help fight viral infections. When you add mushrooms to your diet, try to mix things up, including white button, shiitake, and maitake mushrooms.
Chicken
Regarding home remedies, we generally turn to herbs and other plant-based foods for relief, so the chicken can sometimes be overlooked. You can’t be blamed for dismissing chicken soup as an old wives’ remedy because we generally associate chicken with more unhealthy forms like fried chicken. If you stick with soups and salads, though, plenty of benefits can be found. Research suggests that chicken soup may help because of its mild anti-inflammatory effect in the context of flu and cold relief. With its high protein and vitamin B6 content, chicken also has a fortifying effect on immune function.
Almonds
Because of their healthy fats like omega-3s and oleic acid content, almonds are a staple in any diet for heart or brain health. They can also help strengthen your immune function to fight off common infections like the cold and flu because of their high nutritional density. In addition to healthy fats, almonds contain protein, fiber, vitamin E, niacin, riboflavin, and magnesium. These nutrients play an important role in healthy immune function. One study hints at a more direct role for almonds as a cold remedy, as a compound in the skin was found to improve virus detection and suppression by white blood cells.
Although antibiotics can be incredibly effective when dealing with a wide range of infections, they do not help with viral infections. This makes it particularly important that you take steps to strengthen your body’s immunity. In addition to nutrition, you should also make it a point to stay physically active and get adequate sleep regularly.
