Did you ever find yourself increasing your medication dosage when you catch a cold, hoping that it would help you recover faster? In fact, eating more vegetables can aid your recovery. So what vegetables are good for treating a cold? Our editor will recommend some dietary remedies for treating a cold!
What vegetables are good for treating a cold?
1. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are rich in natural antioxidants, including not only vitamin C but also lycopene. Vitamin C can prevent colds and treat scurvy. Lycopene is a natural pigment that gives tomatoes their red color. It has a similar effect on human health as beta-carotene and is a potent antioxidant. The higher the content of lycopene in the blood plasma, the lower the incidence of coronary heart disease.
2. Carrots
Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which has multiple functions such as capturing oxygen free radicals in the body and participating in the synthesis of vitamin A. It can also enhance the activity of macrophages in the body and help fight colds. Beta-carotene is heat resistant. Moreover, when carrots are cooked and stewed, they become soft and easy to absorb by the body.
3. Garlic
Garlic is the strongest natural plant with antibacterial properties discovered so far. Allicin, a compound found in garlic, has anti-inflammatory effects and can inhibit and kill various bacteria and viruses. Adding a few garlic slices when cooking is a simple method to prevent colds. If you already have a cold or fever, eating a few cloves of garlic can alleviate symptoms such as cough, sore throat, and nasal congestion.
4. Spinach
Foods rich in iron can promote the recovery of immune cell function. Dairy products, eggs, spinach, and meat are all rich in iron. Spinach contains a large amount of dietary fiber, which is soft and smooth, easy to be smoothly excreted from the intestinal wall, and takes away toxic substances, cholesterol, and other waste products produced by bacteria.
5. Radish
The radish contains radish pigment, which may have a certain effect in preventing colds and relieving symptoms such as excessive phlegm during a cold. Here is a recommended method: chop the radish, juice it, then crush some ginger and extract a small amount of ginger juice, add it to the radish juice, mix well, and pour into warm water to make a drink.
Dietary Remedies for a Cold
1. Mulberry tea with mint leaves
Ingredients: 5g mulberry leaves, 5g chrysanthemum flowers, 3g mint leaves, 30g bitter bamboo leaves.
Instructions: Wash the ingredients with water and put them in a teapot. Steep them in boiling water for ten minutes, then drink it at any time.
Effect: This product has a cooling and refreshing effect on the wind-heat type of cold, and can also be used as a preventive tea.
2. Honeysuckle tea with mint leaves
Ingredients: 30g honeysuckle, 10g mint leaves, 60g fresh reed root.
Instructions: First boil 500ml of water with honeysuckle and reed root for 15 minutes, then add mint leaves and boil for another 3 minutes. Filter it, add an appropriate amount of sugar, warm it, and drink it 3-4 times a day.
Effect: This drink has a strong antipyretic effect and is suitable for those with wind-heat cold, fever, dry throat, and excessive thirst.
3. Three-flower tea
Ingredients: 15g honeysuckle, 10g chrysanthemum flowers, 3g jasmine flowers.
Instructions: Put honeysuckle, chrysanthemum flowers, and jasmine flowers into a teacup, steep them with boiling water, and let them sit for 10-15 minutes. Then drink it as a substitute for tea.
Effect: Clears heat and detoxifies. Suitable for preventing and treating wind-heat colds, sore throat, abscesses, etc. In addition to its therapeutic effects, this tea also has a nourishing effect on those who often have an excess of internal heat.
Dietary Taboos for a Cold
1. Avoid sweet and greasy foods.
2. Avoid spicy and hot foods such as chili and mustard, as they can exacerbate phlegm production, making it sticky and difficult to cough up, and can worsen headaches and nasal congestion.
3. Avoid grilled and fried foods.
4. Avoid strongly seasoned condiments such as curry powder, pepper, and fresh spicy powder. They have strong irritant properties and are not beneficial to the respiratory mucosa, causing dryness and spasms, leading to symptoms such as nasal congestion and cough. Therefore, they should not be consumed by cold patients.
5. Avoid eating sea fish, persimmons, smoking, and drinking alcohol.
6. Avoid irregular eating habits, as it can prolong the duration of a cold and make it difficult to treat.
