Many people believe that any type of cold can be cured by sweating, so they choose to drink ginger soup to induce sweating. However, this method does not always work because colds can be categorized. So, is it effective to drink ginger soup for wind-heat colds?
Can you drink ginger soup for wind-heat colds?
It is not recommended to drink ginger soup for wind-heat colds.
Wind-heat colds refer to a syndrome caused by the invasion of wind and heat pathogens, resulting in symptoms such as yellow nasal discharge, high fever, and sore throat. Generally, heat-clearing and surface-relieving drugs are used to treat wind-heat colds. However, ginger soup, made from boiling ginger, is a diaphoretic and surface-relieving drug. Its main effects are warming the middle burner and stopping vomiting, as well as inducing sweating and relieving surface symptoms. Therefore, it is not recommended to drink ginger soup for wind-heat colds.
The drawbacks of drinking ginger soup for wind-heat colds
If a person with a wind-heat cold already has symptoms such as fever, sore throat, runny nose, and sweating, drinking ginger soup may lead to excessive sweating (possibly dehydration), persistent high fever, and worsening of sore throat. This is because ginger soup warms the middle burner and dispels cold, which only aggravates the heat syndrome of wind-heat colds.
What to eat for wind-heat colds
Banlangen Tea
Ingredients: 15g Banlangen, 6g Qianghuo, 3g green tea.
Method: Wash Banlangen and Qianghuo, then cook them with green tea in a pot. Boil over high heat, then simmer for 10 minutes over low heat. Drink the decoction as tea.
Effects: Banlangen disperses wind and relieves the surface; Qianghuo dispels cold and dampness. As an adjuvant to Banlangen, this tea is suitable for various symptoms of wind-heat colds.
Fermented Black Bean Rice
Ingredients: 60g fermented black beans, 100g glutinous rice, a suitable amount of refined vegetable oil.
Method: Rinse the glutinous rice thoroughly and soak it for 30 minutes. Heat the oil in a wok, add fermented black beans, glutinous rice, and an appropriate amount of water, then cook until the black bean rice is done.
Effects: Fermented black beans relieve the surface and clear heat, making them suitable for wind-heat colds.
Precautions for wind-heat colds
1. Avoid spicy foods such as chili, pepper, and Sichuan peppercorn, as they are more warming and heating than ginger, which is not suitable for wind-heat colds.
2. Avoid foods that tonify yang, such as lamb and dog meat, as these foods are warming and yang-tonifying, which is not beneficial for wind-heat colds that require heat dispersion.
3. Try to eat less warm fruits such as lychee and longan, as their properties are similar to ginger.
