What you eat when you have a cold can really make a huge difference in how you feel and can even shorten the duration of your cold.
Vitamins and minerals.
When the cold season is in full swing here are some of the best vitamins and minerals to take and how to take them.
- Vitamin C. Everyone knows that vitamin C is great to take when sick. It boosts the immunity and taking 100mgs of vitamin C regularly can prevent colds and flus. Take vitamin C in therapeutic doses of 500mg to 1000mg per day to aid in shortening the duration of the cold or flu.
- Zinc is used to make the hormones that tell the immune system to get in gear to fight colds and flu viruses. Taking small amounts of zinc at the first signs of a cold and during the infection can significantly shorten the length of the cold. There are plenty of products with zinc to fight colds on the market. Try nasal swabs or lozenges following the package instructions carefully.
- Vitamin A protects the integrity of mucus membranes and helps prevent infections. Other than taking the RDA of vitamin A in a multivitamin it is not advisable to take extra vitamin A. Just try eating foods rich in vitamin A like carrots, spinach, red peppers, and sweet potatoes.
- Calcium. Getting the right amount of calcium in the diet can help the immune system by boosting the alkalinity of the body. Viruses, bad bacteria, and other body invaders thrive in more acidic environments. Making the body more alkaline can aid in weakening the cold virus. Take no more than the RDA of calcium. For most people it is around 1500mgs. One great way to get calcium during a cold is to drink calcium fortified orange juice.
- Probiotics. Seventy percent of the body's immunity cells are in the intestines. So, it makes sense to keep the environment in the intestines nice for the good bacteria to grow there and stimulate growth of more immune cells. Probiotics in the diet promotes a healthier intestinal environment. Eat yogurt, miso, and other fermented foods.
Foods that boost the immune system.
Eating the foods listed below may help ward off colds, are tasty and just make the body feel good.
- Chicken and vegetable soup. Any broth based soup is actually a great idea. The heat will sooth the nasal passages and the throat. Garlic boosts the immune system and the vegetables are filled with vitamins and minerals. Better yet try a miso based soup. The broth not only has a few grams of protein and healing B vitamins, it also has probiotics.
- Garlic is known to have immune boosting and anti-inflammatory properties. Eat favorite garlic filled foods as much as you can.
- Decaffeinated hot teas. Peppermint tea, decaffeinated green tea, detox tea or any other flavor can help sooth the throat and inhaling the steam can moisturize the nasal passages.
- An apple a day! Make that any fruit a day. Eat lots of fruit. It is packed with vitamins and the flora in your intestines love the soluble fiber.
The copyright of the article Got a Cold or Flu? in Nutrition is owned by Samantha Rufle. Permission to republish Got a Cold or Flu? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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