When you catch a cold but haven’t reached the point of needing injections or medication, many people resort to self-treatment through diet, such as drinking sugared ginger tea, carrot juice, or chicken soup. But are these methods really effective? Should the foods you eat differ depending on the stage of the cold? A recent article in Taiwan’s "Health" magazine provides a detailed analysis.
The most critical factor during a cold is "eating according to constitution and timing." According to Taiwanese physician Liao Gui-sheng, who specializes in integrative traditional Chinese and Western medicine, cold remedies should change with the course of the illness. Some foods are suitable for regular conditioning, but should be avoided when there is inflammation or when you’ve caught the flu.
Early Stage of Cold:
Sugared Ginger Tea
Ginger contains gingerol and shogaol, which promote sweating and expel accumulated heat, especially older ginger with less moisture, which enhances circulation. Adding sugar replenishes energy. However, this is only suitable for external wind-cold invasion. Those with wind-heat cold should avoid it. Also, ginger promotes circulation, so avoid if there is inflammation or bleeding.
Fruits
Some believe that eating more fruits during a cold is beneficial. Dr. Liu Jianhui, a family medicine specialist at Taiwan’s T’an An Hospital, says this depends on individual circumstances. Eating fruits can supplement vitamin C, but whether vitamin C can treat or prevent colds remains debated.
Moreover, fruit juices or raw fruits are usually cold in nature and may cause bronchial constriction, worsening cough. Except in fever, they are not advisable during a cold. Especially watery fruits like watermelon and pear are cooling and may worsen symptoms like cough, runny nose, diarrhea, and cold extremities.
During Inflammation or Flu:
When experiencing symptoms like sore throat, runny nose, thick yellow phlegm, or high fever, avoid tonics like ginseng, angelica, astragalus, and sesame oil, as they may aggravate the condition. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that cold-natured fruits like watermelon and pear have cooling effects and can "extinguish heat."
Additionally, the ancient Chinese remedy "Congee with Fermented Beans" helps relieve headache and nasal congestion and can assist those with fever. Prepare by boiling the white part of green onions with fermented beans. The onion white promotes sweating, and its malic acid and phosphoric acid stimulate circulation, leading to faster sweating than ginger tea. Fermented beans provide protein.
Prevention of Cold
Radish and tea: Raw radish has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and diuretic properties, serving as a natural anti-inflammatory agent. In daily life, mix raw radish juice with honey and drink to relieve sore throat. Recently, Harvard University research found that drinking 5 cups of black or green tea daily for two weeks significantly boosts immune function, enabling the body to eliminate 10 times more cold and flu viruses compared to non-tea drinkers.
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