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Fruits To Eat & Avoid During Cough & Cold
The cold climate can be a lot of fun with Christmas, but it can also make us sick. Here we discuss the fruits to avoid during cough and cold as well as fruits to eat during cough and cold.
Overview
Catching a cough or a cold always gets the spirits low. To get one’s feet on the floor faster than usual, one should take note of the fruits that help the body fight off the irritable condition. The question ‘What fruits can we eat during cold and cough?’ can linger in your head when you are experiencing either cough or cold or both.
Therefore, this article has grouped fruits that benefit our body’s fight against the common cold and cough. Let us find out what fruits to avoid during cough and cold!
Foods to Eat During Cough and Cold
Lemons
Perhaps the most readily available vitamin C-rich fruit on the market is the good old and humble lemon. Lemons contain Vitamin C, which protects the body from cough and cold infections. Lemons are therefore essential to increase the body’s immunity against a host of common ailments. Lemons also aid the body in repairing DNA and produce adequate amounts of serotonin. When one is down with a cold and cough, it is recommended that the subject takes lemon juice mixed with lukewarm water and a little honey.
Pineapples
This not-so-popular seasonal fruit is a dynamite stick in fighting a person’s cold and cough conditions. This is because pineapples contain the enzyme called ‘bromelain’. This potent anti-inflammatory agent can break down mucous due to its mucolytic properties. These characteristics of bromelain are enough to make the pineapple a must during episodes of cough and cold.
Pomegranate
Pomegranate juice contains vast amounts of the antioxidant’ flavonoid.’ Flavonoid is very useful in stopping the growth of viruses inside the infected human being. Studies show that daily intake of pomegranate juice may decrease the chances of a lengthy bout of cough and cold by almost 40%. Along with this, pomegranate juice is full of anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. No wonder it is one of the fruits to eat during cough and cold.
Bananas
Bananas come in handy while tackling cases of cough and cold to a great extent. When the body experiences cough and cold, as well as tendencies of vomiting and nausea, eating bananas can significantly reduce the chances of deterioration of the symptoms. Bananas come under the umbrella term ‘BRAT’, short for banana, rice, applesauce, and toast. This acronym indicates the ideal diet type for a person suffering from cough and cold. Bananas supply crucial nutrients to a sick body and help in the speedy recovery of the same.
Kiwi
This less popular fruit is one of the hidden surprises in this list. Kiwis are excellent sources of nutrients the body needs to ward off cough and cold infections. Scientific experiments have suggested that regular intake of kiwis during bouts of cough and cold drastically reduces a person’s condition of sore throat. Kiwis contain certain micronutrients, which, when consumed, boost the movement of white blood cells in the bloodstream. As well stated by science, these white blood cells protect the human body from foreign objects like germs.
Strawberries
Strawberries contain nutrients such as manganese, vitamin C, and dietary fibres. These combinations make them a potent wall against a lengthy period of cough and cold.
Watermelon
Watermelons come with the antioxidant lycopene, which gives them their red colour. Lycopene limits illness in humans and helps keep inflammation in the respiratory system during infection.
Blueberries
Blueberries have the highest content of antioxidants in the fruit family. Hence, these are essential in keeping a person healthy long-term.
Apples
Apples are full of flavonoids, the antioxidants that can potentially decrease the risk of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Its other health benefits include a more robust immune system, which would protect you from cough and cold.
Fruits to Avoid During Cough and Cold
Fruits are generally needed in any diet to stay healthy. While discussing fruits to avoid during cough and cold, one must remember that there are not many on the list. Considering fruits to avoid during cough and cold, one could refrain from eating fruits kept in the refrigerator. These fruits being cold may aggravate the already severe condition in a patient.
We have to place citrus fruits on the list of fruits to avoid during cough and cold. This is because citrus fruits could cause acid reflux in a person already nursing a cough and cold. Under these circ*mstances, it could worsen if acid reflux adversely affects the throat and activates coughs. Even though this does not always happen, it is better to take caution. Citrus fruits like oranges, limes, and grapefruits are some examples of fruits to avoid during cough and cold.
Conclusion
Loaded with micronutrients, anti-inflammatory properties, and antioxidants, fruits are undeniably nutritious. According to studies, the vitamins present in fruits can help strengthen your immune system.
Fruits can also be highly beneficial during those cough and cold days. Apples, berries, pineapples, and much more can help keep inflammation at bay.
However, say no to citrus fruits during cough and cold. They are the handful of fruits to avoid during cough and cold. They have been put under the category of ‘fruits to avoid during cough and cold’ since citrus fruits may cause acid reflux, irritate our throat, and trigger coughs.
FAQs
Q. What food items should be avoided during bouts of cough and cold?
A. Food items such as milk, processed foods, and fried foods should be avoided when one is trying to recover from a cough and cold. Also, citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits are two examples of fruits to avoid during cough and cold.
Q. Why is it best to avoid tea and coffee when one is down with a cold and cough?
A. Coffee and tea have diuretic properties, which means they speed up water expulsion from the body. Bringing down the hydration level of sick people is detrimental to them getting better.
Q. How does alcohol affect someone trying to fight cough and cold?
A. Alcohol is traditionally understood to help get rid of cough and cold. However, this is not the actual case. In reality, medical science tells us that alcohol dehydrates the body faster and blocks the free functioning of white blood cells, our body’s immunity-providing units.
Q. What should one do to stop the spread of cough and cold germs?
A. Anyone infected with cough and cold should stay indoors as much as possible. They should maintain personal hygiene at all times, along with taking the necessary medicines.
Q. What are some of the reasons behind the formation of cough?
A. A cough is formed when a bacterial or viral infection or someone is exposed to an allergen. It can also develop due to heavy smoking, asthma attacks, and ingesting medicines such as Lisinopril and Enalapril.
