Intense colds
With the approach of winter, the cold and wind make their appearance, and with them the heavy colds that we have to live with (or will have to live with before spring arrives again).
Symptoms can be alleviated
But it’s not all bad news, because although the common cold – characterised by a runny and stuffy nose, sore throat, body weakness, sneezing, hoarseness, general malaise? – cannot be avoided, it can be alleviated with a diet rich in certain foods that will alleviate the intensity of these annoying symptoms that affect us so much physically.
Vitamin C
There are many natural remedies that can help when it comes to fighting colds. Vitamin C is essential to help the immune system fight off the viruses and bacteria that cause colds. Recommended foods are: kiwi, grapes, strawberries, melon, papaya, green leafy vegetables, cabbage, tomatoes, broccoli and the citrus family such as oranges, limes, lemons, grapefruit and tangerines.
Natural ingredients
But there are also other natural ingredients that can be used as home remedies to help reduce cold symptoms – take note and win the battle against that pesky cold that’s got you ‘down in the dumps’!
Spicy foods
Chilli and hot peppers, chilli peppers, cayenne, tabasco… Because they contain Capsaicin, which reduces congestion, loosens mucus and helps to expel it.
Garlic and onion
Raw or as an essential part of hot soups. Garlic contains allicin and onion quercetin, both of which thin mucus and help expectoration. They also have antiviral action.
Citrus fruits
Orange, lemon, tangerines… They contain vitamin C which participates in the immunological process, increasing the body’s defences and strengthening it against external attacks from viruses and bacteria.
Chicken broth
Chicken broth alone or as a base for soups with garlic, onion and other vegetables. Chicken contains cysteine, which is released in the broth, giving it an important mucolytic and expectorant action.
Liquid
Mainly water, but it is also useful if we add lemon, broths, infusions. But never soft drinks (especially fizzy drinks), industrial juices or, of course, alcohol or 0.0 beer. They hydrate the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, providing a better defence against viruses that tend to develop in dry environments.
Yoghurt with bifidus
Natural or flavoured, best skimmed and without added sugar, because they have probiotics that stimulate the defences. They should be taken for months to prevent colds.
Honey
We can take it as a cure, a spoonful in the morning on an empty stomach, it is great if we have an itchy or sore throat. We can even add a few drops of lemon juice. But we can also add it to herbal teas, such as thyme tea for example, which will also help us to soothe our coughs even more, to yoghurt instead of sugar, or to breakfast toast. We can make a kind of syrup, heating it a little for a more liquid consistency and adding a squeeze of lemon. And take a teaspoonful 3 times a day. Why? It reduces coughing fits and soothes the throat because it has very beneficial antibacterial properties. It is recommended for prevention and treatment. It also provides phosphorus and potassium which acts as a relaxant.
