8 Best Foods to Eat When You Have a Cold (and Two to Avoid)
Dairy
Dairy remedies and cold don’t really go together. Common wisdom says eating ice cream, cheese or drinking milk when you have a stuffy or runny nose is not the best decision because they can thicken mucus. However, there’s not enough evidence to support such claims.
In fact, emerging studies have revealed that dairy products such as yogurt can soothe your irritated throat and can help you get sick less often due to being rich in vitamins and minerals.
Garlic
Garlic is not only effective in keeping vampires at bay but also common colds and flu. It has been used as a medicinal herb for hundreds of years and its antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal effects have all been demonstrated in a vast number of studies.
If you need a good excuse to toss some garlic cloves in your food, just know that garlic can stimulate the immune system, fight bacteria and viruses and help you recover faster when you don’t feel well.
Simple ways to maximize the health benefits of garlic:
- To increase the allicin content, it is recommended to crush or slice all your garlic before you eat it.
- Let the garlic stand for 10 minutes before you cook the crushed garlic
- Use a lot of garlic, more than one clove per meal.
