What foods should I not eat when I have a cold? Some foods can make symptoms worse

What can you eat if you have a cold? What food aggravates the disease?

Let’s find out together with a doctor-nutritionist.

Did you know that sweet-toothed people catch colds easier and faster? The fact is that food and health are closely linked – and so much so that when we get sick, the wrong food can only complicate everything. We tell you what foods inhibit the recovery process and whether it is worth changing your usual diet when you have an acute respiratory infection.

Candidate of Medical Sciences, pediatrician, nutriciologist, co-founder of the Academy of Physicians UniProf

During ARVI it is important to increase the amount of proteins, vitamins, macro- and microelements.

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Does food affect the course of a cold?

Let’s start with the fact that inflammatory processes in the body are a natural reaction of the immune system to negative environmental influences. With colds, the immune system begins to actively produce antibodies that fight viruses and infections. To synthesize these “defenders” faster, the body needs certain substances that we get with food.

Irina: During an acute respiratory infection, the usual menu should be changed. It is important to increase the amount of protein, vitamins, macro- and microelements. You should also reduce the proportion of fatty foods, completely exclude fried foods and some products. The main substance that the body needs during a cold is easily digestible protein. It is contained, for example, in broth. Chicken protein is digested almost completely, while containing a full set of essential amino acids and stimulates the expectoration of phlegm.

What foods increase the symptoms of a cold?

Sugar

During the “cold season” it reduces the activity of white blood cells – blood cells that resist viruses and bacteria. Since sugar is a sticky substance (at least in its moist state), sweets “feed” harmful intestinal microflora, partially settling on the walls of the throat and mouth. This promotes the multiplication of bacteria, which only increases inflammation in the oropharynx.

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Foods that have not undergone the best heat treatment contain high levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). These molecules result from the oxidation of proteins. They are formed when the method of cooking is reduced to deep-frying, use of fatty and low-grade oils, and smoking. All these final “protein burns” increase inflammatory processes in the body.

Fast food and convenience foods also contain refractory fat, which is very hard to digest. This, in turn, makes the liver and heart work harder, unnecessarily burdening the body, which during a cold is quite different tasks. Any semi-finished food makes it difficult for the gastrointestinal tract. At the time of illness in this case, the body’s forces will go to restore digestive functions, not to fight viruses and bacteria.

Ko darīt? Give preference to other methods of cooking: boiling, stewing, steaming, baking. Eliminate low-grade oils and generally avoid oils when frying.

Refined flour

It is found in fresh and sweet baked goods, white bread, yeast loaf. In the manufacture of these products, as a rule, yeast and refined flour are used, which is quite low in useful substances. Yeast can be called an “activator” of viruses, because they increase the permeability of cells, so that viruses get into them much more easily.

Ko darīt?
Olga: Use whole-grain flour, cereals and grains, which have a balance of vitamins and minerals to restore the body. And if you really want a bun, it is better to choose buckwheat. I suggest steaming it for a few hours and adding a teaspoon of flaxseed oil and salt to taste. This is the perfect recovery recipe if you have a cold.

Dairy products

These are the most ambiguous foods on the list. On the one hand, moderate consumption of homemade fermented milk product enriches the intestines with beneficial bacteria. On the other hand, it is a source of saturated fat and often antibiotics that inhibit the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestines.

Irina: Sour milk products contribute to the formation of additional mucus, increasing “wet” cough and runny nose. But sometimes milk, especially in combination with honey, is recommended for dry cough with a reduced amount of mucus and phlegm. This is necessary to envelop the mucous membranes and protect them from damage.

Ko darīt? Favor hard cheeses or cheeses without lactose (milk sugar).

Ko darīt? Use the above products strictly in moderation, and it is better to add them to other dishes or use them as “essential oils”, that is, only inhale their vapors.

Coffee, tea and energy drinks

Irina: These drinks can really give vigor and tone up the body. But the effect will be very short-term, and will be replaced by lethargy, anxiety, increased fatigue and loss of mood. In addition, coffee and strong black tea can increase dryness and sore throat, especially if the inflammation is severe. They also lead to dehydration of the body, which is completely inadmissible in colds, acute respiratory viral infections and flu.

Ko darīt? Eliminate strong drinks from the diet for the duration of the cold. As an alternative, you can use herbal tea.

• Avoid too hot drinks, as this irritates the already inflamed mucosa of the larynx and further increases the temperature. Any drink during respiratory illnesses can be consumed only warm.
• Do not abuse potatoes – the root vegetable contains a lot of starch, and it thickens phlegm and mucus. This slows down the elimination of coughs and runny nose.