Many people stop eating fruits after catching a cold because, according to the older generation, a cold is caused by exposure to cold wind, and fruits are considered "cold" in nature. Eating fruits when you have a cold is said to be like adding cold to cold, which can worsen the condition. Additionally, some people are afraid that certain fruits might conflict with the medicine they are taking, so they avoid eating them. But what is the truth?
Let's see what scientists have to say: Nobel Prize-winning Dr. Linus Pauling once wrote a book called "Vitamin C and the Common Cold," in which he mentioned that taking 1000 milligrams of vitamin C daily can reduce the number of colds a person gets by 45% and shorten the duration of illness by 60%. Since many fruits are rich in vitamin C, the idea that you can't eat fruits during a cold is not valid.
However, to fight cold germs, relying solely on vitamin C is not enough; you also need other vitamins to help out. For example, basic research indicates that vitamin D has a protective effect on the immune system and is a favorite for preventing respiratory infections. Vitamin D can enhance the human adaptive immune system, adding another layer of protection to the body.
Vitamin C can prevent colds
Although a cold is considered a minor illness, it can make patients feel uncomfortable and has a certain adverse effect on normal life and work. Therefore, it is best to learn how to prevent colds in life, and the best way to prevent colds is to supplement more vitamin C, which we can get from food.
The following people need to take appropriate vitamin C supplements when they get insufficient vitamin C from food:
1. People who engage in strenuous exercise and high-intensity work outdoors (excessive sweating can lead to significant loss of vitamin C);
2. People who work in polluted environments (supplementing with vitamin C can promote the hydrolytic detoxification of organic substances or toxins, alleviating their toxicity);
3. Smokers (nicotine in tobacco can destroy vitamin C);
4. People who take medication for a long time (taking aspirin, sleeping pills, contraceptives, antihypertensive drugs, etc., can all lead to a decrease in vitamin C in the body);
5. People who are under long-term excessive stress (tension can accelerate the consumption of vitamin C);
6. People who are easily fatigued or have a cold. Supplementing with high doses of vitamin C in the short term for these people can enhance their immune capacity, thereby resisting diseases like colds. Experiments have found that during the peak of flu season, people who frequently catch colds can reduce the incidence of colds by 50% by taking 1000 milligrams of vitamin C daily, alleviate cold symptoms, and shorten the duration of a cold by 23%.
Thus, supplementing with more vitamin C in life can help effectively prevent colds, and we can get vitamins from food. Everyone should pay attention to eating more fresh fruits and vegetables in their daily lives, and it is also necessary to take vitamin C supplements when needed.
It's best to eat sour fruits when you have a cold
You can eat fruits when you have a cold, and sour fruits are particularly recommended. Generally speaking, sour-tasting fruits tend to contain more vitamin C. For example, data from the "China Food Composition Table" shows that 100 grams of sour jujube contains 900 milligrams of vitamin C, which is 9 times the daily recommended amount by the Chinese Nutrition Society. In addition, sour-tasting fruits like hawthorn and sea buckthorn are also rich in vitamin C.
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can enhance the body's resistance to disease. Studies have shown that after catching a cold, taking high doses of vitamin C can shorten the duration of the cold and lead to an earlier recovery. Pharmaceutical research has confirmed that vitamin C has an antihistamine effect, which helps relieve discomforts such as nasal congestion. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, and if too much is consumed, it is excreted in the urine. Therefore, its toxicity is very low, and there are no side effects when it is ingested from fruits and vegetables.
For the same variety of fruit, a sour taste may be caused by factors such as high citric acid content, and its vitamin C content is not necessarily higher than that of a sweet-tasting one.