Diet therapy can prevent and alleviate diseases, but some foods or drinks can worsen the condition. Recently, the American magazine "Prevention" published an article listing several foods that should be avoided when sick.
Coffee
Dr. Christine Arthur, an internist from California, USA, stated that sufficient water in the body helps the immune system fight viral infections more effectively. When patients have symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea, they must not drink coffee. This is because the caffeine in coffee has a diuretic effect, causing excessive fluid loss, leading to dehydration, which is very detrimental to the body's fight against viruses and infections.
Orange Juice
While the tartness of orange juice is refreshing, drinking it when you have a cold or cough can make your throat more uncomfortable. Tez Bhatia, a professor of integrative medicine at Emory University, pointed out that orange juice contains citric acid, which can irritate the inflamed throat lining and prolong recovery time.
Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
Sugar
Dr. Christine stated that eating refined sugar can temporarily suppress the ability of white blood cells to fight bacterial invasions. For several hours after eating cookies or candy, the human immune system weakens, and pathogens may take advantage of this opportunity. If you eat sugar when your stomach is upset, it will worsen the symptoms. The sugar also draws water from the gastrointestinal tract, which can easily lead to diarrhea.
Soda
Soda can also lead to dehydration in the body, suppress the immune system's defense functions, and disrupt the normal work of the gastrointestinal tract. If you don't like drinking plain water, you can supplement with electrolyte-containing drinks, such as sports drinks or coconut water.
Crispy Snacks
Dr. Tez pointed out that for people with a sore or inflamed throat, eating crispy snacks like chips is as uncomfortable as being rubbed with sandpaper. Moreover, the more you eat, the greater the irritation to the throat, and the longer the recovery time.
Alcohol
Drinking alcohol when sick can lead to severe dehydration. An increased blood alcohol content will make you get drunk faster, speed up digestion, and also easily cause diarrhea.
Fried, High-Fat Foods. Dr. Tez pointed out that high-fat foods take longer to be digested and absorbed through the digestive tract, which can worsen nausea and cause vomiting. Fried and high-fat foods can cause intestinal muscle spasms, aggravating diarrhea. Therefore, when you have a stomach ailment, you should stay away from such foods.
Spicy Foods
The capsaicin in chili peppers can stimulate the nasal passages. Therefore, it is recommended to eat less spicy food when you have a cold with a runny nose.
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