Everyone knows how uncomfortable a cold can be, with coughing, a runny nose, and the need to pay attention to dietary restrictions during the illness. So, what foods should you avoid when you have a cold?
Foods to Avoid When You Have a Cold
1. Sweet Foods
Whether it's high-sugar fruits or desserts, they should be avoided during a cold. Sweet foods not only increase the viscosity and amount of phlegm but can also cause bloating and suppress appetite. High-sugar fruits include mangoes, grapes, lychees, sugarcane, pineapples, and red dates.
2. High-Salt Foods
Experimental data shows that reducing salt intake can increase the content of lysozyme in saliva, protecting the mucosal epithelial cells of the mouth and throat.
3. High-Fiber Foods
During a cold, a person's digestive motility is weaker, so it's best to avoid high-fiber foods like celery, leeks, and crown daisies to prevent adding extra burden to the digestive system.
4. Spicy Foods
Stimulating foods like chili can further disrupt the already fragile gastrointestinal function, and may even cause nausea or vomiting.
5. Strong Tea and Strong Coffee
Strong tea and strong coffee can cause stomach discomfort and sometimes trigger gastroesophageal reflux.
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6. Pears
Pears are sweet, slightly sour, and cool in nature. They can clear heat, promote fluid production, moisten dryness, and transform phlegm. However, they should not be eaten raw during a cold. Many people mistakenly believe that eating raw pears can help relieve coughs and reduce phlegm, so they buy many pears to eat raw, which can actually make the phlegm thicker and the cough worse. Raw pears are considered cooling, so for those with a "cold-type" cold, it can worsen the cough. They should be stewed to remove their cooling nature.
7. Oranges
Oranges are cooling in nature and can make a cough worse. If you want to eat oranges when you have a cold, you can roast them whole before eating.
8. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are considered cooling, so people who are weak or already sick should consume them with caution. They can be eaten in the form of tomato and egg soup.
9. Watermelon
Whether it's a "wind-cold" or "wind-heat" cold, in the early stages when the pathogen is still on the surface, eating watermelon is like taking a medicine to clear internal heat, which can drive the pathogen deeper, worsening the cold or prolonging recovery. However, when the cold worsens and symptoms of heat appear, such as high fever, thirst, sore throat, and dark yellow urine, eating some watermelon while taking normal medication can help with recovery.
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