Introduction: As the seasons change, many people experience symptoms of coughing and excess phlegm. However, some people prefer not to rely on medication. So, what can be done? The solution is actually quite simple, as many foods in our daily diet have the effect of relieving coughs and reducing phlegm. Below, we recommend 10 foods that can help with cough and phlegm, allowing you to quickly get rid of these troubles through dietary therapy.
1. Tofu
Tofu is extremely nutritious, containing iron, magnesium, potassium, niacin, copper, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, folic acid, vitamin B1, lecithin, and vitamin B6. In every 100 grams of firm tofu, water accounts for 69.8%, it contains 15.7 grams of protein, 8.6 grams of fat, 4.3 grams of carbohydrates, and 0.1 grams of fiber, providing 611.2 kilojoules of energy.
Tofu is a nourishing and heat-clearing health food that has the effects of clearing heat, moistening dryness, relieving coughs, and reducing phlegm. It is particularly suitable for coughs caused by wind-heat or lung-heat. You can also use one sheet of tofu skin, an appropriate amount of rock sugar, and cook it in water to eat, which also has a therapeutic effect on lung-heat coughs. Modern medicine has confirmed that in addition to its functions of increasing nutrition, aiding digestion, and stimulating appetite, tofu is also very beneficial for the growth and development of teeth and bones (a fruit also possessing this function is tamarind, known as the "calcium king" of fruits). It can increase iron content in the blood's hematopoietic function. Tofu contains no cholesterol, making it an excellent medicinal food for patients with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, high cholesterol, arteriosclerosis, and coronary heart disease.
Preserved Egg Tofu
2. Almonds
Almonds are rich in protein, fat, carbohydrates, carotene, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin P, and other nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Among fruits, the carotene content in almonds is second only to mango, and people call almonds the "cancer-fighting fruit." Almonds are rich in fatty oil, which has the effect of lowering cholesterol, so almonds have a good effect on preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases. According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, almonds have the effects of promoting fluid secretion to quench thirst, moistening the lungs, and calming asthma, and are often used for the health care and treatment of patients with lung dryness and wheezing coughs. Southern almonds are sweet and have little medicinal effect, so they can be used for general moistening, while northern almonds are bitter and can be used as medicine, but they are toxic and should be used sparingly.
Chocolate Almond Cookies
3. Monk Fruit
The fruit is very nutritious, containing rich vitamin C (400-500 mg per 100 grams of fresh fruit), glycosides, fructose, glucose, protein, lipids, and more. Drinking monk fruit tea regularly can prevent many diseases. Modern medicine has proven that monk fruit has significant therapeutic effects on diseases such as bronchitis and hypertension, and also plays a role in preventing and treating coronary heart disease, vascular sclerosis, and obesity. It is highly nutritious and has effects such as clearing heat and relieving summer heat, resolving phlegm and stopping coughs, cooling blood and relaxing bones, moistening the lungs and intestines, and promoting fluid secretion to quench thirst. It can be used to treat acute and chronic bronchitis, pharyngitis, bronchial asthma, whooping cough, stomach heat, constipation, acute tonsillitis, etc., and is also suitable for diabetic patients.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, monk fruit is sweet, sour, and cool in nature, with effects such as clearing heat and cooling the blood, promoting fluid secretion to stop coughs, moistening the intestines to detoxify, beautifying the skin, and moistening the lungs to resolve phlegm. It can be used for prolonging life, maintaining a youthful appearance, and treating symptoms such as phlegm-heat cough, sore throat, constipation, and thirst with irritability. You can use one monk fruit, 15 grams of persimmon cake, and decoct them in water for consumption.
Monk Fruit and Pear Soup
4. White Radish
White radish is a common vegetable that can be eaten raw or cooked, with a slightly spicy taste. Modern research suggests that white radish contains mustard oil, amylase, and crude fiber, which have the effects of promoting digestion, stimulating appetite, speeding up gastrointestinal motility, and relieving coughs and reducing phlegm. Traditional Chinese medicine theory also holds that this food is pungent and sweet in taste, cool in nature, and enters the lung and stomach meridians, making it an excellent dietary therapy food that can treat or assist in treating various diseases. The "Compendium of Materia Medica" calls it "the most beneficial among vegetables." Therefore, white radish has certain medicinal value in clinical practice.
Today, "Rugao radish" has become famous at home and abroad for its thin skin, tender flesh, juicy texture, sweet and non-spicy taste, and low lignin content. Proverbs such as "The radish crunches, crisp and loud; eating it can help you live to a hundred" have long been spread along with the Rugao radish.
Duck and Radish Soup
5. Seaweed
Seaweed contains multiple vitamins, and its B vitamin content is by no means inferior to that of vegetables. Seaweed is particularly high in vitamin B12, which is almost non-existent in terrestrial plants. Based on dry weight, its vitamin B12 content is similar to that of fish and meat, and its vitamin C content is also very high. Vitamin B12 has the effects of activating brain nerves, preventing aging and memory decline, and improving depression. Seaweed is rich in protein and iodine, phosphorus, calcium, etc. It is used for both food and medicine. At the same time, seaweed can also be used as a medicinal herb to make traditional Chinese medicine, with the effects of resolving phlegm and softening hard masses, clearing heat and promoting urination, and nourishing the kidneys and calming the mind. It is suitable for those with lung-heat cough or wind-heat cough with yellow, thick, and foul-smelling phlegm.
Red Rice and Seaweed Rice Rolls
Pumpkin pie
Spinach noodles
Egg burrito
Five flowers for an acorn
Sugar and radish