Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Not all foods and drinks are good for consumption, especially if someone has a cold and cough. It is known that some foods and drinks can make the condition worse and slow healing.
Here’s a list of drinks and food ingredients to avoid when you have a cold and cough, quoted from Firstpost:
1. Gula
Sugary drinks are refreshing, but consuming sugar is one way to make a cough worse. As per research published in Frontiers in Immunology in 2017, increasing sugar intake can suppress the immune system, especially when fighting viral infections. This also applies to the common cold, so be sure to stay away from sugary foods or drinks.
2. Alcohol
Alcohol consumption, according to a study in the journal Alcohol in 2007, was associated with increased lung and bronchial inflammation. Alcohol also suppresses white blood cells in the blood, which are needed to fight the flu. What’s more, alcohol dehydrates people, while what is needed during a cold is an increase in fluid intake.
3. Caffeinated beverages
Coffee, tea, and caffeinated drinks act as diuretics, increasing the excretion of water and salt from your body. So obviously, drinking three to four cups of cappuccino or latte on a regular basis is a bad idea for people who have a cold and need fluids.
4. Milk
A study has found that milk produces more phlegm in the body and actually makes the existing mucus thicker and harder to remove. So if you have colds and flu, as much as possible avoid milk consumption.
5. Spicy food
Spicy food during coughs and colds is said to be very good because it thins mucus and makes it easier to expel. This is true, and what’s more, the capsaicin in chili peppers also has a desensitizing effect and helps manage inflammation. However, as revealed by a study published in Critical Review in Food Science and Nutrition in 2016, capsaicin also stimulates the production of more phlegm. Eating that spicy curry may relieve your symptoms for a few minutes, but will delay the patient’s recovery.
(dce/dce)
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