What can I eat if I have a cold and cough?
Colds and coughs are common symptoms of respiratory diseases. A reasonable diet can help relieve discomfort and speed up recovery. The following are the dietary recommendations for colds and coughs that have been hotly discussed on the Internet in the past 10 days. They are combined with authoritative medical opinions and folk experience to provide you with a reference.
1. Food suitable for consumption during cold and cough

| food category | Recommended food | Principle of action |
|---|---|---|
| Soothing throat and relieving cough | Honey, pear, white fungus, monk fruit | Relieve dry and itchy throat and inhibit cough reflex |
| Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory | Garlic, ginger, onion, lemon | Natural antibacterial ingredients help fight infections |
| Nutritional supplements | Eggs, lean meat, oats, pumpkin | Provides high-quality protein and vitamins to support immunity |
| Warm liquid | Chicken soup, millet porridge, brown sugar ginger tea | Replenish water and electrolytes, warm the respiratory tract |
2. Foods to be cautious of or avoid
| food type | Specific examples | potential impact |
|---|---|---|
| irritating food | Chili pepper, mustard, alcohol | Aggravate throat mucosa irritation |
| High sugar foods | Candy, carbonated drinks | Inhibit immune cell function |
| dairy products | Whole milk, cheese | May increase sputum viscosity |
| Raw and cold food | Ice drinks, sashimi | Causes bronchoconstriction and worsens cough |
3. Recommendations for popular dietary therapies
1.Honey Grapefruit Tea: A DIY formula with over 500,000 likes on social platforms recently. Grapefruit is high in vitamin C, and combined with honey, it can double protect your throat.
2.Salt steamed oranges: A traditional folk remedy with over 10 million views per week on the short video platform. The hesperidin in orange peel has antitussive effect.
3.Green onion and white ginger syrup: Recommended by TOP3 on Weibo’s health topic list, especially suitable for drinking in the early stages of colds and colds.
4. Nutritional supplement suggestions
| Nutrients | recommended daily amount | best food source |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C | 200-500mg | Kiwi, broccoli, strawberry |
| Zinc element | 15-25mg | Oysters, beef, cashews |
| Moisture | 1.5-2L | Warm water, light tea, fruit and vegetable juices |
5. Precautions for special groups of people
1.diabetics: Be careful when using sugar-containing dietary prescriptions such as honey, and choose Luo Han Guo as a sugar substitute.
2.pregnant woman: Avoid excessive intake of mint, perilla and other ingredients that may affect the uterus.
3.children: Babies under 1 year old are prohibited from eating honey to prevent the risk of botulism poisoning.
6. Expert reminder
The latest reminder from the Beijing Institute of Respiratory Diseases: If the cough lasts for more than 2 weeks, or symptoms such as fever exceeding 38.5°C or blood in the sputum occur, you should seek medical treatment in time instead of relying on dietary therapy. Folk remedies such as "cola boiled ginger" and "white wine steamed eggs" circulated on the Internet lack scientific basis and may delay the disease.
With a reasonable diet and adequate rest, most cold and cough symptoms can be relieved within a week. It is recommended to save the diet comparison table in this article and carry out scientific conditioning at the early stage of symptoms. If you need to take medication, please follow your doctor's instructions to avoid interactions between food and medications.
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