To subdue the flu or prevent its appearance, the most effective foods are garlic and onions, fruits with vitamin C, pumpkins, rich in vitamin A, ginger, or foods rich in zinc, such as legumes, nuts or lean meats.
With the brand new autumn, and, above all, when winter arrives, colds, flus, respiratory infections and flu due to different types of viruses will proliferate.
At the Ainia technology center, based in Paterna (Valencia), which among other activities is dedicated to the development of healthy foods, remember that the flu usually affects between 5 and 15% of the world population.
Some infections that affect, to a greater extent, in children between the ages of 5 and 14, as well as in people over 64 years of age. This year, in addition, with the aggravating circumstance that the symptoms of the flu can be confused with those of the coronavirus.
There are many ways to prevent contagion, such as vaccination, washing hands or ventilating rooms, and different pharmacological treatments once we have caught it. But, what role does diet play in preventing and reducing the duration of the flu?
Follow a balanced diet
Nutritionists recommend, above all, eating a healthy and balanced diet, which will undoubtedly help our body to be more prepared to prevent and combat symptoms in case we catch a bad cold or the flu. To do this, it is enough to stock up on a series of easy-to-purchase products in stores.
Among the foods recommended by Ainia’s nutrition experts are from onion and garlic (the preparation of a simple garlic soup is ideal) to foods with folate content (vitamin B9), in the case of beets, broccoli or Brussels sprouts, passing through those rich in vitamin B, such as cereals and legumes.
And if we already have the flu, the technology center recommends putting foods that contain antioxidant properties in the shopping basket, in the case of citrus fruits and dark leafy vegetables.
In Ainia they also explain that foods rich in protein should not be forgotten, since their deficit can increase the risk of suffering from infections. These foods include nuts, legumes or skimmed milk.
Drinking fluids is essential
Likewise, the intake of liquids such as water is essential, in order to avoid dehydration, eliminate mucus and reduce toxins. This contribution in water can be replaced or complemented with juices with antioxidant properties, such as orange or tomato.
The intake of these foods, they specify in Ainia, is extensible to all population groups within a balanced diet and in balanced amounts recommended based on the contribution of each food. “This way”, say the nutritionists of the center, “we can reduce the number of days the effects and symptoms of colds or flu”.
a natural drug
The blog Atencionmayores.org highlights that a good diet helps us strengthen the immune system, either to avoid getting the flu, or to relieve symptoms and avoid complications if we have already contracted the virus.
This blog, aimed at the elderly, their families, or the caregivers and professionals who care for them, lists those foods that “are enemies of the flu” and explains why they are effective.
Without a doubt, one of the foods with the most antiviral and antibacterial properties is garlic. Helps fight coughs, colds and sinusitis. Fresh and raw garlic is the one that provides the greatest health benefits, although most of its properties are preserved if it is minced or squeezed.
The power of garlic and onion
As a preventive measure, it is recommended to take one or two cloves of garlic a day; or a clove of garlic (three to four times a day) in case of acute infection. For those people who do not like its taste, they have the option of taking it in capsules. However, care must be taken, as garlic in large quantities can have an anticoagulant effect.
The onion is another anti-flu that, like garlic, should be eaten raw to preserve its properties to the maximum. Onion is the richest food in quercetin, an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and natural antibiotic. You can eat it in salads or prepare an onion and honey syrup.
“Both garlic and onion are expectorants used as traditional remedies to dissolve mucus. Many people leave an onion cut in half on the bedside table when they are sick to inhale its aromas,” they report on the blog.
If we have the flu, dressing winter salads with cloves, cinnamon, pepper, chili and ginger helps us to warm up, which facilitates sweating and expectoration with the consequent elimination of bacteria.
Herbs work
The most recommended aromatic herbs during the flu are mint, cumin, anise, thyme, celery, rosemary, oregano and basil. They can also be used as substitutes for salt in those who have restricted their consumption.
Within the plants, it should be noted that ginger is a root with a spicy flavor that helps break up phlegm, “so that it cleanses and relieves the symptoms of congestion.” It can be taken fresh, as a tea, or cooked with food.
It is also available in capsules that can be consumed from 250 to 500 milligrams up to three times a day”, they say in Atencionamayores.org, where they add that with ginger we will feel better due to its analgesic, antipyretic and antibacterial properties. You can prepare an infusion based on fresh ginger, honey and a little lemon.
Vitamin C is key
Foods rich in vitamin C, although they do not cure the flu, do relieve its symptoms. This vitamin is essential for the proper functioning of defensive cells. Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons or grapefruit, peppers, green leafy vegetables, such as arugula, radishes, turnips, cabbage, spinach or broccoli, are good sources of vitamin C. “They can be prepared in juices or special juices for the flu mixing fruits and vegetables: celery and apple, for example”, they point out in the blog.
Another food rich in vitamin C, perfect for fighting the flu, is the pomegranate, which is three times more antioxidant than green tea and covers the daily needs of folic acid. Pomegranate strengthens the immune system and relieves fever, sore throat and ear infection.
Citrus fruits such as tangerines or oranges are the body’s best allies in times of flu such as winter. The orange is a rich source of vitamin C that helps us strengthen the immune system and strengthens us against possible viruses, while the tangerine, even having less of this vitamin, provides large doses of beta-carotene, an essence to stand up to to the flu.
However, the most recommended food rich in vitamin C for this purpose is the Kiwi, since it contains twice as much vitamin C as an orange, so it completely covers the daily needs of this vitamin.
Vitamin A also helps
Nor should we forget foods rich in vitamin A, which is involved in the renewal of immune cells and increases defenses. “This vitamin is obtained directly from foods of animal origin such as liver, eggs and small oily fish, such as sardines or anchovies.
And for those who prefer a plant-based diet, a vitamin A precursor can be obtained by eating foods rich in beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A (carrots, dandelion, borage, and green leafy vegetables),” they say. at Atenciomayores.org.
Pumpkin is another great ally to prevent the flu or win the battle when it has already occurred, since its beta-carotene content, which is transformed into vitamin A, strengthens the immune system, which helps prevent diseases from appearing of the respiratory system. Pumpkin can be consumed in cream, boiled, baked, with rice… Pumpkin seeds are also highly recommended due to their high zinc content.
Avoid zinc deficiency
Precisely, zinc deficiency is associated with a greater number of flu episodes during the winter. But if you’ve already gotten sick, zinc can relieve symptoms and speed recovery by promoting regeneration of the respiratory mucosa.
This trace element is found in sufficient quantities in foods such as legumes (dried beans, chickpeas and lentils); wheat germ, brewer’s yeast and whole grains; figs and nuts such as walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts; vegetables such as asparagus, borage and eggplant; boiled eggs (fried ones should be avoided); mussels and sardines; as well as in lean meats (lamb, liver, etc.).
Other foods that strengthen the immune system, due to their vitamin D content, are mushrooms, especially their more exotic types, such as shitake, reishi, enoki and maitake mushrooms, which can be added to salads, stir-fries and soups , or take them in extract, as well as honey, which acts directly on the throat because it is a natural expectorant that eliminates phlegm and controls infections.
“Food as Medicine”
The American multinational of pharmaceutical products Johnson & Johnson, among which is the popular anti-influenza drug Frenadol, rescues the words that the Greek doctor Hippocrates pronounced in the 5th century before Christ, “may your food be your medicine, and may your medicine be your food”, to highlight the importance of food for our health.
This company emphasizes that the food we eat daily can positively or negatively influence health. Thus, there are many micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) that contribute to the normal functioning of the immune system and mention copper, folate, iron, selenium, vitamins A, B12, B6, C, D or zinc.
Johnson & Johnson prescribes a series of foods to ward off the flu: the aforementioned pumpkins, pomegranates, strawberries, kiwis or legumes, along with chicken soup, “grandmother’s oldest remedy, and which, without going any further, has signed a study by the North American University of Nebraska motivated by its content of substances with an anti-inflammatory effect, which could mitigate symptomatic infections of the upper respiratory tract”.
This company also advises, with the backing of science, to take yogurt with probiotics to keep the flu at bay.
Apart from the consumption of certain foods, the Europa Press agency refers to a study by Yale University, in the United States, published by the journal Science Immunology, in which it was discovered that a diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates, such as Keto or ketogenic regimen, helps to better fight the flu virus. “It was a totally unexpected finding,” highlight those responsible.
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