HEALTH
Cold Comfort
Greg Joynt, our Health and Nutrition Expert gives some salient advice about avoiding the common cold.
Q: I tend to suffer from colds during the winter months. Could you suggest some nutritional advice to help get my immune system on track?
A: Here are four foods to fight off colds and boost your immune system:
1. Kiwi’s are a great source of Vitamin C and Zinc. There is considerable evidence to show that Vitamin C plays a vital role in many immune mechanisms. Many studies have shown Vitamin C to reduce the duration and severity of cold symptoms.
Infections rapidly deplete the normal high levels of Vitamin C in white blood cells. Alcohol, smoking, analgesics, antidepressants, anticoagulants, oral contraceptives, and steroids may reduce levels of Vitamin C in the body.
2. Pumpkin seeds are a power house of nutrients. They are also very rich in Zinc. This mineral promotes a healthy immune system and has beneficial effects on white blood cells. Stem ginger is also a very good source of Zinc.
3. Garlic: This prebiotic food source has a long history of use as an infection fighter. It has been referred to as the ‘Russian Penicillin’ to denote its antibacterial properties. The sulphur containing compounds in garlic are responsible for its therapeutic effects.
Chopping the garlic up causes a chemical reaction activating its antibacterial properties. Therefore chop a fresh clove of garlic up, leave it aside for 5 minutes and then add to a cooked meal for maximum benefits. Worried about garlic breath? Fear not, chew some parsley afterwards. The chlorophyll in parsley helps counteract the scent.
4. Natural live yoghurt. Numerous studies on bacteria strains that are found in natural live yoghurt have demonstrated its ability to suppress harmful bacteria in the intestine, thereby strengthening the immune system. Not a fan of dairy? There are also natural live soya yoghurts available in health food stores.
Drinking pleanty of water will also improve the function of white blood cells. If water is not your thing, dilute fruit juices down with some water to help dilute the sugar content. One particular study featured in the American Jounal of Clinical Nutrition has shown that sugar can suppress the immune system and impair your defences against infectious diseases.
Sleep is repair time for the immune system so get to bed early and allow your body to reap the benefits.
Here’s a recipe that may gently soothe a cold:
1 inch size of stem ginger finely chopped
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon powder
¼ lemon squeezed.
Add the ingredients to a cup of hot water and sip on it. 2-3 cups a day when you feel a cold coming on or during a cold.