When you’re feeling under the weather, the right choices in your diet can be a game-changer. Healthy foods can boost your immunity, alleviate symptoms and speed up your recovery.
“It’s important to always feed your body and immune system with the right foods to prevent illness and improve how you fight it off,” says registered dietitian nutritionist Kristen Gradney, owner of Pure Nutrition in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and a national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
While comforting chicken soup and soothing herbal teas are classics, other foods — like eggs and mangoes — can make a real difference in helping you feel better. Learn what to eat and what to avoid to tackle colds and the flu head-on and regain your vitality.
What to Eat When You Have the Flu
It can be tempting to pick up an over-the-counter flu medicine when you’re sick and just hope for the best. But if you want to speed up your recovery from having the flu or a cold, turn to your food choices. The following foods will provide the vitamins and minerals you need to get better as soon as possible.
11 Best Foods to Fight Flus and Colds
1. Chicken soup
Your mom was right: This sick-day staple is terrific in fighting illness.
That’s because the chicken offers protein, while the vegetables provide an array of vitamins, such as vitamin A from the carrots. Chicken soup is especially effective if you add more garlic to it. Garlic has a trace mineral called selenium that helps your body to prevent cell damage. Additionally, the broth in chicken soup hydrates you. That’s important when you feel run down from being sick and don’t have much of an appetite.
[Bone Broth: The Surprising Benefits for Your Health]
2. Citrus fruits
Vitamin C helps the body create antibodies, which fight off infections. To boost your intake of vitamin C, eat citrus fruits. One medium orange has 70 milligrams of vitamin C, which almost meets the recommended daily allowance of 75 milligrams for adult women and 90 milligrams is recommended for men.
Although you can enjoy citrus fruits plain as a snack, they’re also easy to add to salads and smoothies, says Nicole Avena, an associate professor of neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, visiting professor of health psychology at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, and author of “Sugarless.”
3. Eggs
Eggs are high in vitamin D, vitamin E and protein. One egg contains 0.65 milligrams of zinc. Eggs are super versatile, so you can make them many different ways or use them during any of your meals.
4. Fatty fish
Add some fatty fish — like salmon, mackerel or trout — to your sick-day winter meals, Avena recommends. That’s because these fish contain vitamin D, which you may not get enough of during the winter’s shorter days and longer nights. Vitamin D can help both boost your mood and protect your immune system thanks to vitamin D, explains Roxana Ehsani, a registered dietitian nutritionist and board-certified sports dietitian in Miami.
5. Honey
Honey has been used for hundreds of years as a natural cough suppressant and can help soothe an irritated throat. Add honey to your tea or water, or take a spoonful to help your cough. If you have diabetes, make sure to include the carbs in honey as part of your daily carb count. Never give honey to an infant younger under a year old because of the risk for botulism.
6. Mango
This tropical fruit is full of vitamins A and C. In fact, 1 cup of mango has 60 milligrams of vitamin C and 25% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A.
7. Nuts
Nuts are full of protein, vitamin E and zinc. A cup of roasted almonds offers 6.8 milligrams of vitamin E, an antioxidant that can protect your cells from damage, including from viruses and bacteria, Avena says. If you think you don’t like nuts, maybe you just need to find the right kind for your taste buds.
8. Pomegranates and pomegranate juice
“Fresh pomegranates are in season during peak cold and flu season, and thank goodness for that,” Ehsani says.
That’s because fresh pomegranate is a good source of vitamin C and fiber.
Even when they’re not in season, you can enjoy 100% pomegranate juice year-round for its antioxidants. Here are other ways to add pomegranates and their juice to your diet:
— Put the pomegranates on a slice of toast with peanut butter.
— Add them to oatmeal.
— Add them to salads.
— Use pomegranate juice in smoothies or mocktails (non-alcoholic cocktails).
9. Sweet potato
“You may not think of a sweet potato as an immune-supporting food, but it contains a bunch of immunity-supporting nutrients,” Ehsani says.
One medium sweet potato contains more than 100% of the recommended daily allowance for vitamin A and almost 40% of the daily value for vitamin C. It’s also high in antioxidants like beta-carotene and phytochemicals that help fight disease.
Here are a few ways to add sweet potatoes to your meals when you’re sick (or any time of the year):
— Add it to your chicken noodle soup.
— Add it to a grain bowl.
— Blend it into a soup.
— Roast it in the oven and have it as a side item.
10. Tomatoes
One medium tomato contains 18.9 milligrams of vitamin C. It also has vitamin A and an antioxidant called lycopene that helps protect heart health. In addition to all the common uses of tomato, a tomato soup may be just what you need when you’re ill, Gradney says. Tomato soup can help you boost your fluid intake, which is important when you have a cold or flu.
11. Bananas
Bananas are a great source of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, vitamin B6 and potassium, which support the immune system. Because of their soft texture, bananas are an excellent choice for soothing a sore throat or easing an upset stomach, which is why they are also part of the BRAT diet. Additionally, they help replace potassium levels to keep your electrolytes balanced.
[READ: What to Do for a Stuffy Nose.]
Immunity Boosting Vitamins
Foods that are rich in certain vitamins and minerals work best to help the body fight off colds and the flu. Those vitamins and minerals include:
— Vitamin A. The skin is our body’s first line of defense. The powerhouse vitamin is good for your immune system, eyes, heart, lungs and kidneys, as well as skin.
— Vitamin C, which helps the body to make antibodies. Antibodies are proteins that fight off illness.
— Vitamin D, which helps to keep your immune system healthy.
— Vitamin E, which is an antioxidant that supports immune function. An antioxidant is a substance that can help slow or delay some types of cell damage in the body.
— Zinc, which helps support wound healing and proper functioning of the immune system.
In addition to these vitamins and minerals, protein helps your body heal and recover more quickly when you’re sick, says registered dietitian nutritionist Caroline West Passerrello of Pittsburgh, who is a national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
What to Drink to Stay Hydrated
There are a few good reasons to stay hydrated when you have the flu or a cold.
“When you’re sick, you may be losing tons of fluid through coughing, sneezing, a runny nose, diarrhea and vomiting, so it’s essential to keep a glass or mug of fluids nearby,” Ehsani says.
Plus, if you have a fever, you might be sweating and losing fluids. The best fluids when you have the flu or a cold include:
— Water.
— Herbal teas.
— 100% fruit juices (juices without added sugar).
— Low-sodium broth.
Make sure that you’re using the bathroom every two to four hours, Ehsani advises. This helps indicate that you’re hydrated. If it’s been longer than that since your last bathroom visit or your urine is darker, like the color of apple juice, it may be a sign that you’re dehydrated and should drink more, she explains.
“One drink to avoid when you’re sick is alcohol as it’s dehydrating. It can weaken your already weak immune system, making it harder for you to recover and bounce back,” Ehsani cautions. It also may stop you from getting a good night’s sleep.
Bottom Line
During times when cold and flu viruses are prevalent, supporting your immune system and overall well-being through a wholesome diet and natural remedies remains essential. The foods you consume play a pivotal role in determining your body’s ability to fend off illnesses. Nutrients like vitamins A, C, D, E and zinc become your allies in this battle.
There are some other tips to follow when you’re sick with a cold or the flu:
— Make sure you get enough sleep. Most adults need seven to eight hours a night, and you may need more if you’re sick.
— Wash your hands frequently to lower the spread of illness to others if you’re sick.
— Seek medical attention if you suspect you have something more serious, such as pneumonia, strep throat or bronchitis, Avena advises. Signs of a more serious illness include a painful cough, difficulty breathing, wheezing and a high fever that doesn’t go down. Or, see a health care provider if you’ve been treating cold symptoms for a week and you’re not getting better.
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originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 03/28/24: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
