A number of foods have medicinal effects

As much as you might hope to avoid it, chances are you’ll catch at least one cold or flu bug this season. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, each American suffers two to six colds per year, and at least one in every 10 people will come down with the flu. Smart preventative measures start at the table. Yes, you can beat the odds of becoming ill with your knife and fork.

The best way to avoid catching a virus is to keep your immune system strong. Numerous foods boost immunity naturally and have been used for centuries to deflect illness or lessen its impact. The right foods will help you start building your resistance.

It is no secret that fruits and vegetables are good for you, but did you know that many foods contain potent medicines?

Not all fruits and vegetables have the same nutritional value and health benefits. Some provide more benefits than others.

• Garlic: This powerful antiviral bulb is one of the most widely researched herbs in the world, and it has been used as a remedy throughout history. Garlic appears to serve as an antibiotic, antifungal and antiviral agent. Fresh garlic juice was found to be an equally powerful antifungal agent as the prescription drugs amphterician and nystatin.

Garlic aids digestion by increasing the flow of gastric juices and the rate of bowel movements. Garlic may also help to lower cholesterol and promote heart health. This was found during a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study where 46 people with high cholesterol were not compliant with drug therapy. Each person was given dietary counseling to lower fat intake, and they took garlic or a placebo. After 12 weeks, the garlic group experienced a significant reduction in total cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol) compared with the placebo group who didn’t experience sig. changes.

Garlic has been shown to reduce stickiness of blood platelets and to slightly reduce mild hypertension. Garlic may also inhibit the development of cancer and cancer-causing substances.

RECOMMENDATION: Slice and eat one or two cloves daily.

• Onions: Onions exhibit many properties similar to garlic. They may reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol and blood sugars.

Test-tube studies have demonstrated that compounds in onions inhibit inflammation-causing enzymes associated with the asthmatic response.

Onions may also provide protection against stomach, colon and breast cancer. One French study of 345 women showed that the risk of breast cancer decreased as they ate more fiber, garlic and onions.

RECOMMENDATION: About 1/3 of an onion a day can keep infection at bay.

• Cruciferous vegetables: Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, bok choy, collard and mustard greens, kale, kohlrabi, rutabaga and turnips. Eating these foods provides powerful phytochemical protection against cancer and directly inhibits cancer cell growth.

• Bioflavonoids: Bioflavonoids are responsible for the pigment in fruits and flowers and are some of the most powerful antioxidants in nature.

Bioflavonoids are associated with a lower risk of heart disease, inhibit pancreatic cancer cells, and reduce inflammation and allergies. Blueberries are one fruit rich in bioflavonoids. This purplish-blue fruit has been demonstrated to reduce nearsightedness, diabetic retinopathy and improve night vision.

RECOMMENDATION: Include a blue, purplish or red fruit daily.

• Carotenoids: Some researchers believe that carotenoids may be the most important dietary antioxidant. They are responsible for cancer fighting.

Carotenoids enhance the ability of the body’s natural killer cells. Another carotenoid that has made headlines lately is lycopene, found in tomatoes. It has been shown to lower the risk of prostrate cancer.

RECOMMENDATION: Take 2 tablespoons cooked carrots per day.

• Mushrooms: While some mushrooms are poisonous, others are delicious and safe to eat and provide several health benefits, including enhancing immunity.

Mushrooms may be promising immune stimulators, according to one review. Scientists have isolated a substance in shitake mushrooms that may help prevent heart attacks by lowering cholesterol.

• Chicken soup: Doctors and moms have recommended the chicken soup remedy for ages. Experts theorize that it works due to the combination of immune-building ingredients, anti-inflammatory ingredients, hydrating liquid and mucus-thinning steam.

RECOMMENDATION: Use at the onset of a cold. Keep some chicken soup on hand in case you should become ill.

• Hot peppers: Peppers’ intense heat comes from capsaicin, a chemical that causes mucous membranes to flush with water. This thins mucus that might otherwise host unwanted germs.

RECOMMENDATION: Capsaicin amounts vary by pepper type, so eat enough so you need to reach for the box of tissues.

• Ginger: This root contains various powerful antiviral compounds. Even powered ginger benefits health, thanks to its anti-inflammatory effects.

RECOMMENDATION: Use a few slices of fresh ginger made into a tea with 2-3 cups water, but 1 or 2 tablespoons of the dried powder added to soup is a convenient alternative.

• Yogurt: Foods containing probiotic bacteria can be a powerful weapon against illness. Its fermentation process also produces highly bioavailable forms of protein and calcium, both good for immunity. Yogurt is also rich in zinc, an essential anti-infection mineral.

RECOMMENDATION: Enjoy 6 ounces of yogurt daily.

• Tea: There are a few studies that show activity against influenza viruses by components of green and black tea. One study showed decreased infection of influenza in people gargling twice daily with black tea.

RECOMMENDATION: Drink green or black tea several times a day.

• Water: Consume plenty of fluids to help your body stay hydrated. This can protect you from unwanted germs. Keep a filled water bottle handy to keep your nasal passages hydrated and operating at optimum to keep bugs out.

• Zinc: Zinc is important for building immune functions and may help lesson the severity of some cold symptoms. Animal sources of zinc are absorbed best and includes lean red meat, eggs, oysters, shellfish and milk.

Non-animal sources of zinc include wheat germ, whole-wheat foods, lima beans, soybeans, peanuts and baked beans.

• Flaxseed oil: A study found that children taking a half teaspoon of flax oil a day experienced fewer and less severe respiratory infections and fewer days of being absent from school. The omega-3 fatty acids in flax oil and fatty fish – such as salmon, tuna and mackerel – act as immune boosters by increasing the activity of the white blood cells that eat up bacteria.


Source: nashuatelegraph.com

Publication date: 9/10/2007

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