Preventing Cold & Flu

These fruits are commonly known cold fighters as lots of people double up their doses of vitamin C tablets, drink orange juice or squeeze lemon into their hot tea once they start getting the sniffles. Almost all of the citrus fruits are good options: oranges, grapefruits, lemons and even limes. They’re all high in vitamin C and flavonoids, which not only boost your immune system but prevent excessive inflammation and protect cells from oxygen damage. Boosting your diet with citrus fruits can shorten your cold by a day if you get on them early enough.

Other fruit alternatives high in vitamin C include kiwis, papayas and cantaloupes.

Anise seeds aren’t something that’s readily consumed in the North American diet, but you might want to keep it in the pantry as a cold remedy. They’re considered to be an expectorant in herbal medicine, which means they’re great for helping clear up the mucus in your upper respiratory tract. They also have antibacterial properties as well, so they’ll also help kill some germs.

While some people don’t love their licorice flavor, an easy way to introduce them to your body is via teas.

Echinacea is an herb that’s often found either in pill or tea form, and it can help you ward off common colds. It’s been well known to decrease inflammation and increase your white blood cell count. White blood cells are the ones that help fight infections in your body.

And you thought oysters were merely a good aphrodisiac!

If you’re looking for a natural source for zinc, pound-for-pound, oysters are your top choice. Six medium-sized oysters will have about 77 mg of zinc. Find a nice dollar-per-shuck happy hour and slurp some of these bad boys down (maybe with a squirt of lemon) to accelerate the activity of your body’s enzymes and supercharge your immune system. Some other good natural zinc options are pumpkin seeds and calf liver.

Would you rather endure bad breath or the effects of the flu?

If you choose the former, add some raw garlic to your diet when you’re under the weather. Chew on a clove every few hours or try cutting it into smaller bites. By taking it in, you’ll release the power of the allicin and allion compounds found inside, which both have antiviral properties. Better yet, some studies have shown that if you add a dose of garlic to your regular diet -- even if it’s lightly cooked -- you’ll decrease your chances of even getting the flu.

If garlic is too strong, onions are also an option as they also contain allicin and allion.

Looking for a non-citrus fruit option that provides you with similar levels of vitamin C? Simply add some bell peppers to your diet. Yellow peppers come in with the most, at around 184 milligrams of vitamin C while the reds offer roughly 150.  Most adults need between 75 and 90 per day, so popping just one pepper is plenty to give your immune system a boost and lessen the oxidative stress to your body.

Sometimes finding anise seeds -- or finding a way to use them in a recipe -- can be a bit of a challenge. Instead, you can also eat the full-grown version in a fennel stalk or star anise to get similar benefits. In herbal medicine, fennel has been known to clear mucus in the lungs and help clear chest congestion.

This popular fruit is another winner when it comes to colds and flus. Blueberries have lots of vitamin C, which is great for the immune system, but they also have a good amount of vitamins A and B, selenium, zinc and iron.  Specifically, pterostilbene teams with vitamin D to boost your immune system and fight infections.

Go for the wild blueberries, as they typically contain less water and are more compact -- with all of the healthy antioxidants.

No, this isn’t just a placebo that will make feel better just because it tastes good. It actually has some nutritious properties that will help ease your cold. Specifically, chocolate helps with your cough and sore throat thanks to the theobromine found in the cocoa. London’s National Heart and Lung Institute actually completed a study where chocolate outperformed codeine, which is the common ingredient found in cough medicine.

About two ounces of dark chocolate should ease your cough for at least two hours.

Brazil nuts are one of the richest sources of selenium that you can find. That’s important because selenium spurs the production of cytokine molecules, which in turn sparks your immune system and boosts its ability to fight infections.

There are many different remedies for sore throats. From gargling with salt water to taking medications, it seems like the results depend on the individual.

An often-overlooked method is one that mom used to give us as kids: popsicles. They can help soothe your esophagus as you suck on the cold treat. Just make sure you’re reaching for the 100% fruit juice ones and not the refined sugar-filled junk.

Get a healthy dose of beta-carotene by opting for sweet potatoes instead of the regular kind. Beta-carotene translates to vitamin A, which is a key cog in the functioning of your immune system. It also helps keep skin and mucous membranes that line the nose, sinuses, and mouth functioning properly. That’s particularly important when you get sick, as some of those realms are where we experience common symptoms.

Alternatively, carrots and papaya are also a good source, as are a number of other orange fruits and vegetables.

Studies done on the elderly have shown that vitamin E can reduce your chances of catching a cold. To catch this protective effect, add some sunflower seeds to your diet, which are high in vitamin E. It’s particularly helpful for warding off respiratory infections and maintaining good health of the lungs.

It’s easy to overlook water when there are so many remedies, but this may be among the most important ones. Not only does water help flush the system of toxins and rehydrate your body, it also helps keep your throat moist and thins congestion.

Make sure you drink lots of water when you’re under the weather. Your immune system can’t function without it.

Your mother has always told you to eat your vegetables, and we’re going to reiterate it -- because they help you fight colds. All of those leafy greens like kale, arugula and collard greens are great for you, because they help create more infection-fighting white blood cells.

Studies have shown that these types of vegetables contain chemicals that signal to the body’s first line of defense to get in gear. The network of white blood cells, called intra-epithelial lymphocytes, help protect your body against infections and wounds.

Ginger has long been considered a remedy in the world of herbal medicine and it’s a good idea to warm up to it if you’re feeling a bit sick. It’s known as a stimulating herb, as it warms you up from the inside. Try drinking a ginger tea and you’ll feel the warmth. It opens up your pores and allows you to sweat out toxins, which is important for flushing the system and getting rid of germs.

Yogurt is known to be a bacteria-filled food, so why would you want to add it to your diet when your body is already fighting a bunch inside? Well, there’s good bacteria and bad bacteria, and yogurt presents much of the good kind.

Probiotics are bacteria that take care of your stomach by maintaining the natural balance of organisms in the gut. Supplementing your diet with extra probiotics can ward off some common colds, according to some research, and prevent stomach ailments.

If you’re feeling sick, chances are your stomach has been turned upside down too. Bananas have long been used to help soothe the stomach. It contains the fiber pectin, which helps firm up your bowel movements. Also, bananas have potassium, which helps you hydrate in a time when your body is probably low on fluids.

Feeling stuffed up? Try adding a little spice to the diet. A little bit of cayenne powder is sure to clear your nose thanks to the capsaicin found inside.

Capsaicin is that pungent ingredient in hot peppers that’s responsible for the spice. It effectively opens and drains the congested nasal passages. That’s not all, though -- it contains antibacterial properties, which is ideal when you’re fighting a cold.

Elderberries are becoming a popular cold remedy thanks to the extract found inside. Sambucol, which is a black elderberry extract, has been shown to fight against flu symptoms with its antiviral properties. It helps reduce viral infections while the bioflavonoids in berries stimulate the immune system.

While these berries might be hard to find in their raw form, the teas and extracts are much more readily available at health food stores.

If you’ve got a bad cough or bronchial ailments, honey is your friend. That’s because it does a great job of coating the back of throat thanks to its consistency. Beyond that, this age-old remedy also has antibacterial and antifungal properties. Try out the rare Manuka honey, which is the rare honey produced in New Zealand and Australia, as it’s known to have antibiotic qualities.

Turmeric is that yellow spice that’s one of the key components in common curries. While the powder isn’t particularly strong in taste, it has significant cold-fighting benefits. The key ingredient is curcumin, which is a polyphenol that has been known to ease headaches and work as a decongestant for your body. It’s also a fairly decent source for manganese and potassium, which boost your immune system.

Grandma’s preached this one for a while, but science has had a tough time pinpointing why exactly that’s the case. The general presumptions are that the hot broth is great for flushing the system of viral bugs and infections, and is great for clearing up congestion. It raises your body temperature, so you can also sweat out some of the toxins. However, recent studies have also suggested that the broth itself has anti-inflammatory properties as well, which help prevent common cold side effects.

Omega-3 helps the body reduce inflammation and support the immune system, both of which are important when you’re fighting through a cold. More specifically, Britain's Institute of Human Nutrition and School of Medicine found that the Omega-3’s increase the activity of phagocytes, which are cells that battle the flu by eating up bacteria.

You can either eat fish like salmon or take supplements like cod liver oil to get the healthy Omega-3 fatty acids into your system.

Cloves are a warm, sweet spice that you might find in something like a gingerbread cookie or a pumpkin pie. However, did you know about the health benefits you can reap from adding these to your diet?

For starters, they are packed with antioxidants. Those dealing with a cold specifically will be interested to know that alternative Indian medicine suggests chewing on a clove can ease the irritation in your throat, while chewing on a burnt one combats a cough. That’s because cloves contain a significant amount of eugenol and flavonoids, which contribute to this spice’s anti-inflammatory powers.

Cabbage is high in glutathione, which is considered to be one of the preeminent antioxidants. Studies have shown that when people get sick, they are experiencing a glutathione deficiency. Give your body a boost by eating some cabbage or other cruciferous vegetables like watercress and collard greens.

Oil of oregano is a popular natural remedy for a number of ailments and many people use it for colds in particular. That’s because the oil is high in phenolic compounds, which are antioxidants that have been found to have some antifungal and antibacterial properties.

Broccoli-- and other cruciferous vegetables -- are high in glucosinolates, which have mostly been tied to fighting cancer. However, these compounds have been known to lower the carcinogenic effects of many environmental toxins and stimulate the immune system, which is what you need when you’re under the weather.

If you still don’t like the taste of broccoli, cauliflower, arugula and radishes are some of the other options.

All it takes is one sneeze. That’s usually followed by the sniffling, coughing and fever. Next, we start looking for answers through traditional medicine.

Sure, you can take the over-the-counter concoction of chemicals or stronger antibiotics, and hope the long list of side effects that are rapidly read through in their TV commercials don’t haunt you. You could also get a flu shot. However, if you’re looking to try things out the organic way, we’ve compiled a list of the 30 best natural cold- and flu-fighting foods and ingredients to give your body a boost: