7 Best Foods Eaten During Colds And Flu, Suitable For Comfort Food

Illustration of the best food during colds and flu (Freepik/gpoinstudio)

YOGYAKARTA Colds and flu are bad situations because it causes appetite to disappear. But if you experience it, it still needs nutritious intake as well as comfort food that keeps the body going. According to nutrition consultant Monica Auslander Moreno, RD., colds and flu are caused by viruses. The best foods that can accelerate recovery, among others, are as follows.

There is a reason why eating warm foods during colds and flu makes it very comfortable. This is because when the nose is stuffy and runny nose, chicken soup not only provides the fluids the body needs but also fights the virus. Eating warm food also reduces inflammation. In chicken soup, mix it with carrots, celery, and onions. All three provide vitamins C, A, and if added, the chicken will fully meet the demand for protein and zinc.

Oranges contain lots of vitamin C and antioxidants that help boost immunity. Even in a healthy body condition, you need to get used to eating oranges because you can be relied on to strengthen the immune system.

Ginger is known as one of the best food and beverage ingredients for flu thanks to seskuiterpen. The content, reported by Women's Health, Thursday, August 24, helps fortify the body from rhinovirus, the most common family of flu viruses and cough-reducing substances. In addition to this content, ginger is also anti-inflammatory because it has ginseng. So, you can add several tablespoons of scarved ginger in the soup. You can also make ginger tea for heating drinks.

Garlic and red and leaves can help fight flu attacks. According to Moreno, garlic contains allicin which is associated with antibacterial, antifrug, antiviral, antiparasitic, and antioxidant properties. Add Kristin AR Gustashaw from Rush University in Chicago, this food is also a good source of vitamin C, and can help improve the function of intestinal barriers.

Have you ever imagined how comfortable it is to eat warm fish or steam fish species? That's right, fatty fish help increase vitamin D in the body that is beneficial to keep the immune system strong. Fat fish such as salmon, help maintain optimal blood levels when the body does not get enough sun exposure. The bonus, vitamin D also strengthens bones and fights certain types of cancer.

Food made from goats or sheep is one of the best foods during colds and flu because it contains high zinc. Research found that eating a rich food containing zinc at the beginning of the runny nose shortened the runny nose period even though it still needed a preventive tablet to reduce severity.

If you are on a vegan diet, then the tomato soup can also be used as an alternative to chicken soup. According to research published in The Journal of American College of Nutrition, likopen-rich tomatoes are antioxidants. Eating high food lycopene for eight weeks can reduce markers of oxidative stress or free radical imbalance that occurs during infection.

The seven best foods consumed during the runny nose and flu above, you can use a reference. You can also use the above ingredients for processing your dishes at home.