What Nutrients and Foods Help Cure a Cold?
At the beginning of a cold, your body is fighting the virus and your immune system is weakened. Since they get tired more easily than usual, supplementing them with sufficient nutrition early will help prevent colds from prolonging and help the body recover. In particular, pay attention to the following nutrients. We've compiled a list of the nutrients you need and the foods that contain them.
*Vitamin A: Protects the mucous membranes of the throat and nose → Green and yellow vegetables, liver, eel, cheese, etc. *Vitamin B1: Converts carbohydrates into energy and reduces body fatigue and dullness → Pork, eel, soybeans, germ Rice, etc. *Vitamin C: Works to increase resistance to viruses → Lemon, persimmon, kiwifruit, strawberry, paprika (red, yellow) *Protein: Becomes a material for skin, mucous membranes, immune cells, etc., increases metabolism → Meat, Seafood, eggs, soybeans, soybean products, dairy products, etc. * Iron: A material of blood that carries nutrients to every corner of the body → Liver, red meat and fish (filet, bonito, etc.), shellfish, eggs, soybeans, soybeans Product・Spinach・Japanese mustard spinachTaking vitamin C and iron together increases the absorption rate. is becoming important.
PeopleImagesGetty ImagesSome people have mild symptoms, while others find it difficult to go shopping. Don't force yourself to cook according to your physical condition, and make use of convenience stores and delivery services. If you don't have an appetite, it's a good idea to supplement with bar-type nutritional foods and jelly drinks that provide these nutrients.
Incorporate food that warms your body!
By warming your body, your body temperature rises, which improves blood flow and boosts your immune system. Blood carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells of our body and carries waste products back with us. White blood cells with immune function are present in that blood, and they patrol for foreign substances while circulating throughout the body.
When the body temperature drops, the blood flow becomes worse. Even if a foreign body is found in the body, it becomes difficult to collect white blood cells and the immune system is weakened, so the symptoms worsen rapidly due to viruses and bacteria. It is important to raise body temperature to activate immunity from the inside of the body. At the beginning of a cold, let's actively incorporate ingredients that warm the body.
* Ingredients that warm the body → Fermented foods such as ginger, green onions, garlic, Chinese chives, chili peppers, miso and kimchi
If you lose muscle mass, your body temperature will drop.
Recommended menu to start a cold
Even if it's instant, choose one with as many ingredients as possible. Miso is rich in amino acids that make up the body, and by adding proteins such as tofu and pork, it enhances the body's resilience. Cooking vegetables until they become soft will improve digestion, and the nutrients that have flowed out due to heating can be taken out, so you can replenish the nutrients your body needs.
YuujiGetty ImagesIf you want to save time, we recommend heating the cut vegetables in the microwave and adding them directly to the instant miso soup, or using a frozen root vegetable mix.
Raw vegetables cool the body, so it is recommended to heat them in a pot before eating them. Even if you boil it until it becomes dry, if you eat it with the juice, you can get the nutrients that have flowed out. Heating it makes it easier to digest, so it's also recommended that it's gentle on your body when you've caught a cold.
bonchanGetty ImagesIngredients include ingredients that warm the body, such as green onions, Chinese chives, and kimchi, as well as protein-rich meat, fish, and tofu. Combining them to improve the color makes it easier to balance nutrition. Recently, supermarkets and convenience stores sell single-serving hot pot sets that can be eaten just by heating them, so you can also use them.
Ginger warms the body from the core. If you don't have an appetite, we recommend drinking ginger tea or ginger tea, or adding a tube of ginger to instant miso soup.
All Nea / 500pxGetty ImagesIt is said that people with a normal temperature in the 35°C range have a lower immune system than those with a normal temperature in the 36°C range. In addition to eating, be aware of the habit of warming your body on a daily basis, such as soaking in a bathtub or wearing a warmer.
Fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals that are easily lost when you catch a cold. You can eat it as it is, so you can take in nutrients efficiently. For foods that can be eaten with the skin, such as apples and grapes, it is better to eat the skin with the skin so that the nutrients are not lost. Citrus fruits such as mandarin oranges, grapefruits, oranges, kiwis, and persimmons, which are rich in vitamin C, are especially recommended.
lucigermaGetty ImagesIt is important to eat nutritious food, stay warm, and get a good night's sleep when you start to catch a cold. Let's kick out the cold before it lasts with a meal that considers the recovery of the body!
*This article was published on November 8, 2021. Related Stories What are the similarities between the burning “uncle syntax” and “emo style”, and the danger of not being able to see the essence? The reason why the number of infected people has decreased in Japan-Why is it a "non-compulsory declaration of a state of emergency"? A storm of sympathy for my mother's contact book 30 years ago