The cold diet is a set of nutritional recommendations aimed at preventing the disease and supporting the body in the event of an ongoing infection.
As a matter of disclosure, let us remember that the common cold is a pathology of a viral nature and that, therefore, the use of antibiotics is totally inappropriate (except for secondary complications).
Cold
A cold means an infectious disease commonly attributable to viruses of the genus Rhinovirus .
The symptoms of a cold are mainly: sneezing, excessive mucus production, nasal and sometimes sinus congestion, sore throat, cough, headache and exhaustion. Recall that a cold is a disease different from the flu, even if the nutritional tricks can have some characteristics in common (To deepen: Diet for the Influenza).
Although it has no direct therapeutic function, the diet can have a protective and supportive effect on cold healing. In fact, an appropriate diet regulates positively on the immune system and sometimes promotes moderation of symptoms. Conversely, general malnutrition, in particular vitamin deficiency, weakens the body by predisposing it to viral infection.
Immune and Cold System
The possibility of contagion for the cold varies according to many factors, independent of one's own or others' will (environmental, family, hygiene, internal organisms, etc.); however, remember that the immune system can be solicited or weakened by subjective behavior, such as: breastfeeding, nutrition, level of physical activity, obesity, stress, etc.
However, in an absolute sense, the ideal conditions for a good immune system include:
- Pre-existing genetic basis
- Breastfeeding
- Physiological trophic and well-functioning bacterial flora
- Adulthood (while children and the elderly are weaker)
- Impeccable nutritional status, therefore in normal weight and without any lack of energy, salt, vitamin and antioxidant
- Good level of physical activity, including not too intense motor activity (the latter can be debilitating)
- Absence of other pathologies
- Psychological stability, low level of stress and regular sleep.
Diet and Immune System
It will have happened to everyone to note that some people are more prone to the onset of cold than others. Likewise, there are subjects that almost never get sick.
As anticipated, this depends above all on the state of the efficiency of the immune system which, in turn, subordinates to the conditions listed in the previous chapter. Excluding the factors on which it is not possible to intervene, in order to increase one's defenses, all that remains is to eat correctly and exercise regularly.
Unfortunately, it is very complicated to scientifically prove that a certain food model is able or not to hinder the infection or to reduce severely the severity of colds. In fact, while there is the clinical certainty that nutrition affects defense systems, it is not proven that increasing the intake of certain foods or nutrients can reduce the incidence of colds; on the other hand, it is shown that a state of undernutrition or malnutrition is able to increase the ominous possibilities.
The essential points of the cold diet are few but very important. First of all, it is essential to clarify which nutrients should not be lacking and which could exert (at higher doses than normal) an additional trophic effect on the immune system.
In the introduction, I would add that the statistics reveal a clear deterioration in the immune status, an increased risk of infection and adverse reactions to vaccines, especially in obese people. This means that a diet that is too energetic, badly distributed and associated with a sedentary lifestyle, has a predisposing effect also on the cold.
The molecules involved in the prevention of colds and in improving healing are: vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin D (calciferol), zinc, isoflavones, probiotics and prebiotics.
Isoflavones
We begin by describing the action of isoflavones.
These are vegetable antioxidants, typical of soy (but also present in vegetables and fruit), which are able to fight (thanks to various mechanisms) the infectious action of certain viruses; in addition, isoflavones exert antioxidant, anticancer, positive effects on lipemia and glycaemia, etc.
C vitamin
To learn more: Vitamin C and Colds
Many believe that vitamin C is one of the antioxidants necessary to support any immune fight, from cold to cancer. A striking example of its therapeutic power is the famous case of Allan Smith who, after contracting a serious form of swine flu, was treated using a combination of oral and venous vitamin C. Obviously, the single case does not provide a certainty, but a cue to think about.
Moreover, if given to endurance athletes (potentially subject to deficiency, to immune stress, etc.), this antioxidant is able to halve the danger of infection.
From a practical point of view, to increase the intake of vitamin C in the diet, it is necessary to eat raw seasonal fruits and vegetables. They are particularly rich in ascorbic acid: kiwi (including vitamin E, folic acid, polyphenols and carotenoids), citrus fruits, chili peppers, peppers, parsley, lettuce, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, pumpkin, papaya, tomatoes, etc.
Potatoes also contain vitamin C, but the need for cooking reduces their concentration.
Another research, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, revealed that a kiwi-rich diet reduces the duration and severity of upper respiratory tract symptoms (colds) in the elderly population.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is another nutrient that tends to play an important role in most healing from infectious diseases. It is a very powerful antimicrobial agent, which produces 200 to 300 different antimicrobial peptides (against viruses, bacteria and fungi).
Low levels of vitamin D can seriously affect the immune response and increase susceptibility to colds, flu and other respiratory infections; the correlation has been demonstrated by several studies.
Among these, one particularly representative is " Vitamin D and Other Simple, Inexpensive Tricks to Cure a Cold ", performed in America; it involves around 19, 000 people and showed that those with the lowest levels of vitamin D reported a higher incidence of cold and flu.
The best source of vitamin D is exposure to sunlight (UVB rays), as our body is able to synthesize it in the skin. If exposure were not enough, it would be necessary to increase the consumption of fish and eggs and supplement with synthetic vitamin D3.
NB . With the intake of vitamin D3 at high dosages it is also necessary to supplement vitamin K2 (anti-haemorrhagic).
Based on the latest research by "GrassrootsHealth", the average dose of vitamin D3 for adults is around 8, 000 IU / day. For children, many experts agree that they need about 35 IU / kg of body weight. On the other hand, the only way to check if the supply of vitamin D3 is optimal is with a blood test, which should show a plasma concentration of at least 40ng / ml (better if 50-70 ng / ml).
Zinc
Scientific research on zinc has shown that, if taken within a day of the first signs, this mineral can reduce the time of illness, up to 24 hours, and the severity of the symptoms.
The recommended dosage of zinc is up to 50mg / day; the foods that contain the most are: oysters, liver, milk and meat.
Probiotics and Prebiotics
The lack of balance in the intestinal bacterial flora is responsible for functional alterations and reduction of the immune tropism. Most of the time, this imbalance is caused by:
- Excess of simple sugars refined
- Deficiency of healthy fatty acids
- Deficiency of fibers and prebiotic carbohydrates
- Exogenous scarcity of lactobacilli, bifidobacteria and eubacteria.
To restore the balance of the intestinal bacterial flora, it is therefore necessary to add the right amounts of prebiotics and increase the probiotic diet. In the first case, it is sufficient to consume fruits and vegetables in ordinary portions (in all, four per day); in the second case, various fermented products such as yoghurt, kefir, buttermilk, kimchi, miso, gherkins and sauerkraut can be helpful. Alternatively, it may be good practice to supplement with dietary yoghurts and supplements.
Other dietary advice
Some specialists suggest, in the cure for colds, to regularly consume chicken meat broth.
This food is easily digested and contains many useful nutrients; among others:
- Bioavailable mineral salts such as: magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur and others
- Chondroitin sulfates, glucosamine and other compounds extracted from cartilage, with an anti-inflammatory action
- Free amino acids with anti-inflammatory action, such as glycine, proline and arginine
- Amino acid cysteine, which seems to thin the excess mucus (typical of the cold).
The action of cysteine - associated with the high temperature of the drink and the presence of spicy molecules (chili capsaicin, pepper piperine, etc.) - is extremely effective in the fight against congestion of the upper airways.
To the classic extra virgin olive oil, it could be useful to alternate coconut oil. This food contains lauric acid, which is converted by the body into monolaurin, a monoglyceride capable of destroying viruses with lipid coating and gram negative bacteria.
It is always useful to prefer foods made from animals raised on the ground and fed on grass or with natural products. This is aimed at guaranteeing some molecules useful for the immune system, such as: carotenoids, vitamin E, essential fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid and zinc.
It is advisable to favor the consumption of garlic, onion, shallots and the like, due to their allicin content; this characteristically flavored molecule has antiviral, antibiotic and antifungal functions.
There are also certain herbs, extracts and products useful for stimulating the immune system; these include: curcumin curcumin, olive leaf extract, bee propolis, oregano oil carvacrol, medicinal mushrooms (ganoderma, shiitake, etc.), medicinal herb tea (elderberry, yarrow, Eupatorium perfoliatum, linden, peppermint and ginger) ) and echinacea.
Obviously, many of these products are part of popular or traditional medicine and do not always have a contemporary scientific confirmation; however, after consulting a doctor (especially necessary during pregnancy and lactation), sometimes their use can be advantageous.
