Colds and Flu
The snow is here, the weather is getting colder and there seems to be more people getting sick with a cold or the flu. To some people, it seems that getting sick during the winter is inevitable - more time spent indoors with other people and the temperature changes from outside to inside are more drastic. There is even research that suggests that up to 25% of our genes change with the season. So what do we do then to help prevent colds and flu?
There are many nutrition claims out there stating that certain foods or nutrients will prevent or cure your cold. Let's dive a little deeper into these claims and see if there is any truth to them.
Echinacea - Echinacea seems to be a popular suggestion when it comes to foods or nutrients that will help prevent or cure colds. When I dived into the research, it is typically suggested that, while echinacea does not prevent you from getting a cold, it may help with some cold symptoms such as sore throat.
Garlic - Numerous studies have been done researching if garlic, particularly the allicin found in garlic, can help prevent and reduce the severity and duration of colds. In these studies, very few found the group receiving garlic supplementation reporting fewer colds and shorter duration while taking the supplement. One thing to consider is the amount of allicin found in garlic versus the amount found in supplements. One clove of garlic contains less than 5 mg allicin, where as the supplements often used in the studies contain in the range of 180 mg. Thus, you would need a lot of allicin containing garlic supplements to reach that 180 mg used in studies, so I don't think it is worth it.
Vitamin C - Vitamin C seems to be the most commonly suggested nutrient to help prevent and cure colds. From Orange Juice to Vitamin C Emergen-C, there always seems to be some vitamin C containing food or product being suggested. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that may help prevent disease and help the body absorb iron. A meta-analysis of the many studies regarding Vitamin C supplementation and colds found that Vitamin C failed to reduce the incidence of colds in the average person, but could be justified in individuals exposed to periods of severe physical activity and/or cold environments. It was however found that regular supplementation does play a role in reducing severity and duration of colds through support of respiratory defense mechanisms. So while Vitamin C supplementation may not prevent colds, but may help you recover quicker.
Zinc - Zinc is a mineral that is good for a healthy immune system and proper growth. A meta-analysis found that zinc supplementation of 10-15 mg/day, typically through zinc lozenges, helped reduced duration of colds by 30-40% in the short term. Large doses of zinc, greater than 100mg/day, made no difference in the duration and severity of colds, and is more than an individual can safely take on a daily basis, unless under medical supervision.
While there does appear to be some evidence of certain foods or nutrients helping prevent or reduce the severity of your cold or flu, while others just aren't worth the hype. What other foods or nutrients have you heard of or tried to help fight your cold or flu? Comment below 👇👇
There are many nutrition claims out there stating that certain foods or nutrients will prevent or cure your cold. Let's dive a little deeper into these claims and see if there is any truth to them.
Echinacea - Echinacea seems to be a popular suggestion when it comes to foods or nutrients that will help prevent or cure colds. When I dived into the research, it is typically suggested that, while echinacea does not prevent you from getting a cold, it may help with some cold symptoms such as sore throat.
Garlic - Numerous studies have been done researching if garlic, particularly the allicin found in garlic, can help prevent and reduce the severity and duration of colds. In these studies, very few found the group receiving garlic supplementation reporting fewer colds and shorter duration while taking the supplement. One thing to consider is the amount of allicin found in garlic versus the amount found in supplements. One clove of garlic contains less than 5 mg allicin, where as the supplements often used in the studies contain in the range of 180 mg. Thus, you would need a lot of allicin containing garlic supplements to reach that 180 mg used in studies, so I don't think it is worth it.
Image from https://pixabay.com/en/garlic-purple-garlic-head-of-garlic-618400/
Vitamin C - Vitamin C seems to be the most commonly suggested nutrient to help prevent and cure colds. From Orange Juice to Vitamin C Emergen-C, there always seems to be some vitamin C containing food or product being suggested. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that may help prevent disease and help the body absorb iron. A meta-analysis of the many studies regarding Vitamin C supplementation and colds found that Vitamin C failed to reduce the incidence of colds in the average person, but could be justified in individuals exposed to periods of severe physical activity and/or cold environments. It was however found that regular supplementation does play a role in reducing severity and duration of colds through support of respiratory defense mechanisms. So while Vitamin C supplementation may not prevent colds, but may help you recover quicker.
Image from https://www.emergenc.com/products/everyday
Zinc - Zinc is a mineral that is good for a healthy immune system and proper growth. A meta-analysis found that zinc supplementation of 10-15 mg/day, typically through zinc lozenges, helped reduced duration of colds by 30-40% in the short term. Large doses of zinc, greater than 100mg/day, made no difference in the duration and severity of colds, and is more than an individual can safely take on a daily basis, unless under medical supervision.
While there does appear to be some evidence of certain foods or nutrients helping prevent or reduce the severity of your cold or flu, while others just aren't worth the hype. What other foods or nutrients have you heard of or tried to help fight your cold or flu? Comment below 👇👇
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