Best Foods to Fight Colds

Having a cold can leave you feeling tired, irritable and run down. Your energy levels are low as the cold ravages through your body and you feel like you want to stay in bed all day. Staying in bed all day would be the best option for your body, but within this hectic day and age, there are just so many sick days that you can take before you get fired!

Therefore, to keep your energy levels up while you have a cold and to get rid of your cold faster, you can eat these foods to help fight cold symptoms:

Zinc-rich foods are good foods to eat during a cold. Zinc is one of the essential minerals that boost the immune system and help fight against colds. Keep in mind that during a cold, the immune system has to work overtime to fight the cold germs. Therefore, to boost the immune system and make it not only work properly, but overtime because of the cold, you should eat foods such as eggs, crab, fish and liver, which are zinc-rich foods.

Load up also on vitamin C when you have a cold. Vitamin C is an important vitamin that strengthens the immune system and helps our bodies fight against colds and germs. Vitamin C can be fund in many fresh fruits and in some vegetables, so try drinking a lot of fruit juices and eat a lot of vegetables when you have a cold.

Vitamins A and E are also two very important vitamins that play a major role in the body's immune system. Both vitamins A and E protect mucous membranes in the immune system by strengthening or ridding it of harmful intruders such as viruses and bacteria. Foods rich in vitamins A and E are squash, kale, spinach, broccoli, nuts, peas, beans, carrot, eggs, eggplant and berries. So eat these foods when you have a cold.

Studies have shown that the trace mineral, selenium, is a beneficial nutrient to the immune system. So when the immune system is weakened during a cold, one way to boost the immune system and help get over a cold faster is to eat foods that are rich in selenium. Foods that are rich in selenium are cereals, nuts, legumes, seafood, meats and poultry.

Drinking plenty of liquids is another way to fight a cold effectively, especially if that cold is accompanied by the flu. Chicken soup is a go-to liquid that helps to fight colds. But you can also just boil some tea to get a boost from the antioxidants found in tea. Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C and E, along with phytochemicals boost the immune system well. So drink a lot of teas during a cold. Also, you should drink a lot of water to keep the body hydrated.

Garlic is an unlikely food to think about when eating to boost the immune system. But alas, it contains a compound called allicin that has been shown in studies to have antibiotic properties. Also, look to yogurt to help you get over a cold or flu easily as yogurts contain vitamins and minerals that strengthen the immune system.

By eating the right foods and taking over-the-counter medications, you can better help your body to fight colds faster.