Dietary Therapies for Different Stages of Cold
When suffering from a cold but not yet needing injections or medication, many resort to self-treatment via diet—such as drinking red sugar ginger tea, radish juice, or chicken soup. Are these methods effective? Should food choices vary across different stages of a cold? A recent article in Taiwan’s "Healthy" magazine provides detailed analysis.
The key to cold treatment is "eating according to constitution and stage." Taiwanese integrative physician Liao Guisheng, an expert in dietary therapy, emphasizes that cold remedies should change with disease progression. Some foods are good for daily tonification, but should be avoided during inflammation or epidemic flu.
Early Stage of Cold:
Red Sugar Ginger Tea
Ginger’s gingerol and shogaol promote sweating and expel accumulated heat, especially older ginger with less moisture, which enhances circulation. Adding red sugar replenishes energy. However, this tea suits only external wind-cold invasion. It is unsuitable for heat-induced colds. Also, ginger stimulates circulation—avoid if there is inflammation or bleeding.
Fruits
Some believe increasing fruit intake during a cold is beneficial. Dr. Liu Jianhui, Department of Family Medicine, Taian Hospital, Taiwan, says this depends on individual circumstances. While fruits provide vitamin C, whether vitamin C prevents or treats colds remains debated.
Moreover, fruit juices or raw fruits are usually cold in nature and may constrict bronchial tubes, worsening cough. Except during fever, they are generally unsuitable during colds. Especially water-rich fruits like watermelon and pear are cooling. If experiencing cough, runny nose, diarrhea, or cold extremities, eating them may worsen symptoms.
Inflammation or Epidemic Flu:
If symptoms include sore throat, runny nose, yellow thick phlegm, or high fever, avoid tonics like ginseng, angelica, astragalus, and sesame oil, as they may exacerbate the condition. According to traditional Chinese medicine, cold-natured fruits like watermelon and pear have heat-clearing effects and can "extinguish fire."
Additionally, ancient TCM texts mention Cong Bei Tang (onion and fermented bean curd decoction), which alleviates headache and nasal congestion and helps reduce fever. Prepare by boiling the white part of green onions with fermented bean curd. Onion white promotes sweating; its malic acid and phosphoric acid stimulate circulation, offering faster sweating than ginger tea. Fermented bean curd supplements protein.
Preventing Cold
Radish and tea: Radish has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and diuretic effects, serving as a natural anti-inflammatory agent. Daily consumption of raw radish juice mixed with honey can relieve sore throat. Recently, Harvard University research found that drinking 5 cups of black or green tea daily for two weeks significantly boosts immunity, enabling the body to eliminate 10 times more cold and flu viruses compared to non-tea drinkers.