Drinking ginger tea alone is ineffective when having a cold
When suffering from a cold but not yet severe enough to require injections or medication, many people resort to dietary therapy, such as drinking brown sugar ginger tea, white radish juice, or chicken soup. But are these methods truly effective? Should food intake vary depending on different stages of a cold? A recent article in Taiwan’s "Health" magazine provides detailed analysis.
The key to treating a cold through diet lies in "eating according to constitution and timing." According to Dr. Liao Gui-sheng, a Taiwanese physician skilled in both traditional Chinese and Western medicine, dietary therapy for colds should change with disease progression—some foods suitable for general health maintenance may be inappropriate during inflammation or when infected with influenza.
Early stage of cold: Brown sugar ginger tea
Ginger’s gingerol and shogaol can induce sweating and expel accumulated heat in the body, especially old ginger with less moisture, which enhances blood circulation more effectively. Adding brown sugar replenishes energy. However, ginger tea is only suitable for external wind-cold invasion; those with heat-induced cold (heat stroke) should avoid it. Also, since ginger promotes blood circulation, it should not be consumed if there is inflammation or bleeding.
Some believe that eating more fruits during a cold is beneficial. Dr. Liu Jianhui, a family medicine physician at Taiwan An Hospital, says this depends on individual conditions. Eating more fruits can supplement vitamin C, but whether vitamin C can treat or prevent colds remains controversial.
Moreover, fruit juices or raw fruits are mostly cold in nature and may cause bronchial constriction, worsening cough. Except for fever, they are generally unsuitable during a cold. Especially fruits high in water content like watermelon and pear are particularly cold in nature; if symptoms include coughing, runny nose, diarrhea, or cold extremities, consuming them may worsen the condition.
Inflammation or contracted influenza: Pear, watermelon, sugarcane, coconut juice, and scallion-bean curd soup
When experiencing symptoms like sore throat, runny nose, yellow thick phlegm, or high fever, avoid tonics such as ginseng, angelica, astragalus, and sesame oil, as they might exacerbate the condition. Traditional Chinese medicine considers cold-natured fruits like watermelon and pear to have heat-clearing properties, useful for "extinguishing fire."
Additionally, ancient Chinese medical texts record that scallion-bean curd soup can relieve headache and nasal congestion, and also help feverish patients. The recipe involves boiling the white part of green onions with fermented bean curd. The white onion has a sweating effect, and its malic acid and phosphoric acid stimulate blood circulation, leading to faster sweating than ginger tea; fermented bean curd supplements protein in the body.
Prevention of colds: White radish, tea
White radish has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and diuretic effects, making it a natural anti-inflammatory agent. In daily life, mixing raw radish juice with honey and drinking it can alleviate sore throat. Recently, Harvard University research found that individuals who drank five cups of black or green tea daily over two weeks significantly enhanced their immune system, eliminating up to ten times more cold and flu viruses compared to non-tea drinkers.