Drinking Rice Porridge Regularly Helps Prevent Colds
With winter approaching, more people catch colds. Most of these colds are caused by wind-cold. Experts recommend drinking porridge regularly, especially varieties with therapeutic ingredients, to help prevent and treat colds.
Professor Gan Aiping from the Integrated Medicine Department of Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine stated that winter air is colder, especially with large day-night temperature differences. One slight oversight can easily trigger a cold. Winter colds are mostly wind-cold type, presenting symptoms like fever, chills, and absence of sweating. For the elderly, failing to prevent colds or delaying treatment can be especially dangerous, weakening immunity and exacerbating other conditions such as chronic bronchitis, hypertension, and heart disease.
Professor Gan advises that during winter colds, eating warm porridge helps induce sweating, release heat, expel wind-cold, and accelerate recovery. Additionally, during illness, appetite decreases and digestive function weakens—porridge aids absorption. Moreover, some medications severely irritate the stomach lining; porridge can protect the gastric mucosa.
She notes that rice porridge is best made with regular rice. Because rice is sweet and neutral in nature, it harmonizes the stomach, strengthens the spleen, fortifies bones and muscles, and balances the five zang organs. Other grains like millet, foxtail millet, and Job’s tears are slightly cold in nature—less suitable for winter consumption.
Moreover, adding certain therapeutic ingredients during porridge preparation enhances its benefits. Professor Gan recommends the following porridge recipes:
生姜苏叶粥 (Ginger and Perilla Leaf Porridge): Ginger is the best remedy for fever, sneezing, phlegm, etc., and is a common TCM herb with effects of expectorating phlegm, dispelling cold, invigorating qi, removing acne, and relieving asthma. Perilla leaf also disperses wind-cold and is available in most pharmacies. Preparation: 10 grams perilla leaf, 3 slices of ginger. Add to already-prepared white porridge, boil again, and serve.
生姜大枣粥 (Ginger and Red Date Porridge): Similar effects to the above. Preparation: Place rice in a pot, lightly dry-fry, then add water. Stir rice evenly, add red dates and ginger slices, simmer slowly until porridge is cooked. Add a pinch of salt. Note: Both porridges are highly warming—unsuitable for children, those with severe eye congestion, or hemorrhoids.
杏仁粥 (Apricot Kernel Porridge): About 20 peeled apricot kernels, 50 grams rice. Cook rice first, add apricot kernels near the end, continue cooking until done. Add a little sugar or salt. This porridge helps stop coughing, relieve asthma, remove phlegm, and moisturize.
防风粥 (Saposhnikovia Porridge): 15 grams saposhnikovia root (available in pharmacies), 2 green onions, 3 slices of ginger, 50 grams rice. First, cook rice until nearly done, then add saposhnikovia, green onions, and ginger. Add salt as needed. This porridge clears heat, dispels wind, relieves cold, and alleviates pain—ideal for wind-cold-induced chills, fever, joint pain, nasal congestion, heavy voice, intestinal rumbling, and diarrhea.
Professor Gan also warns: when drinking porridge, pay attention to temperature—do not drink too hot (to avoid mucosal damage) or too cold (to preserve efficacy).