Is it possible to drink coffee when you have a cold?
Doctors usually recommend avoiding coffee during illness, as it can increase the load on the heart, and tachycardia is harmful to a weakened body. In addition, caffeine dehydrates the body, so there is a risk that the patient will not drink enough fluids, in which case the drink will actually be harmful. Another reason is to increase vigor, and when you have a cold, it is advisable to rest more, fall asleep, etc. It is easier for doctors to prohibit than to explain the rules and hope for the patient’s consciousness.
However, not so long ago scientists recognized that coffee can be beneficial for colds: it contains many biologically active substances (chlorogenic acid and its derivatives), which are an antiviral agent. In addition, caffeine is in some way a diuretic, which means that if you drink a lot of liquid in addition to it, toxins will be more actively removed from the body.
One or two cups a day will not hurt, and will even help fight the disease and improve the overall tone of the body. Considering that many people suffer from illness while working, your favorite drink will give you energy and help you concentrate on important matters and tasks.
You can only drink coffee if you have a cold if the temperature does not rise above 37.5 - 38 degrees. In this case, it will really negatively affect the heart. But when the peak of the disease passes and the temperature drops, you can brew yourself a cup again.
Coffee at temperature
While you can, and sometimes even need to, drink coffee when you have a cold, it is strictly prohibited when you have a fever. After all, it affects the work of the heart, adding load to it, and it is already quite stressed due to the feverish state.
But, you need to remember that the temperature varies and is tolerated differently. During illness, it changes from 37, which is not at all scary, to 40 degrees, which significantly affects your well-being.
Therefore, if at 37 degrees you can continue the usual rhythm of life with a coffee cup in your hand, then at 38 you need to put it away immediately, go to bed and allow yourself to rest.
What kind of coffee can you drink when you have a cold?
Only freshly ground and freshly brewed coffee, from which the active substances have not yet evaporated, has all the beneficial properties. It is better to brew it weakly, you can add various spices, or even make a special “anti-cold” coffee.
- Coffee with cinnamon . It is especially useful if you need to restore strength after a high fever has subsided, or at the beginning of an illness, when you just feel a sore throat and sore throat.
- Coffee with cardamom . Cardamom is an almost obligatory component of most cough mixtures. It not only has a positive effect on the heart, but also improves the tone of the entire body.
- Coffee with star anise . Star anise, also known as anise, has been familiar to many since childhood precisely because it is included in most cough mixtures. Anise soothes coughs, relieves hoarseness, and can even restore your voice.
- Coffee with lemon and honey . Helps remove swelling from the face, clear the airways, and improve immunity. The drink should not be strong, and lemon and honey should be added to a warm, not hot drink.
Instant coffee drink is harmful, especially for a sick, weakened body. Avoid it, it won't do any good and may only make your symptoms worse.
Nutrition for colds and flu
Proper nutrition is of great importance in relieving symptoms and minimizing intoxication. Balance in food allows healthy cells to grow, stimulates their regeneration, nourishes the muscles and bone structure with the necessary amount of useful microelements and minerals, and strengthens the general condition of the body with valuable vitamins and enzymes. Normally, a person should consume 2000 kK daily, and after 50 years, the figure should correspond to 1600, since metabolic processes decrease with age. But the main thing remains - at any age, a person should receive useful vitamins, microelements, minerals in order to keep the immune system in good shape, and therefore have protection against viruses and bacteria. It is especially important to balance your diet during colds and fever.
Diet for colds and flu
When choosing products on store shelves, you need to give preference only to healthy ones that promote cleansing and recovery. To simplify the procedure, you need to rely on rules, if followed, no one will get lost in the rich assortment of supermarkets.
What to eat for colds and flu
Porridge . Due to the attack of viruses, the body is exposed to great stress and loses energy, so it is necessary to eat easily digestible carbohydrates: oatmeal, semolina, honey, fruits, juices.
Meat and eggs . To combat pathogens, blood serum activity is necessary to protect against bacteria, which is impossible if there is a lack of protein that stimulates the synthesis of enzymes and antibodies in the body. For acute respiratory viral infections, the daily dose of protein should be at least a gram per kilogram of the patient’s body weight. Therefore, you need to include chicken eggs, poultry, and fish in your diet for colds and flu.
People with the flu should eat more meat and eggs, which contain protein.
In this case, you need to drink chicken broth , which contains a lot of amino acids that are essential for the weak body of a flu patient, stimulating the removal of mucus, increasing the viscosity of sputum and coughing.
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Kefir for colds and flu . A unique natural product “works” in our body in different directions:
- reduces high temperature;
- promotes the digestion of food, thereby saving energy consumption;
- creates an optimally destructive environment for infection in the gastrointestinal tract and stimulates the removal of bacterial breakdown products and dead cells.
- It is highly nutritious, contains trace elements, vitamins, enzymes and minerals, allowing a weak patient to quickly get enough.
Garlic, nuts, broccoli, onions, spinach, Brussels sprouts . Each of these vitamin stores contains glutathione, a powerful antioxidant and immune stimulant.
Vitamin complexes . Here you need to focus on compounds that strengthen the immune system.
- The first place in this sense is occupied by vitamin C - ascorbic acid. Activates macrophages, has excellent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, bactericidal and bronchodilator properties. In products such as black currants, sauerkraut, rose hips, the dose is several times higher than the daily dose.
- Riboflavin - vitamin B2 takes an active part in tissue respiration, increases the functions of cell immunity, and is indicated for runny nose and colds. Contained in raw eggs, cottage cheese, wet yeast, nuts, almonds.
- Pyridoxine - vitamin B6 - activates protein metabolism, thereby increasing immunity. It is supplied to the body through meat, legumes, wheat, rice, buckwheat, potatoes, and offal.
- Vitamin D activates the body's immune forces and is found in fish liver, seafood, eggs, and sour cream.
What to eat when you have the flu to relieve cold symptoms
One of the main components of nutrition to strengthen immune forces is zinc. According to scientists, constant consumption of wheat grains (sprouted), beef, pork liver, nuts, sunflower seeds and flax helps reduce long-term symptoms of the disease.
Is it possible to drink coffee when you have the flu?
Doctors are dubious about drinking coffee for colds. They explain this by saying that there is no benefit from the drink, but there is a risk of deterioration in the condition of blood vessels and the heart. They also fear the development of allergic manifestations due to the patient’s weakened immune system. For those who cannot imagine their morning or day without a cup of aromatic drink and do not have reactions in the form of itching, sneezing, swelling, an exception can be made. The main thing is to combine coffee with healthy spices that stimulate the immune system and strengthen the walls of blood vessels.
Coffee for colds and flu
- With cardamom - the substance strengthens the heart muscle, has bactericidal, anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties.
- With cinnamon - copes well with the primary symptoms of flu, reduces fever, eliminates general weakness, the drink is useful for colds and flu. The coffee should not be strong.
- With star anise (anise) - eliminates dry, unproductive cough, activates ligaments, frees the respiratory channels from swelling and mucus.
Coffee with cinnamon helps fight the first symptoms of the flu
What can you drink for colds and flu?
The main drink of every person on Earth is water. Without it, there would be no chance for all living things to exist. A patient with ARVI simply needs fluid, it stimulates sweating, is a diuretic and moisturizer, which facilitates dry breathing, removes mucus from the lungs and bronchi, and cleanses the body of toxins formed due to the breakdown of some cells and viruses.
What to drink when you have the flu
First of all, lean on the water. Volume - at least 2 liters per day. If you are sick, it is advisable to drink warm or room temperature.
- Warm milk should be drunk when you have the flu if there are no contraindications. The drink is a storehouse of vitamins, microelements, and minerals. It has anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, bronchodilator properties. Used to ease the patient's breathing and stimulate expectoration.
- Herbal teas - linden, chamomile, coltsfoot, rose hips, calendula and other plants can restore the body in a matter of days. They contain all vitamins A, B, C, D, E, PP, K, etc. Also, the dose of trace elements, minerals, antioxidants, pain-relieving components, enzymes to strengthen immune forces exceeds the daily dose several times. During the flu, herbs help reduce fever, stimulate sweating, remove toxins and waste, and activate metabolism and metabolic processes.
- Regular tea - you can drink it with lemon, raspberry, lime, ginger and other beneficial agents, which alleviates the patient’s condition even with the most difficult symptoms. The airways are cleared, mucus is removed, the bronchi dilate, the nasal canal is cleared, bacteria and viruses are destroyed.
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What not to eat when you have a cold or flu
Not only in case of influenza, but also in normal conditions, you should not abuse products that cause dangerous processes in the body. The patient needs to conserve strength, accumulate energy and strengthen the immune system.
Coffee recipe for colds
If you feel like you’re starting to get sick, have a sore throat, a cough or runny nose, support your body with this healthy drink made from available ingredients.
Pour coffee into a Turk (to make a weak drink), fill it with ice water and put it on the fire. You need to remove it when a head of foam just begins to form. Add salt and ground red pepper on the tip of a knife, as well as 2-3 grams of butter. Return to the heat again until foam appears, pour into a cup and drink in small sips.
Keep in mind that this is a drink for an incipient cold, and if the sore throat is serious, it is better to choose a less “burning” recipe. And be careful in the evening, the “anti-cold” drink noticeably invigorates, and it is recommended to drink it 5-6 hours before bedtime.
Conclusion
- You can drink coffee for a cold if the patient’s temperature does not rise above 38 degrees;
- Chlorogenic acid contained in coffee is a natural antiviral agent;
- Be sure to drink plenty of other fluids when you are sick, and caffeine will help flush out toxins along with it;
- Instant coffee is harmful, it is better to drink natural, freshly ground and freshly brewed coffee, and make it weak;
- Add spices, lemon or honey to your coffee - they will help restore strength and recover faster.
