by Maria Papadopoulou

Created on: September 05, 2009   Last Updated: November 24, 2009

Cold season lasts from September to May. Most people get sick with cold at least once a year. Good news though, is that there are certain foods which can help speed the recovery.

Chicken soup

Chicken soup thins mucus secretions. Cysteine, an amino acid chemically similar to acetylcysteine, a bronchitis drug, is released by cooked chicken and helps significantly in reducing inflammation. Furthermore, chicken soup helps reducing neutrophils,the white blood cells whose activity in the upper respiratory tract is linked to congestion, as well as other symptoms, associated with colds. Broth and noodles widely used in chicken soup, provide carbohydrates which give a much needed energy boost. Adding tomatoes, eggplant and spinach, can help in the strengthening of the immune system even more.

Garlic

Allicin, the heart of garlic, is an oily substance which blocks the enzymes leading to cold infection. it is recommended to eat raw garlic, because cooking reduces its potency. The consumption of 2 whole cloves of garlic on a daily basis, is generally considered to be the ideal amount your immune system needs to fight cold effectively, however you can also try 3-4 cloves of garlic on a daily basis, if symptoms are too persistent, or if you want a more speedy recovery. if you can't stand the garlic smell, you can try using garlic while cooking, specifically a head of minced garlic in pasta sauces, salads, and guacamole. Instead of garlic cloves, you can also use garlic oil, garlic tablets, garlic capsules, garlic powder, or even aged garlic extract.

Yogurt with live and active cultures (well known as probiotics) and important additions

Live and active cultures (probiotics) are living micro-organisms, which work by replacing bad bacteria. Yogurt with active cultures (probiotics), helps fighting cold symptoms, most specifically Stonyfield farm yogurt, which contains lactobacillus reuteri. You can eat 2-3 cups of yogurt on a daily basis, added with strawberries (which give a vitamin C boost) and/or nuts and seeds (which are rich in zinc and selenium). Alternatively, you can add 3 -4 tablespoons of dark raw honey , a great source of protective antioxidants, in your yogurt. As far as kids are concerned, the recommended dose is 1/2 tablespoon of honey for kids aged 2-5, 1 tablespoon of honey for kids aged 6-11 and 2 tablespoons of honey for kids aged 12-18. Honey has been proven to effectively fight cough, since it soothes irritated throats. If you don't like yogurt, you can have

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