by Connie Earl Robertson

Created on: September 05, 2009   Last Updated: October 22, 2011

One thing that will make you feel miserable is a common cold. You ache all over, your nose runs and your head or ears hurt terribly. The only thing you really feel like doing is hibernating in your bed until it all goes away. Unfortunately for most people, hibernation is not an option because of the many responsibilities that await them on a daily basis. There is hope for you. Try these foods that will help you fight a cold, and start feeling better right away.

Chicken Soup

Right now you're probably saying, "You've got to be kidding me. My Grandma used to feed me that line about chicken soup getting rid of a cold, and I never did believe that stuff." Fortunately for Grandma, research has proved her right! Grandma loaded her soup with nutritious ingredients that help fight the common cold and a myriad of other symptoms, too.

A study at the well-known Nebraska Medical Center shows that cysteine is released from chicken, the main ingredient of chicken soup, when it is cooked. Cysteine is an amino acid that reduces the inflammation of the common cold and cleans mucous from the lungs and nasal passages.

If Grandma used crushed garlic in her soup, she hit the nail on the head because garlic is a natural antibiotic. To top it off if she added red pepper, the capsaicin it contains is a strong decongestant that will help clean the sinuses!

Garlic

Fresh garlic is a natural antibiotic that fights infection. If the garlic is crushed it releases allicin which blocks the infection causing enzymes. Garlic is able to open the lungs and sinuses by clearing away the mucous. When eaten on a daily basis it is an excellent aid for strengthening the immune system, and thereby, reducing the duration or severity of a cold.

In order to get rid of a cold quickly, place a fresh clove of garlic in your mouth and bite on it occasionally. Change cloves every three hours, and it is guaranteed to chase the cold away.

Honey

In the Archives of Adolescent and Pediatric Medicine in June, 2007, it was stated that "honey is more effective than DM cough syrup for treating coughs." (http://healthycooking.suite101.com/article.cfm/foods _to_fight_colds_and_flu) Honey has a soothing effect which calms the irritation in the back of the throat that causes coughing. It naturally lubricates the throat while, at the same time, strengthening the immune system.

A recent study from Jahrom University of Medical Science in Iran, found that by eating honey you can reduce the length of your cold by

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