Can I eat chili peppers when I have a cold?

Although colds occur frequently, we may not know much about them. After being infected with the cold virus, people will experience symptoms such as dizziness, headache, fatigue, nasal congestion, runny nose, or sneezing, and their appetite will be seriously affected. At this time, people will want to eat some chili to boost their appetite. So, can you eat spicy food when you have a cold? This is a question that many people want to know. Some people think that if they eat too much chili peppers when they have a cold, the cold will be cured by sweating. However, some people think that they should not eat spicy food when they have a cold because it will aggravate the pain in their throat and cause constant coughing. Below I will share with you some precautions about eating spicy food when you have a cold.

1. Only when you have a cold and feel chilly all over, will the "hot" method of inducing sweat be effective.

Colds in summer are mostly heat colds, which often cause dry mouth and irritability, similar to heatstroke. It is not advisable to induce sweating for this type of cold.

2. Don’t eat spicy food if your throat is itchy

Colds are often accompanied by coughs. Spicy foods are only suitable before coughing symptoms appear. If your throat starts to itch or you keep coughing, you must not eat spicy food at this time.

3. Patients with colds and fevers should not eat spicy food

Peppers are rich in nutrients and have a high content of vitamin C. 100 grams of peppers contain 0.5 mg of vitamin C, ranking among the top among vegetables. Drinking a small amount of chili pepper decoction can cure poor appetite, abdominal distension and abdominal pain caused by cold. Drinking soup made with chili peppers and ginger can also treat colds.

However, patients with colds and fever should not eat spicy food. Due to the increase in body temperature and vigorous metabolism, eating warm and spicy foods such as ginger, garlic, and peppers will add heat to the condition, which is not conducive to reducing fever and speedy recovery.

It is also not advisable to eat spicy food if you have a cold or cough. Spicy and hot foods such as chili peppers and mustard help to generate fire and produce phlegm, which makes the phlegm sticky and difficult to cough up, aggravating headaches and nasal congestion.

4. Do not eat if you have a wind-heat cold

If you suffer from a wind-heat cold, with sore throat, dry throat, red eyes, nasal congestion, yellow urine, dry stools, fever, cough, and even difficulty swallowing liquid food, eating chili peppers at this time goes against the principle of Chinese medicine that "when you are sick, you should eat a light diet". This is like adding fuel to the fire and will definitely aggravate your condition.

Ten foods you shouldn't eat when you have a cold

1. Sweets

Whether it is high-sugar fruits or desserts, they should be avoided during a cold. Sweets not only increase the viscosity and amount of phlegm, but also cause abdominal bloating and suppress appetite. High-sugar fruits include mango, grapes, lychees, sugarcane, pineapples, red dates, etc.

2. High-salt foods

Reducing salt intake can increase the lysozyme content in saliva, protect the epithelial cells of the oral and throat mucosa, and allow them to secrete more immunoglobulins and interferons to fight the cold virus. During a cold, just limit your daily salt intake to 5 grams.

3. Crude fiber foods

During a cold, people's gastric motility is weak, so during this period, you should try to avoid eating crude fiber foods such as celery, leeks, and Chinese cabbage, otherwise it will increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract.

4. Spicy and hot food

Spicy and hot foods such as chili peppers and mustard help to generate fire and produce phlegm, which makes the phlegm sticky and difficult to cough up, aggravating headaches and nasal congestion.

5. Strong tea and strong coffee

Strong tea and strong coffee can cause gastrointestinal discomfort and may sometimes trigger gastroesophageal reflux.

6. Grilled and fried food

Grilled and fried foods, such as fried potatoes, fried pork chops, and barbecue, although fragrant and delicious, are difficult to digest, delay recovery, and are not conducive to a speedy recovery from illness.

7. Avoid strong condiments

Curry powder, pepper powder, and chili powder are all highly irritating and are harmful to the respiratory mucosa, making it dry and spasmodic, causing nasal congestion, choking and coughing, and aggravating the patient's symptoms. Therefore, patients with colds should not eat it.

8. Persimmon

Persimmon itself is cold and astringent in nature, and has the effect of nourishing yin and moistening dryness, but it is not suitable for people with wind-cold type colds. Eating too much will easily attract evil, delay the recovery of the cold, and aggravate the symptoms.

9. Duck and mutton

Because the cold is an external disease, treatment should focus on dispersing and relieving the symptoms. However, duck meat is cool in nature, greasy and stagnant, which can easily lubricate the intestines and contain evil. Pork is fatty and greasy, which can cause dampness and phlegm, and can cause wind and dampness. Lamb is sweet and warm, which can increase heat, tends to warm the middle and lower parts of the body, and has the disadvantage of containing evil.

10. Coriander

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that coriander can ward off all unhealthy energy and has the effect of warming the middle and strengthening the stomach. However, people who are prone to catching colds should avoid eating coriander, because such people often have weak qi, and eating coriander will cause them to catch colds more frequently.