September is here!
Apples, pumpkins, cozy sweaters, warm soups and a case of the sniffles. Wait, what?! With the season of fall usually comes the dreaded cold and flu season. But not to worry! Try adding a few items into your diet to help prevent cold and flu or lessen the duration if you do catch it.
Elderberry Syrup
Elderberries can help shorten the duration of cold and flu, have beneficial cytokines (substances secreted by certain cells in the immune system that have an effect on other cells) and contain 60% of your daily recommended value of vitamin C. Here is a recipe that I use with my own family. It is simple to prepare and most of the preparation time is letting the syrup cool so you can add the raw honey without destroying the properties that make raw honey so great for you!
Raw Honey
Raw honey has been used for thousands of years as a medicine. It is unfiltered and unpasteurized. Because it has not been heated in the pasteurization process, all of the wonderful vitamins, nutrients and enzymes are still intact. Raw honey has both anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. In addition, it contains powerful antioxidant and tastes great! Eat this by the spoonful when you start to feel that tingle in your throat. Use caution when heating it or adding it to a warm beverage (like tea or hot water) as temperatures above 100º will destroy the medicinal benefits. Check out additional benefits of raw honey here as well as ways to spot imposter honey!
Garlic
Garlic can help reduce the average length of cold symptoms by 70%! Read more about its benefits here https://authoritynutrition.com/11-proven-health-benefits-of-garlic/. In addition, it is easy to add into your diet and tastes pretty good, too! Here is a recipe for Garlic Soup to warm you up on those cool autumn days and boost your immunity at the same time!
Try adding these items into your diet to help you enjoy your fall season this year and don’t forget to wash those hands!
Resources:
Arreola, R., Quintero-Fabián, S., López-Roa, R., Flores-Gutiérrez, E., Reyes-Grajeda, J., Carrera-Quintanar, L., & Ortuño-Sahagún, D. (2015). Immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory effects of garlic compounds. Journal of immunology research., 2015, . Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25961060
Fahey, J. W., & Stephenson, K. K. (2002). Pinostrobin from honey and Thai ginger ( Boesenbergia pandurata ): A potent Flavonoid Inducer of mammalian phase 2 Chemoprotective and Antioxidant enzymes. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 50(25), 7472–7476. doi:10.1021/jf025692k
Nantz, M., Rowe, C., Muller, C., Creasy, R., Stanilka, J., & Percival, S. (2012). Supplementation with aged garlic extract improves both NK and γδ-t cell function and reduces the severity of cold and flu symptoms: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled nutrition intervention. Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland)., 31(3), 337–44. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22280901
Sidor, A., & Gramza-Michałowska, A. (2015). Advanced research on the antioxidant and health benefit of elderberry () in food – a review. Journal of Functional Foods, 18, 941–958. doi:10.1016/j.jff.2014.07.012
Tiralongo, E., Wee, S. S., & Lea, R. A. (2016). Elderberry Supplementation reduces cold duration and symptoms in air-travellers: A Randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Nutrients, 8(4), 182. doi:10.3390/nu8040182
West, H. (2016, March 17). How garlic fights colds and the flu. Retrieved September 20, 2016, from Health, https://authoritynutrition.com/garlic-fights-colds-and-flu/