Feel-Good Foods: 10 Cold & Flu Fighters
By Shara Aaron, MS, RD and Christine M. Porretta
Garlic
Why it’s a cold/flu fighter: Garlic contains compounds, such as allicin—an oily substance, which gives it the characteristic odor and provide its antioxidant properties. Former research published in the journal Advances In Therapy found that taking a garlic allicin-containing supplement could help prevent colds as well as shorten their duration. The research shows that both consuming garlic in cooking and taking appropriate dosages of garlic supplements, as a dehydrated garlic powder, garlic oil, or aged garlic extract, may be effective and safe in adults. Because the safety of garlic supplements haven’t been tested on children, it’s safest to stick to incorporating just the whole food—one to two cloves or more, if you prefer the taste—into your kids diet.
Feel-good recipes: