Foods to prevent/cure colds

[tell-me-more]

I recently saw on the menu of an Indian restaurant that garlic is good for preventing/curing colds. Which other foods have similar properties, and which make colds worse? (My experience is that any hot drinks make colds better, cold ones make it worse. Beer especially seems to make colds a lot worse.)

[kev100]

If you can find something that can prevent or cure a cold you will be an instant billionaire there is no such thing.

For me rum helps not because it has any medicinal properties but simply that it knocks me out and at least I get a decent nights sleep.

[psych25md]

I have heard the thing about garlic, although i understand that its raw garlic which has the most health benefits. Although yeah, if you could cure a cold it would be great, but i have found that fresh orange (squeezed) is great, and just top up on as much vitamin C if you have a cold/feel one coming on, because its a soluble vitamin and you cant get too much of it. This helps to boost your immune system. Echinacea is great too for boosting your immune system so before/during it does help. I think things that deplete your body (fizzy juice, beer etc) probably wont help (although i havent found wine to be that bad!!!) Also plenty of water. Hope that helps!

[Bean99]

I make my version of Portuguese "canja" to fight off a cold. but you have to live in a country where it's possible to buy a whole chicken or hen - feet and all. you put all the cut up hen into a pot with garlic turmeric diced ginger fresh mint and stout to cover (black beer) boil for 10mins then cover and simmer on lowest heat for 2 hours. no need to eat the hen - just strain and drink before bed. this will sound gross to most brits but it's better if you use four feet (we can buy bags of just feet in local supermarkets). taken again the following day I have known my cold to be gone in 24 hours...yes you sceptics it's true!