What to eat if you have a cold or dry cough
Colds and dry coughs are common symptoms in autumn and winter. A reasonable diet can relieve discomfort and speed up recovery. The following is a collection of dietary suggestions and hot topics about colds and dry coughs that have been hotly discussed on the Internet in the past 10 days to help you choose foods scientifically.
1. Recommended foods to relieve colds and dry coughs

| food category | Recommended food | Efficacy |
|---|---|---|
| Moisten the lungs and relieve cough | Sydney, Tremella, Lily | Nourishes yin and moisturizes dryness, relieves dry and itchy throat |
| Anti-inflammatory and bactericidal | honey, ginger, garlic | Inhibit germs and reduce inflammation |
| Vitamin supplements | Orange, kiwi, spinach | Enhance immunity and promote repair |
| Warming, tonic and cold-repelling | Brown sugar water, chicken soup, millet porridge | Warm the body and relieve fatigue |
2. Top 5 popular dietary remedies on the Internet
| Ranking | Dietary therapy | Preparation method | Discussion popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rock Sugar Snow Pear Cup | Pear cored and stewed with rock sugar | Weibo reading volume: 120 million |
| 2 | honey lemonade | Warm water to brew honey + lemon slices | 83,000 Xiaohongshu notes |
| 3 | Green onion and white ginger syrup | Boil green onion + ginger + brown sugar | Douyin-related video views exceed 100 million |
| 4 | Tremella lotus seed soup | Tremella lotus seeds cooked over slow fire | Baidu search index +45% week-on-week |
| 5 | Luo Han Guo tea | Crush Luo Han Guo and soak it in water for drinking | Zhihu related Q&A collections exceed 100,000 |
3. List of foods to avoid
During a cold and dry cough, the following foods may aggravate symptoms:
| food type | represents food | adverse effects |
|---|---|---|
| irritating food | Chili pepper, Sichuan peppercorns, alcohol | Irritation of respiratory mucosa |
| high sugar drinks | Carbonated drinks, milk tea | Increase sputum viscosity |
| Fried food | Fried chicken, French fries | Aggravate throat discomfort |
| Raw and cold food | ice cream, sashimi | May cause bronchoconstriction |
4. Special reminder from nutritionists
1.Conditioning in stages: It is recommended to drink more warm water in the early stage of dry cough, and protein supplement can be added in the later stage.
2.Pay attention to food temperature: Warm food (40-50℃) is most suitable to avoid overheating and damaging the mucous membranes.
3.Choose carefully if you have allergies: Some people may be allergic to common dietary ingredients such as honey and seafood.
4.Special formula for children: It is not recommended for children under 3 years old to consume honey. Apple puree can be used instead.
5. Sharing of effective folk remedies tested by netizens
| Name of folk remedy | Material ratio | Usage feedback |
|---|---|---|
| Salt steamed oranges | 1 orange + 2g salt | 82% of trial users said it relieved night cough |
| Garlic rock sugar water | 3 cloves of garlic + 10g of rock sugar | Antibacterial effect is significant but the taste is controversial |
| White radish honey drink | Radish juice 30ml + honey 10ml | More effective for phlegm-prone coughs |
6. Scientific dietary advice
Breakfast recommendation: pumpkin millet porridge + steamed pears + boiled eggs
Lunch recommendation: steamed fish + garlic spinach + white fungus soup
Dinner recommendation: chicken noodles + boiled broccoli + monk fruit tea
Snack options: kiwi, warm milk, almond milk
Note: The above content is a combination of recent hot search data on major platforms, popular science articles from tertiary hospitals and nutritionist recommendations. Please adjust the specific diet according to your personal physique. If symptoms last for more than a week or are accompanied by fever, you should seek medical treatment promptly.
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