What Fruit Can Stave Off a Cold?

Ah, Wintertime.  If you live in the countryside then winter can be one of the most beautiful times of year, but for the rest of us, it’s all rain, sleet, snow and sneezes.  Autumn and winter are prime cold and flu season, so what can you do to keep the common cold away this year? 

 

It’s an age-old preventative measure, but eating more fruit can really help.  In the days before the 1000mg vitamin-C tablet, it’s what people did to try and stay healthy in wintertime.  They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but can it also keep a cold away?  Let’s take a closer look at the top five fruits most commonly touted as being your best friends in the fight against the cold. 

 

Papayas
Plump and sweet, papayas are packed to bursting with more than two hundred and fifty percent of the recommended amount of daily vitamin C, as well as more beta-carotene than you’d find in a carrot.  These delicious fruits also are scientifically proven to reduce inflammation in the nose and throat, and can help you prevent or kick even the nastiest cold.  Slice or cube these and pop into a watertight baggie for a delicious and unusual addition to your children’s winter lunchboxes.

 

Apples
Your grandma believed that eating an apple could cure anything, and she wasn’t far wrong.  Apples are packed with antioxidants and flavonoids and can prevent everything from the common cold to cancer, making them great choices this winter.  In addition, they’re a great source of soluble fiber, preventing many of the less tasteful side-effects from common cold medicine, such as constipation and diarrhea.

 

BananasNot just for your little monkeys.  Laden with B vitamins, bananas prevent stress and fatigue, all of which make you considerably more likely to develop a cold.  B vitamins work to make you feel more alert and awake, so eat a banana at work to prevent those mid-afternoon crashes which can feel ten times worse if you’re suffering in silence with a cold.  The extra potassium in your diet is beneficial to your immune health as well.

 

Cranberries
Offering more antioxidants than most other fruits put together, cranberries are great for keeping the cold at bay.  As a natural probiotic, they also help bolster the body’s natural defenses, naturally curing everything from a sore throat to urinary tract infections.

 

Grapefruit
Grapefruit is the fifth cold fighting fruit. Packing a mean punch of natural vitamin C and lycopene, grapefruit can help prevent colds even while also helping to protect your body against cancer and lower your cholesterol.  How can you lose?

 

When you’re at the supermarket looking for some tasty fruit to help you stay healthy this winter, consider these five choices.  The common cold can be a major nuisance, and with delicious prevention methods, you can help keep it away.

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