5 flu-fighting foods

Don’t underestimate the power of food to help keep you healthy—researchers are finding more and more edible solutions to everyday ailments. Read on for five common foods that will help you fend off the flu this season

1. Raw garlic - 5 flu-fighting foods

Web exclusive: November 2009; partially adapted from Food Cures, Reader's Digest

Average: 3.4 (77 votes)
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1. Raw garlic

This pungent superfood is a powerful flu fighter. Garlic contains compounds called allion and allicin, which have direct antiviral effects, says Bryan Rade, a naturopathic doctor based in Halifax. “If you happen to come in contact with a flu virus, [garlic] can help destroy it before it becomes a full-blown flu in the body.”

To get the most out of garlic’s flu-fighting properties, it’s best to chew a raw clove every three or four hours. If you can’t bear the taste, try cutting cloves into pieces and swallowing them down like pills. Rade suggests mixing crushed garlic with honey, which is also reputed to have antiviral properties.

Still not in love with idea of eating raw garlic? Add a few extra cloves to a soup or stir-fry. “Even if [garlic] is cooked, [it] still has sulfur-containing compounds, which have anti-microbial activity as well,” says Rade.

 
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I think swallowing raw garlic does not taste that yummy but as for the difficulty of swallowing it, it went down just like a pill. You have to peel it and then cut off the ends of each clove before you swallow it. I guess it depends on your pill taking skills. I swallow 8 vitamins a day at one time so I guess I have a big throat, tus would explain why I am so loud. lol Good Luck!
Submitted by ashlie on Wed, 2010-01-27 8:06pm.
I swear by raw or near-raw garlic as an infection fighter, but DO NOT try swallowing raw sliced garlic! I tried it before. It's like trying to swallow broken glass! Raw garlic is surprisingly rigid. Even a small sliver really scrapes the sides of your throat. Go for the honey method. Or better, chop it up or crush it really fine and sprinkle it on your dinner. Unless it's a curry, it'll ruin the flavour, but it'll sort out a cold in no time.
Submitted by Steve on Wed, 2010-01-20 8:43am.
 
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