When you can’t seem to get rid of a cough, there are a few foods that can help to thin mucus, soothe your muscles, reduce inflammation and boost your immune system. Nearly 80% of your immune system is in your gut! Nutritional tools for altering the gut microbiome therapeutically include changes in diet, probiotics, and prebiotics. (1) Here’s a quick rundown of the foods that serve as home remedies when going to the doctor sound less then stellar:

Water: Start by drinking plenty of water throughout the day — about 8 to 16 ounces every 2 hours. This will help to thin the mucus that’s building up in your airways and causing you to cough.

Bone broth: Sipping on real bone broth can help to support your immunity, thin mucus in your airways, soothe your muscles and promote detoxification. When your cough is caused by exposure to toxins, chemicals, pesticides or artificial ingredients that are causing an inflammatory reaction, consuming bone broth can be helpful in removing those substances from your body.

Raw garlic: Allicin, a compound found in garlic, is known for its ability to kill the microorganisms that are responsible respiratory infections that can lead to coughing. Raw garlic has antimicrobial, antiviral and antifungal properties, so adding it to your diet as a natural cough remedy can be beneficial in helping you to kick the infection.

Ginger tea: Drinking ginger tea when you have a cough can help to boost your immune system and fight the infection that’s causing the symptom. Ginger root benefits come from its powerful antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties, which makes it a go-to when dealing with respiratory tract infections.

Probiotic foods: One possible side effect of not having enough probiotics is frequent colds and coughs, which is because probiotics are responsible for supporting your immune system. To fight your cough, try eating probiotic foods like cultured vegetables, like sauerkraut and kimchi, coconut kefir, apple cider vinegar, miso and kombucha.

In an effort to reduce inflammation and mucus production, avoid consuming sweetened beverages, fruit juices, sugary foods, chocolate, processed foods and conventional dairy products when you have a cough. Instead of drinking juice or sweetened drinks, choose whole fruits and vegetables instead, which are much higher in fiber and vitamin C that will help to boost your immune function. (2)

Article adapted from https://draxe.com/home-remedies-cough/ Check out Dr. Axe for more tips!

#DIET #COLD #FLU #NATURALREMEDIES #IMMUNE