Constant Cough Irritating You? Try This Fruit Juice For Quick Relief

Changing weather brings with itself more cough, cold, flu and other viral infections. And while these diseases are usually harmless and heal slowly with the right diet and proper rest, they can affect your day-to-day functioning for several days, even weeks. Things may definitely be easier for those with stronger immunity and the ones who have been living a healthier lifestyle. But for others who are suffering from any vitamin or mineral deficiency and a weak immune system, recovering from cough and cold can be difficult and more time-taking. Nonetheless, a few foods and drinks can help you recover quickly and effectively from constant cough. One such fruit juice is pineapple juice, which has been found to be effective for soothing symptoms of cough and cold.

Pineapple juice for cough and cold: Know how it works

According to a 2010 study, nutrients in pineapple juice can help in soothing symptoms of cough or cold. Pineapple juice was part of an effective treatment for tuberculosis. It was found to soothe the throat and dissolve mucus. In the study, a mixture of pineapple juice, honey, salt and pepper was found effective in reducing symptoms of cough up to five times faster than an over-the-counter cough syrup.

Pineapple juice may help you with cough better than over-the-counter cough syrups
Photo Credit: iStock

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Health benefits of pineapple

• Contains antioxidants that can offer protection from damage caused by free radicals in the body
• Pineapple contains bromelain, a mixture of enzymes that have anti-inflammatory properties. It is important to know that inflammation is the root cause of numerous diseases in the body like arthritis, joint pain, cough, cold, fever, flu, etc.
• Bromelain can also help in with respiratory problems that are related to allergies and asthma.
• Bromelain contains mucolytic properties that can expel mucous and break it up.
• You can try adding honey, salt and pepper (as mentioned above) for soothing cough. Other ways in which you can use pineapple juice for relief form cough include a mixture of pineapple juice, honey, ginger, cayenne pepper and salt.

Also read: You Can Get Rid Of Common Cold And Cough By Drinking Onion Juice! Health Expert Luke Coutinho Tells Us All About It

Cough and cold: Other home remedies that can help

If pineapple juice doesn't offer the relief you want, you can try other home remedies mentioned below for getting relief from cough and cold.

1. Eat more spicy foods: Capsaicin is a chemical compound in chilli peppers that can help in thinning the mucous, making it easier to cough up. Spicy foods can also desensitise cough reflexes and make coughing easier.

Eating spicy food can offer relief from cough and cold
Photo Credit: iStock

2. Steam inhalation: Steam inhalation is one the most widely used home remedies for soothing and opening nasal passages. It can help in getting relief from symptoms of cold or sinus infections. For doing steam inhalation, you need to inhale steam coming from hot boiling water. Take a bowl of hot water, put your face above the vapours, cover your head with a towel. Do this 2-3 times every day to get relief from cough and cold effectively.

3. Eat more of foods rich in Vitamin C: Increasing intake of Vitamin C can give a boost to your immunity. Bell peppers, kiwis, broccoli, lemon, oranges and cauliflower are all foods rich in Vitamin C.

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4. Drink warm fluids: Warm fluids like soup or a ginger, honey and lemon tea can take you a long way in terms of finding relief from cough and cold. Warm fluids tend to have anti-inflammatory effect on the body that can quicken healing.

5. Hydrate yourself: No matter which illness you are suffering from, it is important to keep yourself hydrated. Drink lots of water, coconut water and lemon water to hydrate yourself when suffering from cough and cold.

Foods to avoid when you have cold

Diet plays an important role when you are suffering from cold. Apart from having these immunity boosting foods, you also need to avoid the below foods to prevent the condition from getting worse:

• Deep fried and junk food
• Dairy products like milk (as they can stimulate production of mucous)
• Processed foods that have limited nutrition and contain high levels of salt and sodium
• Caffeine (as it can worsen cough and cause dehydration)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.