Why is orange juice good for colds

Your Questions. Blood test coming up? Here are a few tips to make the collection easier, such as staying hydrated, eating a balanced meal and, above all, being able to relax. Both are potent germ fighters, and they taste even better together.

For a double dose of inflammation fighters, mix ginger juice with turmeric. The golden-yellow root is rich in curcuminoids, antioxidant compounds with powerful anti-inflammatory properties.

Spinach contains many of the same immune-boosting nutrients, making it a good alternative. You might be able to chug a little more of it, too, since the flavor is milder. These two melons work better together. Watermelon is rich in lycopene and vitamin B-6, which both help the body launch a strong immune response to unwelcome germs.

And cantaloupe has lots of vitamins C and A. Beets are one of the few juice-able sources of iron, which the body needs to build immune fighter cell s and launch attacks on invading germs.

OK, so blending pumpkin seeds with water gives you more of a creamy milk than a juice. But does it actually help cure your cold? First off, it's got plenty of that classic vitamin C , as orange juice is an excellent source of it.

An 8-ounce glass supplies milligrams, which is percent of the suggested daily intake of vitamin C for females and about percent for men. Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant that protects cells, particularly white blood cells WBC.

WBC are on the front line defending the body, and the vitamin C they pack shields WBC as they battle with cold viruses and other germs. There's no doubt that vitamin C plays a crucial role in maintaining a strong immune system.

Yet, it's unclear whether drinking orange juice actually turbocharges the body's defenses, largely because most of the evidence about vitamin C is from studies done with supplements. A review of the research found that taking supplements on a continuous basis at least milligrams a day reduced the length of colds by 8 percent in adults and by 14 percent in children.

However, when people took vitamin C pills at the first sign of a cold, they didn't shorten cold duration or reduce symptom severity. Although it's impossible to compare getting vitamin C as part of orange juice with taking pills, we do know that no single nutrient makes for a bullet-proof immune system.

Although this common cold remedy has been around for ages, it's not really a cold treatment. Still, there is certainly something soothing about the warm and comforting food — and experts think that an amino acid cysteine in chicken soup may actually help to thin mucus and ease congestion.

So while it can't cure your cold, it may provide much-needed relief. Vitamin C has long been advocated as one of many common cold remedies. But before you down a gallon of orange juice or pop vitamin C supplements in hopes of kicking your cold, first check your facts. Studies have not been able to consistently show any improvement of symptoms when vitamin C is administered to people who have the common cold — despite a few studies that have shown some level of cold relief.

Antibiotics may seem like a cure-all for any bug you catch, but that's far from true. Because antibiotics only work against bacterial infections, they are ineffective as a cold treatment. In addition, taking them improperly can cause antibiotic resistance — a serious problem that can lead to the development of resistant and dangerous bacteria. Popping any decongestant, antihistamine , or cough -and-cold product on your pharmacy shelf may be a last-ditch effort in your search for a cold treatment.