Chicken soup and fresh fruit juices — we all know that loading up on these can help you bounce back from the common cold or flu quicker. Then there are also those that you have to avoid because they can make matters worse.

Keep on reading if you want to recover faster than usual from an upper respiratory tract infection. Below you will come across some of the foods that are known to worsen the common cold or flu.

Spicy Treats

It’s true that consuming something spicy can help get your nasal passages unclogged. However, it’s a terrible idea to opt for spicy foods if your bout of the common cold or flu comes with an upset stomach.

Needless to say, you should steer clear of anything that’s spicy if your stomach is in a bad shape, too. This is most especially true before bedtime in order for you to keep at bay sleep deprivation due to an achy belly.

Citrus Fruits

Everyone knows that citrus fruits are extremely packed with vitamin C, a nutrient that everybody with an upper respiratory tract infection needs. But if you’re suffering from an upset stomach, having citrus fruits is a terrible idea.

The good news is you can get plenty of immune system-boosting vitamin C from other types of fruits. Some wonderful examples are papayas, kiwis, guavas, mangoes and cantaloupes.

Greasy Foods

If you have an upset stomach together with the common cold or flu, it’s recommended for you to stay away from stuff that are hard to digest. Leading the list are greasy foods such as those that are served at fast food joints.

Foods that are greasy are also known to trigger inflammation, which is something that can promote further proliferation of disease-causing microbes. But with or without an upper respiratory tract infection, consuming greasy stuff is a no-no.

Refined Grains

It’s important to have your body supplied with an array of nutrients if you want to recover from the cold or flu at a faster rate. This is why treats that are out of refined grains should be eliminated from your diet.

Unlike whole grains, refined grains contain nothing but inflammation-causing sugar. Donuts, cakes, muffins, brownies, white pasta, white bread — turn your back on these and others out of whole grains.

Sugary Stuff

A couple of reasons exist why the consumption of foods packed with sugar can worsen your cold or flu. First, experts say that sugar offsets vitamin C — the more sugar you consume, the less vitamin C your body gets to utilize.

Second, sugar can cause inflammation to strike — just like what’s just mentioned above. And by the way, stay away from anything that’s artificially sweetened as it may leave you with a headache and diarrhea that can cause dehydration.

Coffee and Alcohol

Speaking of dehydration, it’s very important to keep your body properly hydrated each time you have an upper respiratory tract infection to help alleviate some of the symptoms and also shorten the recovery period.

It’s for this reason exactly why you should momentarily say no to coffee and alcohol, both of which can cause dehydration. Additionally, they can exacerbate an upset stomach.

Can you think of other foods that can make the common cold or flu worse? Then feel free to post them in the comments section below so that others may be able to add them to their list of foods to avoid the next time they end up with an infection of the upper respiratory tract.