Have you ever caught a cough & cold and been quick to blame a banana or guava for making it worse? Can fruits actually aggravate your cough & cold symptoms? Or is there an unsuspecting ingredient that is adding to your woes? Answers to these and a lot more in this article!

Coughing is your body’s natural way of throwing phlegm, irritants, allergens, foreign particles and microorganisms out of the body and clearing the upper air passage. However, repeated bouts of cough and congested chest may indicate accumulated toxins and an underlying health condition and even some very faulty food choices!

Why Do I Cough?
The root cause lies in living the wrong lifestyle. Inadequate sleep, eating processed, highly acidic foods and not giving your body enough rest leads to overload on different organs. Their work efficiency drops which lead to toxin build-up in the body. As a result, the inflammation and oxidative stress in our body go up and hampers the immune system Toxins that accumulate in the lungs manifest as respiratory disorders. 

Beware Of The Real Culprit!
Chugging on lozenges or sipping on a hot cup of chai and herbal tea may seem like an ideal option to get rid of your coughing bouts. But if they are saturated with spoonfuls of white sugar, you are making it even more difficult for your body to fight off the infections as it suppresses your immune system! Read on to understand how!

Sugar Worsens Cough
The processing of sugarcane into refined sugar strips it of all the nutrients and leaves it with zero nutrition. What’s worse? - chemicals such as sulphur, phosphoric acid & carbon hydroxide which are used in the clarification process are respiratory irritants and are found to trigger bronchitis and asthma. 

Since sugar leaves an acidic residue, it triggers inflammation in the body. Pathogens & germs thrive well in this acidic environment, making it difficult for our body to restore health.

Hence, next time you get a cough & cold, be sure to avoid white sugar!

Eliminating Just Sugar Is Not Enough!
If you think simply cutting out sugar will solve the problem, we hate to break it to you that added sugar now finds its way in some of the most unsuspecting packaged foods! It sneaks in under a few names such as corn sugar, dextrose, invert sugar, sucrose, molasses, maltose etc. Read more on this here!

Can Fruits Worsen My Cough?
Fruits contain sugars. So should they be eliminated too? The straight simple answer is no! While fruits do contain simple sugars, they are natural, whole & nutrient-dense. And here are a few more reasons why you should stop believing that fruits can worsen your cough!

1. A report published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine states that “fruit intake has been associated with better lung function and reduced symptoms of cough and phlegm”. 

2. Moreover, fruits are rich in Vitamin C, flavonoids and fibre which are associated with reduced instances of respiratory diseases and lung diseases.

3.  Fruits are filled with immunity building vitamins such as C, K & A that defend you against infections. 

4. Green, red and yellow coloured fruits are rich sources of phytochemicals which are antioxidants that reduce the oxidative damage in our body. In simple terms, they protect you from inflammation, microbes, viruses, allergies and pathogens. 

5. Vitamin C rich pineapples have the anti-inflammatory enzyme bromelain which has been proven to give relief from cough and sore throat.

6. A 2004 study published in the National Library of Medicine found that a diet high in fibre from fruits reduces the incidence of chronic respiratory symptoms!

Hence, it’s absolutely safe to conclude that fruits do not lead to an increased cough. However, it’s important to note that this is true only if the fruits are completely ripe and ready for consumption. Unripe fruits that are sour are not fit for consumption and may lead to unpleasant experiences. Ripeness is nature’s way of indicating that they contain optimum nutrition that will only nourish the body.   

Sweet Life Without Sugar
You can still indulge your sweet tooth without depending upon white sugar.  Let your imagination go wild and use alternatives such as dry and wet dates, unprocessed jaggery and moreover- fresh sweet fruits to make your sweet treats. For more inspiration do check out our self-paced e-learning program that teaches you fun sweet treats without using processed sugars!

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(About Ishita Lote- Ishita has a Masters in Nutrition & Health Communication and has graduated in Foods, Nutrition & Dietetics. She is also a Certified Diabetes Educator and a Yoga Wellness Instructor. She is passionate about helping others recognize their own healing potential by living a life close to nature.)