Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) are at risk of pneumonia and other respiratory infections, such as COVID-19. Your level of injury and time since injury impact the function of your respiratory system. Good nutrition can help decrease your risk of respiratory infections and aid in the treatment of infections when they occur.
While antibiotics have played a role in fighting bacterial infections, nutrition can help prevent and manage early symptoms. Studies have shown that overusing antibiotics can lead to bacteria resistance, leading to an increased risk of infection or less effective treatment of infection. It is important for you to seek medical attention for a suspected infection. Symptoms can include fever, chills, abnormally fast breathing, decreased breath sounds, cough, increased music production, rapid heartbeat, or shortness of breath.
There are various nutrients, foods, herbs, and spices that you can consume to help reduce your risk of infections. These nutrients can also boost your immune system to keep your body functioning properly. We have 7 tips to keep in mind when eating foods for your respiratory support.
Eat foods that act as expectorants
Expectorants are foods and herbs that promote mucous drainage from your lungs. Some herbs include borage, cardamom, elder, ginger, fenugreek, garlic, hyssop, licorice root, marshmallow root, red clover, plantain, and thyme. Vegetables include carrots, chili peppers, and leeks.
Eat foods that are natural antihistamines
Garlic is a good example of an antihistamine as it protects against infections and eliminates unwanted bacteria within the body while leaving the good bacteria alone. Other herbs include basil, chamomile, parsley, ginger, and thyme.
Drink 8-10 cups of fluid a day
Liquids also help thin lung secretions, making it easier to cough up mucus. Chicken soup, for example, is a good way to thin out mucus and it contains protein which is great to produce antibodies to help fight infections.
Eat foods high in Vitamins C & A, and zinc
According to studies, white blood cells stock up on large amounts of Vitamin C in preparation to fight infections. Vitamin A is important to maintaining the healthy lining of your respiratory passages. Zinc boosts your immunity to help prevent and fight viral and bacterial infections. Foods high in Vitamin C include parsley, red & green bell peppers, leeks, alfalfa sprouts, lemons, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower.
Foods high in Vitamin A include carrots, winter squash, leeks, red pepper, and sweet potato. Foods high in zinc include yogurt, oats, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds.
Add lung-supporting herbs & spices to meals
Several herbs and spices are known to help with respiratory conditions. Cloves help with asthma and bronchitis and ginkgo biloba helps to relieve bronchial spasms. Thyme is ideal for deep-seated chest infections and turnips act as a decongestant. Goldenrod is an antiseptic for mucus membranes and can also help with bronchitis, coughs, and respiratory congestion.
Avoid mucus-forming foods such as dairy, red meat, & gluten
Healthy mucus is clear and slippery, whereas unhealthy mucus presents thick, cloudy, and sticky. A lot of unhealthy mucus creates the opportunity for infection. Unhealthy mucus is also difficult to cough up, particularly problematic for individuals with SCI who have limited ability to cough, delaying recovery and making them more likely to become ill. It is important to reduce mucus-forming foods, such as bread, meat, sugar, and other processed foods. Milk, cheese, and other dairy products are the highest mucus-producing foods to watch out for.
Limit all sugar to less than 50 grams a day (including fruit & fruit juices)
Sugar weakens your immune system. Glucose (sugar) and Vitamin C compete with one another because they are very similar in nature. More sugar in the system allows for less Vitamin C entering the immune cells, which in turn hinders the cell’s ability to fight respiratory infections.
Information provided by Eat Well, Live Well with spinal cord injury and other neurological conditions by Joanne Smith, B.A., BRT Dip., CNP and Kylie James, B.Sc. (O.T.), CNP
