Patient's question:
My child is one year old. Two weeks ago, he had a cold with coughing and phlegm. I heard from others that children with coughs should not eat meat and fish because they are considered mucus-forming foods. Is that true?Doctor's answer:
Many parents are very troubled by their baby's cough. They worry about the side effects of cough medicine when giving it to their child, but they also feel heartbroken when they see their child coughing without medication. In fact, if parents pay attention to dietary adjustments during the recovery period of their child's cough, they can achieve twice the result with half the effort.I. Avoid cold, sour, and spicy foods.
Frozen and spicy foods can irritate the throat, making the cough worse. Therefore, it is not advisable to eat cold drinks or frozen beverages when coughing. Milk taken out of the refrigerator is best reheated before consumption. Children with "allergic cough" should also avoid carbonated drinks to prevent coughing attacks. Sour foods often constrict phlegm, making it difficult to cough up, which can worsen the condition and prolong recovery.
II. Avoid peanuts, sunflower seeds, chocolate, etc.
The above foods contain a high amount of fat, which can easily produce phlegm and worsen the cough after consumption.
III. Avoid fishy, shrimp, and crab.
Many children with coughing tend to have their cough worsen after eating fishy foods, which is related to the irritation of the respiratory tract by the fishy flavor and protein allergies to fish and shrimp. Children with allergic constitutions should avoid these foods even more when coughing.
IV. Avoid tonics.
Many parents give their weak-bodied children some tonics, but these should be stopped when the child's cough has not yet recovered to prevent the tonics from lingering and making the cough worse.
V. Less salt and sugar.
Eating too much salt can easily trigger a cough or worsen it. When a baby is coughing, the diet should be light and not include high-salt foods like salted fish or salted meat. As for sugary foods like candies, eating too much can help generate heat and phlegm, so they should also be consumed in moderation.