The Sinusitis Food Connection
You are what you eat. That is a common saying and yet it is truer than you may think. When it comes to the sinusitis food connection it is very true but not how you may have thought.
The first thing you think about when you think food and sinusitis is what do you eat that is a contributor to your sinus infection symptoms? In other words, can you stop eating certain foods that make sinusitis worse.
The answer is yes but not they way you are thinking. For example, you may be thinking dairy. Dairy makes your mucus thicker and adds to the amount of mucus your body makes, you think. You are wrong about that. There has been no definitive study that has shown that dairy products cause more mucus production. There has been no study that has shown dairy products make mucus thicker.
That is of course, based on the assumption that you are not allergic to dairy products. If you do have an allergy to dairy products then you must avoid them. Allergies are quite a different problem. If you have food allergies you need to avoid all foods that you are allergic to. If your food allergy is not a life threatening one and you can tolerate the item in question you are still best to avoid it.
Most likely the offending food will effect your system so that it will produce more mucus. It may more than likely also produce swelling of the nasal and sinus membranes. You will end up with blockages and more mucus. Certainly a recipe for a sinus infection. Allergic reactions can lead to sinus infections. If you are allergic to foods you must eliminate the ones you are allergic to.
What if you don’t have a food allergy? What food should you give up? The answer is simple. You should give up foods that are not healthy for you to eat. Not exactly the kind of answer you were looking for was it?
You see, the medical profession is now looking at the sinusitis food connection differently than they used. Now they emphasize adding foods to your diet that are good for you and enhance your immune system. The premise is, the healthier you are overall, the better your body can take care of any infections you may have.
Being as that is now the common advice on sinus infection, diets then by extrapolation the foods you should eliminate are the foods that are not healthy for you.
Here are some foods you should have in your diet. One recommended food choice is hot spicy foods. These tend to keep your mucus thin and to some degree can actually help drainage. You’ll appreciate that if you have ever accidentally eaten some plain horseradish or bitten into a hot pepper. Your nose starts running almost instantly.
Increase your intake of anti-oxidants. Anti oxidants help strengthen your immune system. It helps your body to hunt down and destroy cells that damage your body. Fruits and vegetables are high in anti-oxidants. Vitamin A, vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin E, zinc and selenium are well known anti-oxidants.
Brightly colored fruits and vegetables are what you should eat. Green, yellow, orange and red are good. Eat fruits and vegetables that are those colors and you will be getting the correct anti-oxidants.
Omega 3 fats are also a recommended and necessary food. In fact, these essential fatty acids do indeed help to reduce inflammation. Less inflammation means less blockages in your sinuses and better drainage. Flax seeds and fish oil are good sources of this.
The sinusitis food connection boils down to this, eat healthy foods that contain essential nutrients your body needs to function at its best. When your body can function better it can fight sinusitis better. It can also protect you from sinusitis when you are infection free. Feeding your body properly all the way around will help you fight your sinus infection.
