Sinus infection diet
Recommended diet for the treatment of sinusitis
Nutrition may be one of the triggers of sinusitis. It is believed the presence of allergenic foods in our diet may be one of the causes that produce this disease.
Moreover, it has been found that abundant intake of natural foods with antioxidant properties is a good resource to enhance immunity and make the body more resistant to invasion by external agents.
Food suitable for sinusitis
Among the foods recommended in the diet of sinusitis we will include the following:
Vitamins for sinusitis. Sinusitis immune system
The following foods are very rich in vitamins:
- Foods rich in vitamin C: Because of its antioxidant properties, they can make the body more resistant to disease and, at the same time, although they don’t provide immunity against bacteria or viruses, they reduce the symptoms and duration of illness. It has even been proven successful in reducing the inflammation of the lining of the sinuses because of its antihistamine properties.Fruits, especially citrus fruits (oranges, lemons and the like), vegetables in general and especially the dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach or beets are the richest foods in vitamin C.Very suitable foods are those that, besides vitamin C, contain bioflavonoids, such as blackberries or grapes.
- Foods rich in vitamin A: vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene in plant foods, also has antioxidant properties. It strengthens the immune system, making it very suitable to prevent the occurrence of many diseases, especially of the respiratory system: sore throat, flu, common cold, pharyngitis, sinusitis, bronchitis.Orange, red or yellow plant foods, especially carrots, purslane, spinach, watercress, borage, pumpkin, etc. are the richest vitamin A containing foods.
- Foods rich in Vitamin B: Vitamin B is an ally of the immune system that helps keep the defenses in good condition. Whole cereals are especially rich among plant foods containing this vitamin. (rice, wheat, oats, etc). Other foods are legumes (soy, peas, broad beans, lentils or dried beans, etc.) or nuts. (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, etc)
- Foods rich in Vitamin E: This vitamin is another very powerful antioxidant. Plants that have this vitamin are vegetable fats: wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, sunflower oil, toasted almonds and olive oil. Other foods with vitamin E are mangoes and avocados.
Omega-3 for sinusitis
- Foods rich in fatty acids omega-3: Fatty fish (tuna, mackerel, sardines, herring, cod, etc) is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids.These acids have anti-inflammatory properties so their usual intake – about three times a week – could help reduce inflammation of sinusitis. Other foods rich in omega-3 are some nuts such as walnuts or almonds.
Decongestant food is very good for sinusitis
They are those foods that reduce inflammation open respiratory channels. Among these some are worth highlighting, such as onion, garlic, or horseradish.
Some spices like cayenne, by their content of capsaicin, or rosemary, which contains nearly 40 anti-inflammatory substances, also help reduce inflammation.
Using these food as seasoning in salads can be one of the best ways to treat this disease.
Non-suitable food for sinusitis
Food allergies
Among foods unsuitable for the diet of sinusitis we include those producing allergies.
The most common ones, as we have seen above, use to be those containing lactose which is present in milk and its derivatives (butter, cheese, yoghourts, custards, etc)
We could also doubt of gluten containing foods (grains or derivatives from grains) or foods containing certain preservatives and pigments as possible food producing allergies.
The best method to discover which food is not tolerated is to dispense with products of one of these groups for some days. By doing so, we will try to figure out which one of then could be the cause of sinusitis.
For example, if after having removed milk and its derivatives for a few days, we feel the same, we could say that this type of food was well tolerated and milk is not the food which is actually causing the problem.
On the contrary, if we feel better, we could point out milk as the probable reason for our sinusitis. In this case, it will be better for us to remove it from our diet an search for a substitute food.
The following chard shows a list of foods that are reported to cause most food allergic reactions. People suffering this disease should be cautions using them and should test his personal reaction for each one of them.
| Main food producing allergic reactions(They produce 90 % of allergic reactions) |
| Crustacean shellfish (crabs, oysters, lobsters, mussels, shrimp, etc)Eggs Fish Milk (Cow) and derivatives (Cheese, yoghourt) Nuts(almonds, walnuts, pecans,, etc) Soy beans and its derivatives Wheat and its derivatives |
Allergy sinus problems. Foods that can replace milk
Many sinusitis have an origin in food allergy. Milk and milk products (cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, custard, etc) are sometimes responsible for inflammation of the sinuses. It is important to know about those foods that can serve as an alternative to animal milk.
Are soy milk or cereals suitable for sinusitis?
Soy milk and other soy products like tofu or soy meat can provide the needed calcium to people who are allergic to lactose.
One should have to verify that sinusitis is not caused by an allergy to soy or gluten to exclude soy or cereals containing gluten from the diet of these patients.
More information about sinusitis natural treatment.
