What to eat for faster recovery from a cold caused by wind-cold?
Nov 11, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Ren Yi
Introduction
For colds caused by wind-cold, it is generally recommended to consume ginger, scallion whites, perilla leaf, brown sugar, and warm porridge, which can help relieve symptoms and promote recovery. Ginger: Ginger is warm in nature and helps induce sweating to release exterior pathogens, while also warming the middle jiao and relieving nausea. During a wind-cold type cold, ginger can be sliced and boiled in water or consumed with brown sugar. This promotes sweating to dispel cold, helping to alleviate symptoms such as chills, nasal congestion, and clear runny nose.
Cold-induced common cold is generally recommended to include ginger, scallion whites, perilla, brown sugar, and warm porridge, which can help relieve symptoms and promote recovery. The details are as follows:
1. Ginger: Ginger is warm in nature and can induce sweating to expel exterior pathogens and warm the middle while stopping vomiting. During a cold caused by wind-cold, ginger slices can be boiled in water or consumed with brown sugar. This helps the body sweat and dispel cold, alleviating symptoms such as chills, nasal congestion, and clear runny nose. It also warms the spleen and stomach, reducing gastrointestinal discomfort during a cold.
2. Scallion Whites: Scallion whites are warm in nature and have effects of inducing sweating to resolve exterior conditions, promoting yang, and dispersing cold. Scallion whites can be sliced and boiled with ginger, or boiled in water and drunk directly. This promotes perspiration, dispels cold from the body surface, improves symptoms such as absence of sweating, headache, and nasal congestion caused by wind-cold感冒, and helps restore normal bodily functions.
3. Perilla: Perilla is warm in nature and can resolve exterior conditions, disperse cold, regulate qi, and harmonize the stomach. When experiencing chest tightness, nausea, or poor appetite due to wind-cold感冒, consuming perilla (such as perilla tea or stir-fried eggs with perilla) can relieve discomfort. It not only dispels cold but also regulates the digestive system, reducing the impact of colds on digestive function.
4. Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is warm in nature and can tonify the middle burner, alleviate urgency, and provide warming nourishment. During a wind-cold感冒, brown sugar can be boiled with ginger and scallion whites to make a sweetened drink. This replenishes energy, promotes sweating to dispel cold, and relieves fatigue and chills during a cold, making it especially suitable for individuals with deficient constitutions.
5. Warm Porridge: Warm porridges such as millet or rice congee are soft, easily digestible, and provide energy to the body, reducing the digestive burden on the gastrointestinal tract during a cold. Additionally, warm porridge warms the body and helps expel cold. When consumed together with ginger and scallion whites, its effect in relieving cold symptoms is even better.
During a wind-cold感冒, one should avoid raw, cold, or cooling foods such as watermelon, pear, and cold beverages, as they may exacerbate internal coldness. If symptoms persist or worsen, timely medical attention should be sought to prevent delayed treatment.
