Who doesn’t love eating bananas? It has the goodness of fiber, potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and various antioxidants and phytonutrients. But it is a big fight online whether eating bananas are good or bad for cough and cold. In this article, we will answer all of your questions associated with this mysterious topic.
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What is Cough?
Coughing is the body’s natural way to throw unwanted foreign particles, fluid or mucus from the throat. An occasional cough is healthy, but it might indicate underneath disease if it persists for a week or so.
What Causes Cough?
Cough can be caused by viruses or due to allergy to some food items. Some people might face coughing in cold seasons. It can also appear when you already have flu or cold-like symptoms. Apart from these, if you are a regular drinker or smoker, then it might be a reason for your cough.
Does Banana Cause Cough?
Bananas are enriched with nutrients and vitamins. But it also has a good amount of histamine in it. Histamine plays a critical role in our body’s immunity and digestive system. In Ayurveda, banana is called “cold” food. Ayurvedic science believes that eating bananas in cold or fever can increase your struggle with the cough.
Apart from this, in flu, such as the common cold or fever, your body’s immunity is already at an all-time low. In this condition, taking a banana could increase your susceptibility to viruses resulting in more cough and mucus formation.
There is not enough evidence to tell if bananas can cause cough formation. Still, medical science and Ayurveda have proven facts that eating bananas can trigger more discomfort during cough and cold.
Do Bananas Cause Mucus?
Banana contains histamine, which is believed to increase more mucus formation in the body. So yes, bananas can cause mucus formation. But it is just one side of the truth. Histamine intolerance varies from person to person. Histamine is a chemical that our body produces naturally, but it is also found in certain foods like bananas.
People prone to histamine intolerance can induce more mucus formation, whereas some can have little to no effect. If you have any history of histamine intolerance, then it is advisable to avoid bananas.
Is it Harmful to Eat Banana When You Have a Cold?
Eating bananas can cause mucus formation, but it is not always bad. In fact, mucus is good as it cleans out your nasal path. But when you are suffering from a cold, your body has weak immunity, and in this time, eating bananas can cause bacterial diseases like sinusitis, pneumonia and tonsillitis
Apart from this, eating bananas at night could also be a troublemaker when you already are suffering from a cold or cough. It can trigger more mucus production and eventually could lead to coughing and breathing difficulty at night.
FAQs
It is best if you can avoid bananas during fever or cough. Bananas have many health benefits, but they can be disastrous when you are in fever or cough. Histamine present in bananas could cause throat irritation and more mucus formation, so it is always good to keep yourself away from bananas for a while when in fever and cough.
Bananas are loaded with minerals and vitamins. It is good for health and boosts immunity when consumed in moderation. However, if you already have a cold, histamine present in bananas can increase mucus formation and lead to more cold-like symptoms. If you want to make a quick recovery from the common cold, then avoid bananas for a couple of days until you recovered.
Banana is a good source of calcium and enriched with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It can help your body produce more energy and immunity against various diseases. The only time you should avoid bananas is when you are suffering from a cold, cough or fever, as it may intensify your problem.
Eating bananas immediately before going to bed is not very healthy. During the night, our body does not require energy, and our metabolism is low. If we eat bananas, it will eventually produce energy that our body is not required at the time. Apart from this, eating bananas at night can also cause more mucus formation leading to cough and more discomfort at night.
