What should the elderly eat if they often cough?
With seasonal changes and temperature fluctuations, the problem of cough among the elderly has gradually become a hot health topic recently. Many families are concerned about how to relieve cough symptoms in the elderly through dietary adjustments. This article will combine the hot discussions on the Internet in the past 10 days to provide you with scientific advice and practical recipes.
1. Recent hot topics related to cough on the Internet

| Topic keywords | heat index | Main discussion platform |
|---|---|---|
| Old man's winter cough | 85,200 | Weibo/Zhihu |
| Dietary remedies for cough relief | 62,400 | Xiaohongshu/Douyin |
| chronic bronchitis diet | 47,800 | Baidu Tieba |
| Ranking of lung nourishing foods | 39,500 | WeChat public account |
| Cough taboo list | 36,700 | Today's headlines |
2. Cough types and dietary plans
| Cough type | Main features | Recommended food | taboo foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold cough | White and thin phlegm, intolerance to cold | Ginger, scallions, garlic | cold fruits |
| Wind-heat cough | Yellow and sticky phlegm, sore throat | Pears, loquats, white radish | spicy fried |
| Dry cough | Dry cough without phlegm, itchy throat | Tremella, lily, honey | dry snacks |
| Phlegm-damp cough | Excessive phlegm makes coughing and chest tightness easy | Tangerine peel, barley, yam | Sweet food |
3. Ranking of the top ten cough-relieving and lung-moistening foods
Based on recent voting data from major health platforms, the most recommended dietary ingredients are sorted out:
| Ranking | food name | Reasons for recommendation | How to eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney | Clear heat and moisturize | Stewed pears with rock sugar |
| 2 | white radish | Resolving phlegm and relieving cough | Carrot honey drink |
| 3 | Lily | Nourish Yin and Moisten Lungs | Lily porridge |
| 4 | Tremella | Nourishing yin and promoting body fluid | Tremella soup |
| 5 | Loquat | Cough and stomach relief | Loquat leaves boiled in water |
| 6 | Almonds | Reduce Qi and relieve asthma | almond tea |
| 7 | honey | Antibacterial throat moisturizer | Take with warm water |
| 8 | tangerine peel | Regulate qi and resolve phlegm | Chenpi Pu'er tea |
| 9 | yam | Nourish lungs and replenish qi | Yam Pork Ribs Soup |
| 10 | ginger | Dispel cold and relieve cough | ginger jujube tea |
Recommended recipes for cough relief for four or three days
Day one:
Breakfast: Lily pumpkin porridge + steamed yam
Lunch: White radish and pork ribs soup + stir-fried kale
Snack: Stewed Sydney Pear with Rock Sugar
Dinner: Tremella and Lotus Seed Soup + Whole Wheat Steamed Buns
The next day:
Breakfast: Almond walnut sauce + steamed pumpkin
Lunch: Lotus root and corn soup + garlic broccoli
Snack: loquat honey water
Dinner: Tangerine peel red bean paste + vegetable noodles
Day three:
Breakfast: Ginger and red date tea + millet cake
Lunch: Sichuan scallops stewed with snow pear + brown rice
Snack: Luo Han Guo tea
Dinner: barley and poria porridge + steamed fish
5. Things to note
1. If the cough persists for more than 2 weeks, you should seek medical treatment promptly.
2. Diabetic elderly people need to control the consumption of honey and rock sugar.
3. Food preparation needs to be accompanied by an appropriate amount of drinking water (1500-2000ml daily)
4. Avoid eating 2 hours before going to bed to prevent night cough from getting worse.
5. Keep indoor air humidity between 40%-60%
Through reasonable diet, appropriate exercise and good living habits, most elderly people's cough symptoms can be effectively relieved. If symptoms persist or worsen, it is recommended to consult a professional doctor in time.
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