You know that feeling of irritation when a little something is stuck at
the back of your throat and nose when you get sick? That’s Phlegm,
and it’s produced by mucus membranes that line your nose, mouth, throat, sinuses, and lungs.
Phlegm isn't completely bad. In fact, it's a vital part of protecting and supporting your entire
respiratory system by trapping dust, allergens, and viruses. Phlegm can create problems when there
is too much of it, or it gets too thick, making your throat feel uncomfortable and irritated.
Thankfully, you can limit your mucus production by
paying conscious attention to the foods and drinks you consume. In this video,
we will explore the top 13 foods that cause mucus build-up. Let’s get into it…
Mucus protects us from potentially harmful dust particles and bacteria that can penetrate your
nose while breathing. It also lubricates our cell tissues. The main problem with
mucus arises when its production spikes, which results in an abnormal cough, and it starts to
form complications in respiration, saliva formation, vocalization, and digestion.
It can also lead to congestion in the nasal passages, general respiratory discomfort,
and difficulty breathing. When there is too much mucus, it begins to build up within
your respiratory tract. Because of this, you risk having a host of common yet unpleasantly
inconvenient and uncomfortable illnesses like the common cold, influenza, and common flu.
Suppose you are already sensitive to respiratory illnesses caused by mild
respiratory infections or asthma. In that case, you must take note of precisely which
food you are eating and what contributes to the build-up of excess mucus within your system.
Let’s begin with sugar.
Sugar is inflammatory, and when your body is victim to anything
that irritates the inflammation, the production of mucus rises quickly.
Sugar in measured quantities is not that bad in the case of mucus production.
For example, naturally occurring sugars in foods or a tiny tablespoon in a hot cup of
tea will not dramatically affect your system. But,
consuming refined sugars can severely react to the levels of mucus production.
Try to balance it if you've noticed sugar consumption often leads you to excess mucus.
Next is milk products.
All milk and dairy products like cheese, ice cream, yogurt, and butter can cause a rapid
increase in the production of excess mucus in your respiratory system. These delicious everyday dairy
foods have a protein called ''casein'' which increases the production of mucus and sinus
infections and can cause nasal congestion due to difficulty in digestion and sharp putrefaction.
A study conducted to examine the effects of dairy versus non-dairy diets on levels of nasopharyngeal
mucus secretion found a significant reduction of nasopharyngeal secretions in adults with
non-dairy diets compared to others. Also, dairy products have lactose,
a sugar that also enhances mucus secretion while at the same time temporarily thickening
it. If the mucus gets thickened, it requires a long period to be discharged from your body,
allowing the various allergens to remain in your body for an extended period.
Soy
In all plant foods, having too much soy can lead to more chest mucus than any other. Soy also
enhances the possibility of building up unhealthy mucus in the body. If you are already feeling
sick, it might be wise to leave that soy milk and tofu off the diet until you start feeling better.
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Coming back to our list, Bananas.
Bananas are amazing! From healing and building muscle to being a great source of potassium,
bananas do a lot of good to your body. Still,
if you are one of those unlucky individuals, then bananas can trigger congestion problems.
Bananas can push the body to release histamine. Histamine is a compound in
your body when the body combats any allergic reaction. This ends up causing your nasal
tissues to swell up and become watery due to excessive mucus production. It is not a
great choice to keep bananas away from your diet, but if it creates problems for your
respiratory situation, then definitely consider limiting the quantity you eat.
Fifth on our list is alcohol.
Sometimes it feels good to wind down a little tipsy with a drink or have
time over a beer with a friend. But if you want to reduce mucus production,
then alcohol is something you should cut down on.
After having alcohol, the blood vessels in your nose and sinuses expand,
which leads to increased blood flow, and nasal and sinus congestion. Also,
alcohol causes dehydration which can further increase mucus in your sinuses and nose.
Tomatoes can be triggering.
While tomatoes are popularly known to be anti-inflammatory,
they could make your allergies terrible in some cases.
Tomatoes can also trigger a rise in histamine levels which promote mucus production. Also,
tomatoes have high acidic content, so they can be a problem if you have acid reflux from time
to time; acid travels to your throat and can make it swollen and have mucus sticking to it.
Red meat and eggs
Eggs and meat are both brilliant sources of protein that can do wonders for many
people's diets. However, both can also start a buildup of mucus within your
throat because of the protein content. Processed red meats
high in saturated fats are some of the worst foods that cause excessive mucus.
According to a study, meat intake or meat-containing foods with savory
mixed dishes increases the risk of developing a cough with phlegm. If
you have respiratory issues after having processed meat,
try to source meats that are organic and unprocessed, like from a local butcher shop!
Avoid gluten-rich food
If you have gluten sensitivity, you might notice that eliminating gluten will clear things up
quite a bit. One of the biggest gluten-heavy foods is wheat, and like all the other things
in this video, if anything inflames your body, mucus buildup will likely be one of the results.
Next is fish.
Not all fishes cause inflammation, but tuna is high in inflammation
and causes histamine production, leading to nasal passage swelling.
If you feel nasal congestion after having fish, start assessing how your throat, nose,
and breathing feel when and after you eat fish and, importantly, what kind of fish.
Nuts are notorious
Nuts are nasty for causing some severe allergic reactions and could also bring bad
news for your sinuses. While not all people have any serious effects from nuts, if your
body is allergic to them, they can overdrive with histamine and cause mucus in your body.
Cut down the caffeine.
All the beverages like coffee, tea, and soft drinks contain caffeine, a diuretic
that dehydrates your body. Dehydration in your body can lead to much thicker mucus, so reducing
caffeine and switching to healthier options like green tea or mint tea is better. Additionally,
mint will also clear nasal congestion because of its anti-inflammatory properties.
12th on our list are spicy Foods
Did you ever think about why your nose starts running when you eat something too
spicy? It is because spicy foods also trigger histamine production in your body. You might
be sensitive to it if you frequently get mucus buildup or a watery nose from spicy foods. So,
better list the foods irritating you and replace them with alternatives that work.
The last one is pizza.
As we discussed, if your body is sensitive to specific foods,
you're more likely to have congestion. Regarding sensitivity, pizza might be the
biggest culprit out there because of dairy from the cheese, tomato from the sauce,
and gluten from the crust. It combines all the foods we have discussed in this video so far,
but if you cannot live without having your favorite slice of pi from time to time,
try having it with some cayenne pepper and onion and see if there's a reduction in mucus build-up.
If you have excess mucus in your system, then try having warm drinks. It will help to clear
your mucus build up by thinning it out and flushing it out of your system. Try clear
soups and hot teas without caffeine that provide much-needed hydration while also tasting good.
A Lot of the foods discussed in our video today are inflammatory,
so the perfect solution for mucus build-up is eating more anti-inflammatory foods like
grapefruit, honey, ginger, and leafy veggies. A few simple dietary changes
can do you some good. Care to learn more about mucus and your respiratory system
Watch How To Get Rid Of Mucus & Phlegm In Your Chest & Throat
Or
19 Foods That Improve Unhealthy Lungs And Help You Breathe Easy
Click one, or why not both, to keep the conversation going? Do
you know more foods that lead to mucus and phlegm? Let us know in the comments below!