8 Common Superfoods To Reduce Mucus, Phlegm & Snot

Mucus, phlegm and snot always gross us out. These discharges are so gross that you might tend to think they are bad for our bodies. The truth is, mucus is a very important bodily discharge, playing a vital role in our health. Mucus is to our bodies as motor oil is to an engine.

Mucus forms a protective layer over our body tissues and helps prevent these tissues from drying or cracking. Furthermore, mucus in the nose help trap dust and bacteria from finding their way into our respiratory system – causing harm.

You might be wondering, if mucus, phlegm and snot are important, why, then, would I want to consume foods that help reduce or eliminate them?

Why You Need an Anti-Mucus Diet

Sometimes glands and cells in our bodies secrete mucus, in quantities that are more than usual. This means our bodies experience hypersecretion, which, in turn, causes a decreased clearance of phlegm making mucus accumulate in the lungs.

Normally, the body secretes mucus as a response to irritants in the environment. In some cases, the body responds by producing mucus in excess amounts. Every person is different and what may cause overproduction in one person may not be the same in another. Regardless, hypersecretion can be very uncomfortable and you may have to keep blowing your nose. Nobody wants this. That is why we have put together the following list of 8 common foods you can include in your diet to help reduce mucus phlegm and snot [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].

1. Ease Congestion with some Ginger

Ginger is a very good natural antihistamine and decongestant. Most people use ginger to fight off allergic reactions from eating certain foods that contain histamine or stimulate its production in the body. Histamine stimulation is one of the reasons mucus follows most allergic reactions.

It also packs some antibacterial and antiviral properties that are pretty instrumental in easing congestion in the chest area. It decongests the chest region by drying out any excess mucus and at the same time stimulating removing the build-up of mucus.

The best way to take ginger is preparing some ginger tea and drinking it a couple of times throughout the day. It will go a long way in eliminating any excess or build-up of mucus [7, 8, 9]. 

2. Break down the Build-up of Phlegm with some Garlic

You can use garlic as a natural expectorant. This means that it can be very helpful in breaking down any possible build-up of phlegm in your respiratory system. It also features some anti-microbial properties that are vital in the fight against bacterial, fungal and viral infections. Some of these infections are responsible for stimulating the respiratory glans into producing more phlegm. Therefore, it is always a good idea to always include some garlic in your diet to help you eliminate the excess build-up of phlegm [10, 11, 12].

3. Enjoy some Pineapple Chops

Pineapple is a great fruit to help you eliminate excess mucus. The juice from the fruit contains a mixture of enzymes, commonly referred to as bromelain. Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme, which means that it is useful in breaking down proteins. Since mucus is made up of proteins, the juice helps break it down. In nutritional medicine, the enzyme is used to support sinus conditions, while clearing the upper and lower respiratory congestion.

It is also thought that the fruit is instrumental in boosting the immune function since it packs some anti-inflammatory properties. This is why eating some pineapple chops helps in opening up your airways. Furthermore, when airways open up, it helps reduce chances of contracting or suppressing associated respiratory problems like asthma and similar allergies [13, 14, 15].

4. How about some Onions?

Onions can be very handy in helping you deal with fever, coughs, colds, sore throats and low immunity. The best way to take onions is by grating them and soaking the pieces in water for approximately 7 hours. After the mixture is ready, take 3-4 tablespoons of the water daily and watch your health improve. It also eliminates any cases of excess coughing.

Onions contain a compound referred to as quercetin, which has been found to help to treat any cases of cell-derived allergic inflammatory conditions. The compound has also been found to have the capability of treating any some forms of chronic airway illness by reducing mucus production [16, 17].

5. Take some Cardamom after Meals

Traditionally, cardamom are taken after meals because they are important in helping with digestion and assimilation. It helps the body reduce the build-up of mucus in your body by aiding digestion of food particles. It does this by protecting your mucus membranes. The result is the liquefaction of the mucus in foods that are harder to digest. Such foods make the body form more mucus [18, 19].

6. Citrus Fruits are Great Too!

Eating some citrus fruits is also a very healthy and amazing way of eliminating mucus and infections from your body since it is a great antioxidant. Furthermore, these fruits burst with Vitamin C. The nutrient has a high concentration of antioxidants. Antioxidants are incredible natural decongestants. Therefore, they can help in loosening the snot and phlegm for you to easily throw them out [20, 21, 22].

7. Consider Warm and Spicy Foods

Heat plays a significant role in thinning and expelling mucus. That is why you need to consider incorporating warm vegetable-based soups. You can prepare these soups with bone broth that boosts the immune system.

When preparing these warm vegetable soups, you should also consider adding some spices like chilli, thyme, sage, turmeric, cayenne, peppermint, chamomile, cumin or cinnamon. Furthermore, you can also prepare herbal teas to help you stay hydrated throughout the day why helping the boy expel nay excess mucus [23, 24].

8. An Apple a Day

Apples a rich source of pectin and Vitamin C. The fibres and vitamins are very crucial in helping the body relieve the build-up of mucus in the body. Furthermore, it contains high percentages of potassium that contribute to the benefits apples have to offer.

You can enjoy your apples in many different ways. You can just cut them up in slices and eat, blend, juice and sometimes even bake them. If you are feeling a little bit more creative, you can cook your apples with some pears and cinnamon and have yourself a naturally sweet dessert. Whichever way you choose to have your apples, you can be sure of eliminating the build-up of mucus in your airways [25, 26, 27].

Bottom-line

All of these foods are amazing in helping your body reduce the build-up of mucus. If you discover that you may be suffering from excess mucus, phlegm or snot build-up, including nasal drip, the first thing you have to look at is your diet.

If you switch up your diet by removing any processed or allergenic foods but still experience the same reaction, make sure that you visit your health specialist. This is important because they will help to rule out a case of a bacterial infection or any other complication and find the root cause.

Related: 20 Unbelievable Ways to Cause & Cure Breathing Problems

Health by choice, not by chance.

-David