Where to eat

Is The Best Natural Food To Help Sickness

Homemade chicken bone broth is the single best all-around natural food when you're sick, thanks to its easy hydration, bioavailable electrolytes, and anti-inflammatory amino acids like glycine and carnosine.

Different illnesses call for specific functional foods, but these five kitchen staples deliver the most reliable, research-backed relief for respiratory bugs, colds, and digestive distress.

Homemade chicken bone broth

Simmering poultry bones releases gelatin, electrolytes, and carnosine, a compound that helps clear nasal congestion and dampen upper-respiratory inflammation. The warm liquid hydrates your body immediately without taxing a compromised digestive system, making it ideal during the peak of a fever or flu. Sip it hot with a pinch of sea salt to quickly restore lost minerals.

Fresh ginger root

Ginger contains the bioactive compounds gingerol and shogaol, which actively settle nausea, speed up gastric emptying, and soothe throat irritation. It is particularly effective for stomach bugs and motion sickness when sliced and steeped in simmering water for 10 minutes. Grate or crush a one-inch knob with the skin on to extract the highest concentration of essential oils.

Raw unpasteurized honey

Raw honey naturally coats the mucosal lining of the throat to ease irritation and has been shown to reduce coughing as effectively as over-the-counter suppressants. It delivers natural antibacterial enzymes and antioxidants that help ease upper-airway infections. Take a single tablespoon directly off the spoon or stir it into warm—not boiling—water to protect its delicate enzymes.

Crushed raw garlic

Crushing or finely chopping fresh garlic ruptures its cell walls, triggering an enzyme reaction that creates allicin, a potent antimicrobial sulfur compound. Consuming it at the first onset of symptoms can help shorten the duration and severity of a viral cold. Let the crushed cloves rest for 10 minutes before eating so allicin levels peak, then swallow with a spoonful of honey or mix into warm broth.

Citrus fruits

Oranges, grapefruits, and lemons supply bioavailable vitamin C alongside flavonoids like hesperidin that support immune defense and help thin mucus. Their high water content and light acidity also stimulate saliva production to hydrate a dry, irritated mouth. Squeeze fresh lemon juice into hot tea or eat fresh whole slices to get the benefit of the pulp's bioflavonoids.

Ask Savarin your own question

Recipes with real chefs’ steps, restaurant picks with prices and addresses, meal plans for the week.

Try it free

Browse all recipes or where to eat.