Red wine, black tea, cheesecake: Surprising food and drinks that help you fight flu

Scientists have discovered that certain food and drink items can help gut bacteria fight infections and prevent severe influenza.

Do you love to unwind with a glass of red wine, or treating yourself to blueberry cheesecake once in a while? Then you may have just decreased your chances of getting the flu. A recent study has found the remedy for flu -a sore throat, fever, cough and stuffy nose- in red wine, black tea, and blueberries, reports Independent.

Scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine, who conducted the test on mice, explain that a compound called flavonoids found in such food products as red wine, black tea and blueberries can help gut bacteria fight infections and prevent severe influenza. Ashley Steed, the study’s author, says that flavonoids help regulate the immune system to fight infections, by working with a particular gut micriobiome - clostridium.

“Flavonoids are common in our diets, so an important implication of our study is that it’s possible flavonoids work with gut microbes to protect us from flu and other viral infections. Obviously, we need to learn more, but our results are intriguing,” added Steed. However, it’s not confirmed if the results hold true for people, as the study is yet to be carried out on humans with flu symptoms. The study has been published in the journal ‘Science.’

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