One of the most common feelings of discomfort these days is when you feel stuffed, however, this is not the feeling that we associate with overeating, but it is the congested feeling in your nose or throat due to increased mucus caused generally by some allergies or cold. But if allergies or common cold is not the reason for congestion then it might be due to the foods you are consuming. Here is a list of 7 common foods present in every pantry which cause congestion:
1. Refined Sugars
Sugars, when eaten in small amounts, are harmless but when the intake is high, it not only makes you fat but also has inflammation enhancing properties. It irritates your body and causes increased levels of mucus.
2. Spicy Foods
Did you ever wonder why your nose starts running when you eat something super spicy? Now this is because of the histamine production in the body triggered by spicy foods. Histamine is a compound which is released in the body when the body undergoes an allergic reaction. This causes the nasal tissues to swell up and become watery.
3. Milk
Usually, dairy products thicken your mucus and so it takes longer for the thicker mucus to get out of your system consequently causing acute congestion. One of such dairy products is whole milk which thickens the mucus and also accelerates its production.
Same is the case with our favourite ice cream which contains ‘casein’ that results in nasal congestion.
4. Tomatoes
Despite being flavorful and nutritious, tomatoes at times can make allergies worse or increase your histamine production levels and its high acidity is also a cause of concern for the people prone to acid reflux problems.
5. Wine & Other Alcohols
Alcohols, in general, have inflammation enhancing properties. In addition, wine contains a histamine compound that can lead to swelling of the nasal tissues. Even beers and other alcohols like whiskey mostly contain gluten which is a problem even though it is allegedly wiped out during the distillation procedure.
6. Red Meat
Red meat owing to its high protein content can lead to the excessive accumulation of mucus in your body and in turn make your sinus worse.
7. Pizza
Pizza alone contains 3 foods which make the mucus worse – cheese comes under dairy products, the crust contains gluten and that amazing sauce that we love contains tomatoes. Eating a slice or 2 once in a while is all right, however, the excess of everything is bad.
