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Q. Once my wife and I had children, I began to get several colds every winter. Of course, the kids would recover in a couple of days, but my own congestion would last a couple of weeks.
Eventually, I would get a sinus infection and have to get a prescription for antibiotics. This pattern continued for five years without fail.
Then I began a low-carb diet to lose weight. As a side effect, I noticed that my nasal congestion was reduced almost immediately. No longer did I spend five minutes every morning clearing my throat and blowing my nose. In the four years since I cut my sugar intake as part of the diet, I have had one cold (which lasted less than a week) and no sinus infections. Others may also benefit.
A. Thanks for sharing your experience. We haven’t seen this benefit mentioned in studies comparing low-carb to low-fat diets.
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When I started eating lower-carb I noticed that those pesky "yeast infections" went away. (If I noticed that a yeast infection was trying to start up, ((just the "hint" of yeast starting up)) I would recall that I had been sloppy about eating too much sugars; I simply went back on low carb-type diet and the "beginning yeast infection" would stop it in its tracks.)
Since yeast and fungi are fed by sugars of all kinds, and sinus problems seem to be fungal a lot of the time (some Doctors are finding out)....it makes sense that low carb eating can help with colds, etc.
I used to have to clear my throat consistently for up to 30 minutes after every meal. Once I started a low carb diet this symptom went away. Now I'm only bothered with it when I eat a meal with a significant amount of carbs. One of the things that sets it off most is sweet tea. I now drink unsweet or water.
When I began a low carb diet my longstanding Sinus headaches went away. After asking, repeatedly, about why the headaches were gone and getting an “I don't know” response, I figured that it was due to dropping milk and milk products. I dearly love milk, Ice Cream and American cheese but I now believe that I have a mild sensitivity to milk products. At any rate the Sinus Headaches are gone and the only runny nose I get is in the morning first thing and after eating Ice Cream on occasion.
I was subject to frequent colds for most of my life. Every year I had at least two or three severe winter colds that lasted a week or more. And my summer colds were, indeed, "a different animal," making me totally miserable usually for at least ten days once or twice a year.
Almost 12 years ago, at age 58, I began a low-carb diet to lose weight. I felt so good on it that I've continued on a controlled-carb regimen ever since. In all that time I've had only three or four colds, and they last an average of less than four days.
In my contacts with other low-carb dieters I've heard from quite a few of them that their colds are less frequent and/or shorter and less severe than they had been previously.
There is an otolaryngologist here in Denver that feels that a lot of sinus sufferers may actually have a wheat intolerance. I do. So, eating low carb and cutting out many, if not all sources of wheat would certainly attribute to easier breathing! I can't eat it at all without feeling my sinuses swell up in my head. Bonus side effect of an LC diet!