DHAKA: Keeping warm during winter is not easy. Apart from woollen clothes, people should consume heat producing food items to beat the chill.

Avani Agarwal, product manager, Food Cloud website, shares a list of top five heat producing foods for winter:

Garlic: Not only does garlic act as a cholesterol-lowering agent, it is also a brilliant heat producing food. Garlic contains properties that help fight the flu and other diseases such as bronchitis and asthma.

Ginger: It contains gingerols and shogaols that have thermogenic properties that help keep you warm. It helps to cure common cold and it has been effectively used to relieve sore throat. It is also used as a herbal remedy to relieve headaches and nausea.

Meat: Red meat contains iron, which stimulates the thyroid hormone to increase heat production.

Honey: It is an antimicrobial agent which has been used to treat several ailments since ancient times.

Lemon: It is a very good source of Vitamin C, which helps to build immunity to fight against common cold, cough and seasonal flu.

Source: ToI

BDST: 2040 HRS, DEC 05, 2013