Try a cold calculating way to head off sniffles

When it comes to nutrition there are lots of old wives' tales about cure-all remedies, but your great-grandmother may not have been able to offer you much more than a hot honey and lemon or chicken soup. As these folk remedies, along with pharmaceutical preparations, fail to prevent and cure the common cold, many of us now turn to the use of dietary supplements to help ward off the symptoms. But do these help or hinder our chances?
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Jan 2011, 12:13 BST
Updated 19th Jan 2011, 12:15 BST

Certain nutrient deficiencies such as protein, vitamin B6 and zinc have been shown to hamper immune function, with important roles also identified for other nutrients such as the minerals iron, copper and selenium and vitamins A, C and E. All of these nutrients can easily be supplied in the diet by eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

The best way to maintain an efficient immune system is to eat a wide range of foods in a balanced diet, avoid stress, take regular moderate exercise, get plenty of sleep and maintain a healthy body weight.

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When it comes to diet, base meals and snacks around starchy carbohydrate food such as whole-grain cereals, bread, rice, pasta and potatoes. Eat adequate, but not excessive, amounts of protein.

Protein is a key component in the cells used by the immune system, but again eating more protein than necessary won't supercharge your immune defences. Good-quality protein sources include lean red meat, poultry, fish, eggs and low-fat dairy products, with the careful use of nuts, seeds and pulses for vegetarians.

Adequate vitamin intakes are assured by consuming at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Essential fatty acids, linoleic and linolenic acid, are also important for maintaining a healthy immune system, so don't be too keen to over-restrict fat and protein intakes at the expense of a high carbohydrate diet. These essential fatty acids can be found in sunflower, safflower, peanut and corn oils along with oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and trout.

Stay hydrated: Drink lots of water. Crucial to the body's natural defences to cold viruses are the mucus membranes that line the nasal passage. These are able do a better job of trapping and disposing of viral invaders when they are kept moist.

Are supplements useful?:

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High vitamin C intakes are a common self-help prescription to ward off colds and flu, but the scientific evidence has not conclusively shown mega doses of vitamin C reliably fight off colds, but suggest that those who consume vitamin C rich foods when a cold starts get rid of the symptoms sooner.

Consuming mega doses of supplements will not boost your immune system to a higher level. Although appropriate nutrition is essential to maintaining an effective immune system, nutrient excesses can also jeopardize it. Zinc is the new kid on the block in relation to fighting colds and flu, but consuming too much zinc can actually suppress the immune system.

So to stay fighting fit this winter the message is that eating a healthy, balanced and varied diet and ensuring adequate fluid intakes are the key components in your defence against the common cold.

But, what to do if you do succumb? Get plenty of rest; drink lots of water, at least 10 glasses a day; and boost your vitamin C intake, with foods including citrus and berry fruits and fruit juices, green vegetables and tomatoes.

Louise Sutton is principal lecturer, Physical Activity, Sport & Exercise Science at Leeds Metropolitan University.