Preventing colds and flu

Many people believe vitamin C can cure the flu and echinacea can prevent colds. But is there scientific evidence to back this up?

Can vitamin C stop a cold?

"Research has found no evidence that vitamin C prevents colds," says Dr Hasmukh Joshi, vice-chair of the Royal College of GPs !n "##$, the authors of a revie% of &# trials involving '',### people concluded that, (regular ingestion of vitamin C has no effect on common cold incidence in the ordinary population) * daily dose of vitamin C did slightly reduce the length and severity of colds +hen it comes to flu, one person in three ,elieves that taking vitamin C can cure the flu virus !t can-t ".tudies found that vitamin C offers a very, very limited ,enefit," says Dr Joshi "! %ouldn/t recommend it "

Does echinacea reduce cold risk?

0he root, seeds and other parts of echinacea plants are used in her,al remedies that many people ,elieve protect them against colds 0here have ,een several studies into echinacea-s effect, ,ut no firm conclusions * revie% of trials involving echinacea sho%ed that, compared %ith people %ho didn-t take echinacea, those %ho did %ere a,out &#1 less likely to get a cold Ho%ever, the studies had varying results and used different preparations of echinacea !t-s not kno%n ho% these compare %ith the echinacea in shops 0his revie% also sho%ed that echinacea did not reduce the length of a cold %hen taken on its o%n "0here is a ,elief that echinacea aids the immune system, ,ut a survey of studies in "##2 sho%ed that it did not," says Dr Joshi "! %ouldn/t recommend that it helps, ,ut if people ,elieve it, they can take it 0here/s no harm in it " 3chinacea should not ,e given to children under '" years old 4ind out more a,out a study of echinacea pu,lished in "#'" at3chinacea cold study claims analysed

Will zinc put off a cold?

0here is some evidence that taking 5inc lo5enges, syrup or ta,lets may reduce ho% long a cold lasts * "#'' Cochrane revie% of studies into 5inc and the common cold suggests that taking 5inc supplements %ithin a day of the symptoms starting %ill speed up recovery from a cold and lessen the severity of symptoms 6ong-term use of 5inc isn/t recommended as it could cause side effects such as vomiting and diarrhoea 7ore research is re8uired to find out the recommended dose

0here has also ,een research into nasal sprays containing 5inc ".ome people ,elieve that the 5inc lines the mucosa 9the lining of the nose: and stops a cold virus attaching itself to the nose lining," says Dr Joshi ";nfortunately, this has ,een found to ,e no more effective than a place,o "

Does getting cold or

et cause colds?

0he only thing that can cause a cold or flu is a cold or flu virus Getting cold or %et %on-t give you a cold Ho%ever, if you are already carrying the virus in your nose, it might allo% symptoms to develop * study at the Common Cold Centre in Cardiff found that people %ho chilled their feet in cold %ater for "# minutes %ere t%ice as likely to develop a cold as those %ho didn/t chill their feet 0he authors suggest that this is ,ecause some people carry cold viruses %ithout having symptoms Getting chilled causes ,lood vessels in the nose to constrict, affecting the defences in the nose and making it easier for the virus to replicate "Getting a cold from going out in the cold or after %ashing your hair is a myth," says Dr Joshi "Colds are common !f the virus is already there and then you go out %ith %et hair and develop symptoms, it/s common to think that is %hat caused it "

!o

hat does

ork to prevent colds and flu?

0he flu vaccine can prevent you from catching flu *part from that, the ,est %ay to protect yourself from colds and flu is to have a healthy lifestyle "3at a healthy diet, take regular e<ercise and drink plenty of %arm drinks in the %inter months," says Dr Joshi "0he important thing to remem,er is that most people are going to catch a cold in %inter any%ay, ,ecause there is no effective cure for cold viruses "

Washing your hands

ill help avoid transmitting cold and flu viruses

Cold and flu viruses can ,e passed through tiny droplets of mucus that are snee5ed or coughed out into the air ,y an infected person, and ,reathed in ,y another person !f an infected person snee5es into their hand, and then touches an o,=ect >such as a doorkno,, or railing on a train? the virus can pass from the o,=ect to the ne<t person %ho touches it @y %ashing your hands, you %ill ,e getting rid of any viruses you/ve picked up on them

"voiding touching your nose and eyes

ill help stop you getting infected

Cold and flu viruses can enter your ,ody through the eyes and nose !f you have any infected droplets on your hands, and you touch your eyes or nose, you can pass the virus into your system @y not touching your nose and eyes, you/ll reduce your chances of catching a virus