With the start of winter comes the inevitable outbreak of cold and flu. It seems that every other person is coughing and sneezing. And despite the countless new diets and products claiming to cure a cold, very few actually work.
What we do know, is that although vitamin C can't prevent a cold entirely, it can shorten it's duration by an average of 2 days. Zinc and echinacea are also showing promising results for helping to reduce the duration of a cold. Here is my advice if you are struck down with a cold:
1. Get plenty of rest and stay at home to avoid spreading it around
2. Drink lots of fluids
3. Try to continue to eat well
4. The following may help shorten the duration of a cold
(a) 500mg of vitamin C per day
(b) 10mg of zinc per day
(c) 1g of echinacea per day
5. If your cold lasts longer than a week or you are experiencing shortness of breath, seek medical advice.
