Winter Woes!

Winter woes

Colds and flu are inevitable at this time of the year, sadly there is no 100 per cent cure to ward off the dreaded lurgy but we’ve compiled the best preventative flu-slaying strategies we could find to help ward off that beastly bacteria.

C the light

Contrary to popular belief Vitamin C doesn’t safeguards us from the viral clutches of the common cold but it can shorten its duration.  Australian and Finnish researchers found that a large dose of 8g on the first day of a cold appeared to curtail its stay.

Dairy queen

Start your day with a cup of yoghurt to fight off flu. A study by the University of California-Davis, USA, found that people who started off their day with a cup of yoghurt had 25 per cent fewer colds.

Rinse it

Japanese researchers have found that gargling daily with water can reduce your risk of infection. Garglers are 36 per cent less likely to be struck down with flu, as it aids in the prevention of upper respiratory tract infections. Similarly, drinking hot liquids such as herbals teas can hydrate the respiratory system – which, when dried out is more susceptible to infection.

Get some air

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, USA found that the spread of cold and flu is dependent on humidity and temperatures. The dry air in an overheated home provides the perfect environment for cold viruses to thrive. High temperatures cause your mucous membranes to dry out, increasing your chances of trapping terrorising germs in there.

Heat things up

According to an Austrian study having a sauna once a week can cut your cold rate by half because the hot air you inhale kills viruses. If you can’t make it to a sauna – seize hairdryer instead. A study conducted by Harvard Hospital, UK found that breathing in the heated air from a dryer reduces cold symptoms by half. Just don’t hold it too close if you want to keep your eyebrows…

Wash your hands…

Twice. The Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, USA found that those who washed their hands a minimum of five-times-a-day lowered their chances of being ill by 45 per cent. Subsequently, researchers at Columbia University, USA also reported that scrubbing them once each time had minimum effect – so, wash them twice to ward off that cold.

Hand job

For further cold proofing, stow a hand sanitiser in your trouser pocket to keep you on your feet. A study by the University of Michigan discovered that frequent application, can prevent the spread of flu and cold symptoms up to 50 per cent.

Rubbing off

Make sure you rub your eyes and nose with your knuckles and not your fingers as your knuckles harbour less bacteria. Jordan Rubin, author of The Maker’s Diet noted that the eye is the perfect entry point for germs and the average person rubs his eyes or nose 20-50 times a day.

Words by Jessica Oliver