Niki Bezzant: Bite against colds and flu

Nourishing our bodies well by eating lots of antioxidant-rich vegetables and fruit is a great start in the fight against winter ills and chills. Photo / Getty Images

What can you do to combat the ills and chills of winter? Niki Bezzant says eating well helps.

Does it feel like everyone is sick at the moment? Everywhere I go people are coughing and miserable, full of colds and sniffles (me included, right now). Cold and flu season is in full swing. We know it's a bad year for influenza, and there also seem to be some nasty and lingering cold viruses floating around, too.

There's no shortage of people ready to offer solutions and treatments, at various costs. The supplement industry, in particular, is full of pricey options to cure what ails us, and there are lots of folk food and drink remedies around, too. So what, if anything, works when we're struck with a cold? And can we prevent it?

The ideal situation, of course, is if we never get a cold in the first place.

But given the main way we catch colds is by being exposed to the virus through other people, this can be pretty difficult. Hand washing, sanitiser and staying away from others who have colds are good moves. But most of us will probably get at least one cold in a winter, like it or not.

How well our bodies cope when we have a cold can depend on how strong our immune systems are. And that can depend on how well we look after ourselves all the time, not just in winter.

That's where food can come in. Nourishing our bodies well by eating lots of antioxidant-rich vegetables and fruit is a great start, by keeping our levels of vitamins A, B and C nice and healthy.

Keeping our iron levels up helps immunity, too. That means moderate amounts of red meat as well as nuts, eggs, beans, lentils and green vegetables.

Zinc is another important mineral when it comes to immunity; it helps keep our white blood cells ready to fight infection when it happens. Zinc is abundant in certain seafoods – what better excuse do you need to enjoy oysters and mussels?

The links between gut health and immunity are now well-established and widely studied. We know the gut is one of the main components of our immune system; the bacteria in the gut interact with immune cells; produce anti-inflammatory compounds and help to keep the gut lining healthy.

So eating for a healthy gut can give us a boost. That means eating lots of high-fibre foods; healthy fats from oily fish, nuts and seeds; and trying some fermented foods. Keeping an eye on alcohol and processed foods will also help.

And the important non-food things that affect everything to do with our health – sleep and stress – apply here too. Managing both also strengthens immunity.

And what about when you have a cold? Will popping vitamin C, echinacea and chicken soup get us better faster?

Despite much hype, evidence still seems a bit patchy on vitamin C as a cold fighter. A Cochrane review in 2013 found regular supplementation with vitamin C – i.e. taking it on a daily basis - can help to reduce the severity and duration of colds a bit. But they couldn't find the same effect for taking it once you have a cold – although they did say it might be worth a try, once you have symptoms. Best case, your cold might last a day or two less; maybe worth it when you're struggling to keep soldiering on.

The evidence for zinc and echinacea also seems conflicting. Taking either might shorten the duration of a cold – but not by much. And be careful with zinc – too much can cause side effects.

Chicken soup is a classic food-based cold remedy. It looks as though there's only ever been one study on this, which intriguingly found some possible benefits. Chicken soup had mildly anti-inflammatory properties, according to the study. It seems no other scientists have ever been interested in this enough to follow it up, which is a shame.

At least, chicken soup is soothing; we get a bit of decongesting steam, useful fluids and some relief from sore throats from the heat. There's also some healthy veges in there, and it's appetising comfort food, which is psychologically soothing when we're poorly.

Apart from that, there's no magic cold-remedy foods. Fluids are important, so drink lots of water, herbal tea and other drinks. I tend to lose my appetite when I have a cold, because my taste buds are affected. If you're the same, it might be a case of doing the best you can (while resting up) and eating what feels as healthy as possible while also providing maximum comfort.

* • Niki Bezzant is a food and nutrition writer and speaker, and editor-at-large for Healthy Food Guide . Follow her on Facebook or Instagram @nikibezzant