4 simple strategies to fight a cold through diet

While there's no cure for colds or flu, eating properly may help to prevent them, shorten their duration, or make symptoms less severe. Give these four dietary strategies a try to keep your body in germ-fighting form.

• More than two decades of extensive research have failed to substantiate claims that mega-­doses of vitamin C can prevent or cure colds. While there is no evidence to suggest it will prevent you from getting sick, some studies show it can shorten the length of the cold or lessen the symptoms
• Vitamin C is known to have a slight antihistaminic effect, so drinking more citrus juice or taking a supplement may help reduce nasal symptoms

• One of the worst effects of high fever is dehydration. During a cold or flu, drink a minimum of eight to 10 glasses of fluids a day in order to replenish lost fluids, keep mucous membranes moist, and loosen phlegm
• Drink water, tea, and broth
• Abstain from alcohol, which dilates small blood vessels and makes the sinuses feel stuffed up. Alcohol may produce adverse effects when taken with many drugs and reduces the body's ability to fight infection

The debate about whether to starve a cold and feed a fever is obsolete; doctors recommend eating when you feel hungry. The following foods may be helpful and comforting:

• Chicken soup. Grandma was right! Not only is it soothing and easy to digest, but chicken soup also contains cystine, a compound that helps thin the mucous, relieving congestion
• Spicy foods. Hot peppers, or chillies, contain capsaicin, a substance that can help break up nasal and sinus congestion. Garlic, turmeric, and other hot spices have a similar effect

• The effect of zinc on the common cold remains controversial. Some research shows that sucking on zinc lozenges at the first sign of a cold may help cut the cold's duration and/or severity
• Taking zinc supplements over a prolonged period is not a good idea since getting more than 40 milligrams per day over a long period of time can actually weaken your immune system, making it less able to fight against disease
• It is important to ensure that your diet contains zinc-rich foods since zinc is important to a healthy immune system. Food sources of zinc include seafood (especially oysters), red meat and poultry, yogurt and other dairy products, wheat germ, wheat bran, and whole grains

You might not be able to avoid getting sick, but these four simple strategies may help you get back on your feet faster when you do.