As summer ends, and the nights start to draw in, so the traditional cold season begins. According to statistics from WebMD the average adult suffers from between two and four colds each year, however for those of us with kids this can rise to as many as 12 a year! So what can you do to help protect yourself (and your family) from colds?
Vitamin C
Vitamin C might be the best known supplement for avoiding the common cold, but is there any clinical evidence that it actually helps?
One interesting study looked at whether vitamin C supplements impacted people working in winter conditions, and found that supplementation with vitamin C “demonstrated a 50% relative reduction in the risk of developing a cold” while another claimed that “vitamin C can be recommended… for prevention of the common cold”. In other words, there does seem to be a wealth of evidence that getting enough vitamin c really can help to prevent against winter snuffles.
Lastly, it is worth highlighting a particularly large study on the effects of vitamin C, which found significant differences in how it affects the sexes. The scientists in question found that the effect of vitamin C for preventing colds is far more effective in men than in women, though both sexes benefit.
In other words, whilst we all might benefit from taking vitamin C through the winter, pay particular attention to male family members who may benefit the most.
Echinacea
Echinacea might be best known for its ability to reduce inflammation but it appears that it may also help to fight off a runny noses. One study found that Echinacea “decreased the odds of developing a common cold by 58%” as well as reducing the duration by over a day.
They found that “there is moderate evidence supporting the use of Echinacea purpurea” while another concluded that “Echinacea products may be associated with a small reduction in cold incidence”.
Garlic
In one trial, participants were either provided with a garlic supplement or a placebo for a 12 week period. In those individuals taking the garlic supplement, 24 people contracted a cold. In the placebo group, however, more than twice as many people ended up with a cold – a shocking 65. The evidence from this study suggests that taking garlic supplements may help to reduce the odds of catching a cold, though interestingly the scientists found that when garlic-takers were unlucky enough to contract the virus their recovery time didn’t improve.
Zinc
Unlike some of the other solutions proposed here, there is a significant amount of evidence to suggest that zinc supplements may well help to prevent the common cold. One extensive study found that zinc lozenges helped to reduce the incidence of colds in over 50% of experiments.
Interestingly, the experts found that the impact of zinc differed significantly between age groups. They found that “zinc was found to have no significant effect on the duration of colds in children but the effect was significant in adults”. As a result, while you may not want to give zinc supplements to your kids, it may well prove an effective way for you to avoid winter colds.
Ginseng
Ginseng may be a popular herbal remedy for supporting the immune system, but sadly very little scientific research has confirmed its effects. In one notable trial, ginseng was given to half the participants, while the others were given a placebo that had no effect. With none of the participants being aware of which supplement they were taking, the incidence of colds was monitored for an extended period of time.
The experts found that whilst ginseng didn’t reduce the odds of catching a cold, they did find evidence that people taking ginseng got over their bout of sickness much faster – in this case by an average of 6.2 days. They concluded that “ginseng appears to be effective in shortening the duration of colds… when taken preventatively for durations of 8–16 weeks.”
Hand Washing
Whilst there is some disagreement among experts about how the cold virus actually spreads, there is considerable evidence to suggest that a large part of this may be through touching germ-ridden surfaces and then accidentally infecting yourself. Hand washing, therefore, can be a powerful way to fight this.
In evidence of this experts recruited people suffering from colds and inspected them for external viruses. They found that within ten seconds of exposure 71% of cold sufferers would transfer viruses to surfaces they touched. Another found that “hand cleansing can cut the risk of respiratory infection by 16%”.
Scientists found that offering hand sanitizer in classrooms had a significant impact on how often children were ill. In one test involving almost three hundred children, half of which were encouraged to clean their hands thoroughly on a regular basis, sickness dropped by over 50%.
So if you want to catch fewer colds this winter, crack open the handwash and get into the habit of regularly washing your hands, particularly before you eat or drink anything.
Avoidance
If you’re unlucky enough to interact with someone that already has a cold, what are the odds of you actually contracting it soon afterward?
As it turns out, the answer seems to depend very much on how long you’re actually in contact with that person. One study, for example, found that the transfer of viruses from one person to another is “dependent upon time spent together”. In other words, the longer you spend with a cold victim, the more likely you are to contact it.
On the other hand, just because you happen to get served by someone at the supermarket that is suffering from a cold, doesn’t guarantee that you’ll catch it. The trick, therefore, is to limit the contact that you have with cold sufferers, as the evidence suggests that the less time you spend with them, the lower your chances of getting infected.
Stress Avoidance
There’s no denying that having a family can be stressful at times, but this feeling of stress may also increase your chances of catching a cold. A study from America asked over 400 people to keep a journal of how stressed they felt, together with any illness that they suffered. At the end, the results were collated. They found that there was a strong relationship between stress and illness due to viruses, including those can common cause the symptoms we know if as a common cold.
The evidence is clear – try to avoid stressful situations wherever possible, and find constructive ways to deal with everyday stress. Doing so won’t just make you feel better overall, but you’ll also reduce the chances of catching a cold this winter.
Sleep
Many of us have heard about the immune-system benefits of getting a proper night’s sleep, but is there any scientific evidence to back up this claim, and how does it impact catching winter viruses?
Just such a study was carried out with 153 healthy adults. The scientists found that people getting less than 7 hours of sleep a night were almost three times more likely to develop a cold than those who slept 8 hours or more. In other words, make sure you get a decent night’s sleep if you want to avoid catching a cold.
Conclusion
Despite how many of us catch colds each winter, and the huge resources put into finding a solution, science has so far failed to find a foolproof solution. In other words, there is no way that anyone can guarantee you won’t catch a cold. What we do have, however, is the next best thing – a range of treatments that each show evidence of protecting us from colds.
For anyone who wants to avoid the all-too-familiar runny nose, sore throat and scratchy eyes, getting a proper night’s sleep, avoiding stress, increased hand washing and supplementation may also offer support to your immune system.
Disclosure: This article was written by the team at Simply Supplements who specialise in offering the highest quality supplements at the best possible prices.