The best supplements to see off a winter cold or flu

Is it a cold, flu or Covid-19?

These three illnesses are caused by different viruses, but they do have similar symptoms. There are many different types of cold viruses, but most infections are caused by rhinovirus or coronavirus. Colds only affect your upper respiratory tract (your nose and throat), which is why they’re often referred to as “head colds”.

Flu is caused by a different type of virus that affects the lungs, which is why it can be dangerous – particularly for older people, young children and those with an underlying health condition. The UK Health Security Agency recorded just under 50,000 hospitalisations for flu in England last winter – including 10,000 children. Vulnerable groups are urged to take up the flu vaccine, which is believed to have prevented 25,000 hospitalisations last year. 

Covid-19 is a respiratory illness caused by a new strain of coronavirus. Although the symptoms are similar to a bad cold or flu, it can cause serious complications in some people, as we know. The only way to find out for sure if you have Covid is to take a lateral flow test. 

Boosting your immune system

Before you think about spending money on supplements, experts recommend taking a look at your lifestyle, as this does have an impact on your chances of picking up a winter bug. “The best thing to do is get proper sleep and make sure you’re eating well before we get into winter,” says Dr Simon Clarke, an associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading. 

One study found that getting less than seven hours of sleep each night makes you up to three times more likely to come down with a cold than people who get a full eight hours, while extensive research shows that stress hormones can affect your immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to infection. Researchers from Yale University found that smokers are not only more likely to catch a cold, but to take longer to shake it off. 

Vitamin C

“When it comes to the treatment of colds, there is some evidence that vitamin C can reduce the length of time that symptoms last,” says Bridget Benelam, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation. Indeed, one study found that taking 1-2mg of vitamin C daily cut the duration of colds by 8 per cent for adults and 14 per cent for children, as well as reducing the severity of symptoms. 

Charlotte Faure Green, a registered nutritionist with the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine, explains: “Taking vitamin C when you first notice symptoms of a cold may reduce its duration by approximately 24 hours. This may be by supporting the production of antibodies – the proteins that target and neutralise specific pathogens in the body.”

Vitamin D

The NHS recommends that we should all consider taking a vitamin D supplement during the autumn and winter – and people at high risk of vitamin D deficiency (such as young children, the elderly, those who don’t go outside much, who cover their skin, or who have dark skin that absorbs less sunlight) should supplement all year round.

Research indicates that taking a regular vitamin D supplement through the winter halves the risk of respiratory infections, including colds, flu, bronchitis and pneumonia, among people with low levels of vitamin D in their body. It can also cut the risk of infection by 10 per cent for those who already have higher vitamin D levels.