Best ways to combat cold and flu

Although it is difficult to avoid catching cold or flu, there are some ways to strengthen your immune system. As you get older your immune system changes and becomes less able to identify foreign viruses. Your body produces fewer and less effective white blood cells which are responsible for fighting the viruses. This leads to the increased risk of catching diseases like flu. Some scientists suggest that moderate exercise can boost your body’s ability to fight off bacterial infections as it ages.¹ It is also important to include sufficient vitamins and minerals, like vitamin C and zinc in your diet. During the winter months there is less availability of seasonal fruits and vegetables which can provide you with those vitamins and minerals so additionally you can use supplements like multivitamin Supradyn. Supradyn difese effervescent tablet is a dietary supplement containing vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C, zinc and vitamin D. Together, they contribute to maintaining the body's defenses in a mutually reinforcing way.

Other ways of boosting your immune system and help to prevent colds and flu:

• Sleep well. It has been proven that not getting enough sleep can affect your immune system. It is recommended to go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time. Adults should get between 7 – 9 hours of sleep every day. A good rest is the key to maintaining both mental and physical balance.
• Protect yourself against pollution. Immune systems are affected by your environment, the air you breathe, places you walk or water you drink. When your lungs, gut or skin come to contact with any environmental pollutants, your immune system has to work hard to fight them.
• Travel safe. During travelling your immune system is faced with new bacteria and viruses. It is important to boost your immune system with all the micronutrients it needs to function properly. It would be a good idea to pack a hand sanitiser to help keep things germ-free when you can’t wash your hands easily.
• Stay happy and stress free. The more optimistic you feel, the stronger your immune system will be. Stress puts your body in a constant alarm situation which can be extremely harmful for your immune system so you should maintain a calm and controlled pace of life. Also, scientists have found that pessimistic people often live shorter than those with an optimistic outlook on life, and that laughter helps reduce stress hormones and boost immune cell production.^2,3
• Keep healthy and balanced food. You should include in your diet foods that contain necessary vitamins and minerals to keep your immune system in good condition. Vitamins like vitamin C, D, and minerals like copper, iron, and zinc are just some of the micronutrients which the body needs to stay well. Great sources of these vitamins and minerals are found in: fish and seafood, red meat, green vegetables, fruits like: oranges, kiwis or strawberries, nuts. Supplements like multivitamin Supradyn can also add those vitamins and minerals to your diet. Supradyn is a complete multivitamin formula that works from the first intake.

However, if you were not lucky and managed to catch the cold/ flu virus, there are some ways to combat it. Antibiotics target bacteria only and therefore, will not work in case of viral infections such as cold or flu. Instead, you can try these safe and effective natural flu remedies: