Vitamin C to keep cold and flu at bay

LisaKesterDodgson

Hi,
As every autumn/winter I seem to spend most of the season coughing and spluttering while constantly having to blow my nose, I was wondering if anyone out there has tried anything to keep coughs and colds at bay. I spoke to the farmacist the other day and said that anything that boosts the immune system is not a good idea but perhaps some vit C might do the job? Thanks,
Lisa
Ps. I also posted this in the 'Living with Arthritis' forum as a general inquiry to anyone who might have the same prob.

helpline_team

Dear LisaKesterDodgson

Thank you for your post to Helplines.

You said you seem to spend a lot of the Autumn and Winter season trying to cope with coughs and colds and you’re looking for some preventative measures. I’m wondering what type of arthritis you have, and what treatment you’re having? It might be helpful to talk to your consultant about how you regularly have these coughs and colds, perhaps to look at your treatment? On the Helpline we’re not medically trained but you’re very welcome to talk things through with us in confidence, at: 0808 800 4050 (weekdays 10-4).

Below are a couple of links to some general information – our booklet ‘Healthy eating and arthritis’ is on the link below – just scroll down. This includes information on eating a balanced diet that includes a range of vitamins and minerals:
(http://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/PublicationsandResources/Listedbytype/Booklets)

The NHS Choices website has some useful practical information on ‘hand health’ to reduce common cold infections:
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cold-common/pages/prevention-old.aspx

Lisa, I hope this is helpful. As I said, please don’t hesitate to contact us if you’d like to talk things through.

Kind regards,
Susan

helpline_team

Hello Steve, thanks for your posting. Making sure we eat a variety of fruit and vegetables and aiming for a colourful plate will ensure we get all the nutrients our body needs from the food source. If people want to increase their intake in foods rich in vitamin C try including the following foods in your daily diet: red and green chilli peppers; yellow, red or green bell peppers; herbs such as thyme and parsley; dark leafy greens (kale, cress); broccoli, Brussel spouts, and include fruits such as kiwi, oranges and clementines. To build bone we need to eat calcium rich foods such as sardines with bones; dairy produce (milk, cheese, yoghurts - try low fat versions if you need to watch your fat intake); baked beans; dark leafy greens; broccoli; orka; bread. We need sunlight to make Vitamin D, which helps to absorb the calcium. If you’re not able to go outside and worried about your Vitamin D levels, then you may wish to speak to your doctor about taking Vitamin D supplements. You may find our booklet on healthy eating and arthritis of interest. You can download it from our website at: http://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/PublicationsandResources/Listedbytype/Booklets