Feel Better Faster

Feb. 19, 2011— -- Feel Better with Super Foods

Sure, loading up on vitamin C helps: One study reported that taking 0.2 grams or more (about two cups of OJ) daily shortened the number of days a cold lasted by 8 percent. But this shouldn't be your only line of defense. Vitamins A, B6, and E along with zinc, selenium, and iron -- found in lean meats, fish, fruits, veggies, and whole grains -- all play a role in maintaining a healthy immune system, says Lona Sandon, M.Ed., R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Also add probiotics, the "good" bacteria, to your diet. They not only help raise your guard against harmful germs, but also may shorten the duration of infection, according to a new French study. Soon you might be able to stop a cold from developing by chewing a new kind of gum, made with unique probiotics called BLIS K12. Probiotic Gum, as the product is named, is available in Canada and undergoing testing in the U.S. But until it hits our market, pick up other foods containing probiotics, such as yogurt and cheese, at your grocery store.

As for Mom's unscientific advice to "starve a fever," if you're hungry, eat! "For every degree above normal [that your body temp rises], your metabolism increases about 7 percent," Sandon says. "Having a fever actually causes you to burn more calories." So it's very important to consume nutrient-rich foods, especially hydrating ones such as chicken soup, to rebuild your strength.

Feel Better with Hot and Cold Drinks

Wash down your superfoods with a sore-throat-soothing cup of Echinacea tea. The flowering plant, used by Native Americans to treat infections for more than four centuries, may cut the duration of the common cold and flu by up to 1.4 days, according to a report published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases.

The medicinal plant, which contains active antiviral agents (how they work is unclear), may also lower the risk of catching a cold by 58 percent. Though some newer studies have seen conflicting results about the benefits of Echinacea, the good news is that drinking lots of this fluid at the first sign of symptoms will at the very least keep you hydrated. This is essential to prevent dehydration and complications, like bronchitis and ear infections, plus make it easier to flush out mucus.

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