It is cold and flu season again. The panic over swine flu is subsiding although there continue to be new cases, but now the weather is turning colder more people are suffering from common colds and less harmful strains of flu. So, what can you do to help ward off the colds?

Although there are no known cures yet for colds and influenza (the flu) we can take measures to reduce our chances of catching either of them. These rules will also help to prevent infection from swine flu (pig flu) and bird flu, which are often known as H1N1, H1N2, H3N1, H3N2 etc.

The key weapons in our arsenal against cold and flu are:

• Sleep
• Nutrition
• Exercise
• Stay clean
  

Sleep More to Fight Colds and Flu

Research has shown that people that do not get enough sleep each night are far more likely to develop a cold or influenza. During sleep our bodies focus on recovering, and our immune system is repaired and strengthened to allow us to fight another day. However, people that deprive themselves of sleep are also depriving their immune system of the chance to operate at maximum efficiency, and the result is that they pick up a cold, or worse, catch influenza.

Research by Carnegie Mellon University, published in Archives of Internal Medicine, found the risk of catching a cold was trebled when subjects slept for less than 7 hours per night, compared with those who slept for eight hours or more a night. And the less an individual slept, the more likely they were to develop a cold. Also the quality of sleep makes a big difference. People that spend less than 92% of their time in bed asleep were five-and-a-half times more likely to become ill than those who were asleep for at least 98% of their time in bed.

Medical and Scientific Comment:

“The immune system may control the sleep-wake pattern and lack of sleep or sleep disturbance may depress the immune response to infection. I do believe there is enough information on this to indicate that lack of sleep or sleep disturbance will reduce our resistance to infections such as colds and flu.” Professor Ron Eccles, director of the Common Cold Centre at the University of Cardiff.

Dr Neil Stanley, a sleep expert at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, agreed that previous research had shown that poor sleep impacts on immunity, but he said there was little data on its effect on specific infections, such as colds and flu.

Feed a Cold and Starve a Fever? No, Eat Well and Do Not Diet

What and how much we eat plays an important role in the development of our immune systems. Not only is eating a well balanced, nutritious diet essential for maintaining a healthy immune system, recent research has also shown that people that go on a weight loss diet in the winter are far more likely to catch a cold of flu.

Recent research published in the Journal of Nutrition, suggest that contrary to the old adage “starve a fever”, those with a temperature should eat well, if not more. With flu cases in England and Wales currently approaching a nine-year high, and similar trends being seen America, it is becoming more important than ever that people start to focus on eating more healthily.

The research revealed that even if a subject receives adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals, if the actual amount of food is lacking, risk of developing colds and flu increases. In addition to raising the risk of developing a cold or flu in the first place, those consuming less than half the recommended calories per day (which some dieters do insist on, even in winter) took longer to recover from illness.

“Our research shows that having a body ready to fight a virus will lead to a faster recovery and less-severe effects than if it is calorically restricted,” Professor Elizabeth Gardner, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.

The advice seems to be “feed a cold, feed a fever“. Even those who have received the flu vaccine should steer clear of dieting until the warmer months arrive, as the flu vaccine is not a guarantee that you will stay flu free all winter. Professor Gardner points out that “if the strain of flu a person is infected with is different from the strain included in the flu vaccination, then your body sees this as a primary infection and must produce the antibodies to fight it off.”

Comments from the Scientific and Medical Community

“Common sense should prevail at this time of year. There are a lot of viruses and while it might have been better to avoid those extra helpings of Christmas pudding in the first place, now is not the time to be thinking about diets.” Professor John Oxford, influenza expert at Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry.

So, if you wish to improve your chances of staying healthy this winter, follow these simple tips:

1. Ensure that you sleep for eight hours per night. Get to bed on time!
2. Eat well. Enjoy your food, and eat plenty of soups, hot stews and wholesome pies to boost calorific intake.
3. Eat your five-a-day – this time of year is more important than ever to get those 5 portions of fresh fruit and vegetables every day.
4. Exercise moderately. When it is bitterly cold, do not exercise outdoors. Many professional athletes do still run outdoors this time of year, but then many athletes also suffer from frequent colds! Be sensible, exercise indoors when you can.
5. Wash your hands as often as possible. Especially before eating and after using other peoples telephones or keyboards. Keep door handles clean.

When Spring comes, then you can go back to intensive interval training in the park, and dieting to lose weight for the summer beach parties!