Top 10 ways to beat the flu

At work, keep tissues near your desk, and at home have a box in every room.

“So if someone is going to sneeze, they can do it in a tissue, not over you,” says Professor Robert Booy, pediatrician and flu expert from the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney.

This can prevent twice as many colds as washing hands once only, a study by Columbia University found. “If you wave your hands under the tap for 10 seconds, then yes, once won’t do much,” agrees Professor Booy. “But if you do it properly the first time – that is 15 seconds in hot or cold water – and then dry thoroughly, once is probably still sufficient. Wash before eating, and after using the toilet.”

Sleeping for less than seven hours a night increases the risk of catching a cold threefold, according to a study in the Archives Of Internal Medicine. Researchers theorise that lack of sleep impairs the immune system’s flu-fighting ability.

Next time you go to rub your eyes, use your knuckles. They’re much cleaner than your fingertips.

Blackmores naturopath Pam Stone says vitamins A, C and E, plus zinc, may help boost your immunity, along with the herb andrographis (available as a supplement at health food shops). Take citrus drinks with honey, and “eat kiwifruit, which is loaded with vitamin C,” Pam says.

“Try garlic roasted in the oven, drizzled with olive oil, then spread soft on toast – it’s a delicious flu-fighting treat,” says naturopath Pam Stone. Astralagus tea, a popular Chinese remedy, may help bust a cold, too.

Steam inhalation is a good idea for coughs, especially for kids as there is no clear evidence cough medications work for children. “Cough medicines are no longer recommended for children under six, and should be used with caution for those under 12,” says Professor Booy.

Taking a probiotic supplement can make all the difference between getting a cold or not. A study published in US journal Pediatrics found that, over the course of six months, there were fewer fevers, coughs and colds in the group that took probiotics than in the control group. Probiotics can be found in yoghurts, so look for mentions of live and active cultures on the label.

While it’s a virus that causes the common cold, cold temperatures can make you more vulnerable to a virus, found the Cardiff Common Cold Centre.

A study of 90 people who doused their feet for 20 minutes in buckets of chilly water found they got five times as many colds as those who kept their tootsies warm

Sauna lovers had far fewer colds, a study over six months found. Inhale steam from a bowl of hot water (tent a towel over your head and the bowl to create a mini sauna) at the first sign of sniffles.

Follow these ten step for digestive health and you’ll notice the benefit on your waistline.