Cold and flu remedies that will keep you well, this Winter

For many of us this winter the question is not if we get ill, but when. But what can we do to protect our health and ward off colds and flu?

Apart from getting the flu jab, there is a new generation of gels, sprays and balms that promise to prevent winter bugs taking hold. Here, Professor John Oxford, a virologist at Queen Mary, University of London, gives his verdict on the latest products. We then rated them.

All products are available in High Street pharmacies unless otherwise stated.

NASAL GUARD COLD & FLU BLOCK

3g, £9.99

CLAIM: This gel, which you apply around the nostrils and upper lip, contains not medicine but ‘positively-charged’ particles, which the maker says will attract and trap negatively-charged particles such as dust, mould and viruses.

The maker claims the gel can block up to 99 per cent of negatively-charged airborne particles from entering the nasal passages. It needs to be applied every six hours, ideally after showering, at bedtime and after meals. Use daily for best protection.

Good buy: This gel could be very effective at blocking viruses that cause a cold or flu

EXPERT VERDICT: The theory that a positively-charged gel can bind to and trap negatively-charged virus particles is sound. This gel could be very effective at blocking viruses from getting into the respiratory system and causing a cold or flu. However, it is pricey. 4/5

DEFENSE ANTIMICROBIAL BODY SOAP

4oz, £6.95, fruugo.co.uk

CLAIM: Each bar contains a blend of essential oils including tea tree, eucalyptus and peppermint.

The manufacturer says the ingredients have antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties, and that lab studies show the soap is effective against fungi and bacteria.

EXPERT VERDICT: Washing hands is vital in avoiding picking up the cold or flu virus or any kind of bug from surfaces where they may have settled, such as door handles.

Leave it: Our expert suggests saving your money when it comes to this product

This soap contains oils with naturally occurring antibacterial properties, such as tea tree, which may kill some viruses.

Any soap wins marks for keeping hands clean, but most of the effect comes from physically scrubbing the hands. I wouldn’t bother spending the extra money. 2/5

COLDZYME ONE COLD MOUTH SPRAY

7ml, £8.99

CLAIM: An oral spray that ‘forms a protective active enzyme barrier on the mucous membrane in your throat’.

This spray contains glycerol, that forms the barrier, and an enzyme (trypsin, found in Artic cod) that the makers suggest works on the virus itself, reducing its ability to bind to the cells in the mucous membrane. Two puffs of the spray are pumped into the back of the throat every two hours.

EXPERT VERDICT: The mucous membrane in the throat is a large area, and is already quite an effective barrier to viruses. If a spray boosts that protection by creating a further barrier then it could be helpful.

The enzyme doesn’t kill the virus but it might stop the infection from progressing. Trials have shown that the spray can reduce the duration of a cold from six-and-a-half to three days. 4/5

Expensive: This pricey product only scored a mere one out of a possible five value points

CELL-IQ NATURAL IMMUNITY

90 capsules, £49.75, water-for-health.co.uk

CLAIM: These capsules contain what the maker calls transfer factors — immune messenger molecules, which it says tells the body how to overcome specific bacteria and viruses. They are said to be a manufactured version of the transfer factors that a nursing mother passes to offspring via the first milk.

The supplement also contains zinc, selenium, copper and manganese, as well as 1,000 international units of vitamin D. It recommends taking one capsule per day for every 50lb (22kg) of body weight. For an extra immune boost, take two capsules for every 50lb.

EXPERT VERDICT: This product is expensive and I’m concerned about these so-called powerful immune messenger molecules. Our immune system is powerful and anything that modifies it could do so as much for the worse as for the better.

The minerals and vitamin content could help as a deficiency can impair the immune system and leave you prone to infection. But if I didn’t have a balanced diet, I’d take a multi-vitamin supplement instead. 1/5

Effective: Elderberries do have an antiviral and antibacterial effect, so this product could protect the immune system

SAMBUCOL FOR KIDS BLACK ELDERBERRY

120ml, £8.99

CLAIM: The high antioxidant content in elderberries supports the immune system. Doses, depending on the child’s age, are between one and three teaspoons a day.

EXPERT VERDICT: Elderberries do have an antiviral and antibacterial effect. One study found the elderberry extract in Sambucol could shorten flu symptoms by about three days. That would be similar to prescription antiviral medications such as Tamiflu.

It may be useful to take at the first sign of flu or a cold.

But don’t be tempted to eat raw elderberries. They can be poisonous if not cooked thoroughly. 4/5

ENTEROSGEL ADSORBENT

90g, £12.80

CLAIM: An organic gel made of minerals that ‘contains compounds that act in the digestive tract to bind toxins, harmful substances, pathogens and allergens and remove them from the body’.

The manufacturer claims Enterosgel contains porous molecules, that attract bugs and harmful substances, trapping them in their pores. These are then excreted naturally within 12 to 24 hours.

The gel is made up as a drink with 100ml of water (at room temperature) and drunk one to three hours before or after a meal.

According to the maker’s website it can be used when someone has a stomach bug or as a preventative treatment.

EXPERT VERDICT: There is no certainty this product could protect against all the bugs that cause winter stomach ailments, as some are caused by viruses. But this is free from gluten, sugar and preservatives, so won’t do any harm. It may speed up recovery, but I’m not sure about it for prevention. 2/5

Better than standard lipsalve? Our expert isn’t convinced this product would surpass it

PREVASORE LIP THERAPY

5g, £6.95

CLAIM: As skin on the lips is thin and delicate, it’s easy for it to crack and bleed and if you carry the herpes virus, this can encourage outbreaks of cold sores.

Prevasore keeps ‘lips moist and makes cold sores less likely to develop’, says the manufacturer. It says it can help if a cold sore develops, by soothing any itching and burning and encouraging healing.

EXPERT VERDICT: Cold sores happen when the dormant herpes virus is reactivated in the body, and dried or damaged cracked lips from cold weather can encourage this. This cream may help reduce the risk of an outbreak by keeping lips hydrated — though I’m not sure if this would do so any better than a standard lipsalve. 3/5

PM2.5 ANTIBACTERIAL FACE MASK

£12.11, amazon.co.uk

CLAIM: A reusable cotton mask that helps filter out dust, germs, smoke and pollution: PM (particulate matter) is a particle of pollution, which are ranked by size.

PM 2.5 are very fine particles, up to 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair and can be dangerous as they are small enough to lodge in the lungs. They can also aggravate asthma and respiratory symptoms, such as coughing. The mask has ear loops to keep it in place and a seal across the nose.

EXPERT VERDICT: This mask looks uncomfortable and you can’t keep it on all the time, making it impractical for staying away from germs. Though it may help in crowded places such as the Tube, where all sorts of fumes or microbes thrive in the air, the problem is that cold and flu viruses are much smaller than other viruses and bacteria, so may still get through. 1/5

YES, IT’S TRUE – WOMEN DO FEEL THE COLD MORE THAN MEN!

Even the happiest couples start to argue at this time of year — over the thermostat.

One in three row over how hot their home should be, according to a new survey from Corgi Home Plan — with 40 per cent of women turning the heat up behind their partner’s back.

But science shows women really do feel the cold more than men. And that’s not the only fascinating fact about body temperature…

SOME LIKE IT HOTTER

Temperature is a balancing act — and how hot or cold we feel involves close interaction between brain and body.

‘The brain constantly monitors temperature signals from the skin and internal organs, and if these deviate from your thermoneutral zone — the temperature where you simply feel comfortable — it will react to rebalance things,’ says Dr Steve Faulkner, a physiologist at Nottingham Trent University.

If you’re cold, muscle contractions begin in order to generate heat, causing us to shiver, which warms us up. Blood is also diverted away from the skin and closer to the internal organs.

The opposite happens if you’re too hot — here, blood flow will divert from the internal organs to the skin so heat can evaporate. You may also start to sweat to cool things down.

Women prefer a temperature 3c higher than men. A 2015 study from Maastricht University found that while men prefer a temperature of 22c (71.6f), women thrive at 25c (77f).

‘When core body temperature drops, the body shuts down blood flow to the extremities to protect internal organs,’ says Mike Tipton, a professor of human and applied physiology at the University of Portsmouth. ‘This makes your hands and feet cold — and this response happens at a lower temperature in women than men.’

One reason for the extra sensitivity might be to protect any pregnancies. Men also tend to have more muscle mass and the movement of muscles creates heat. This allows men to generate an estimated 35 per cent more heat than women do.

WHY A FEVER IS A GOOD SIGN

A high temperature fights infection. ‘When an infection establishes itself, the body releases inflammatory agents to fight it,’ says Dr Ricardo Di Cuffa, a GP and founder of your-doctor.co.uk.

‘One of these, Interleukin-1, raises temperature and it’s believed this response stimulates immunity and reduces the replication of infectious agents.’

A study in 2011, reported in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, also found higher numbers of T-cells that destroy viruses are produced in the body when temperature rises. Because a higher temperature serves a healing purpose, there’s a school of thought that lowering temperatures when you’re sick — by taking painkillers or medication — may prolong illness.

‘I would still encourage patients to take medications that improve symptoms, as this helps state of mind, aids sleep and makes you more likely to move around, drink and eat properly, all of which fuel immunity,’ says Dr Di Cuffa.

A higher temperature makes you shiver because your brain alters your temperature set point when you’re ill to be slightly higher than normal. Your body feels cold and thinks it needs to generate heat to warm you up — and it contracts the muscles to do that.

lies get us hot and bothered

Your temperature goes up when you tell a lie. Specifically, you develop a noticeably warmer area around your nose and inner corner of the eye, found researchers conducting a study using thermography (thermal imaging) at the University of Granada in 2012.

The response happens because when we lie, a part of the brain called the insula, associated with self-awareness, is activated — and this also plays a role in controlling body temperature.

WE GET COLDER AS WE AGE

Temperature falls with age. The accepted average body temperature is 37c (98.6f) but older people are likely to be colder. One U.S. study revealed only 10 per cent of 150 older people (average age 81) had a ‘normal’ body temperature — the other 90 per cent were lower.

This has led some experts to suggest the normal idea of a high temperature being above 37.8c (100f) might need to be lowered in older people.

This doesn’t mean they feel colder, just that their temperature may be deceptive when measured, so symptoms such as confusion, rapid pulse and low blood pressure should also be used to spot fever.

Nonetheless, slowing circulation and slowed body reactions, such as the dilation of blood vessels, do alter how older bodies respond to drops in temperature — and so older people will often feel colder.

Meanwhile, there are health conditions that might alter the body’s thermostat and lead to people feeling cold. These include hypothyroidism — where thyroid function slows down — and hyperthyroidism — where it speeds up — which can lead to a rise in temperature and excessive sweating. Diabetes can also lead to people feeling cold more often.

ALWAYS COLD? IT’S IN THE GENES

How hot or cold you feel is partly genetic. A 2012 study of 894 twins found a clear correlation between how cold the hands and feet of each pair felt — leading the researchers to suggest that temperature response is partly inherited.

‘Where your ancestors came from plays a role in temperature perception, as it changes your body size,’ says Professor Tipton. ‘Those with forefathers from hot climates tend to be taller, thinner and with longer limbs to maximise the surface area for heat to evaporate.’

FEELING COLD IS CATCHING

Feeling cold is contagious. When researchers at the University of Surrey showed volunteers pictures of people holding their hand in ice water, the viewers also started to feel cold.

‘This is likely to be a perception effect,’ says Dr Faulkner.

‘Seeing someone feeling cold brings your attention to awareness of your own body temperature.’ Sadly, the study revealed warmth isn’t as catching.

That said, having company may help you feel warm. In a control group, half were asked to recall a time when they felt lonely. They estimated the temperature to be 2.5c cooler than the others, a 2008 study by the University of Toronto found.

Researchers said this may be linked to our experience as babies. Being held by a parent or carer is linked with warmth.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk