Feed a Cold...

Medicinal potions are all well and good, but when it comes to colds and flu, what you eat and drink can be just as important. The British consumer's guide Which? magazine says some remedies have been used successfully for generations, and many people swear by them.

A prime example is chicken soup -- often the first item of food you get when you feel well enough to eat something. Actually, says Which?, "any hot, tasty drink will help clear your airways and relieve a cough and a sore throat, but there is some anecdotal evidence that chicken soup may also help reduce inflammation."

Lemon and honey in a glass of warm water makes a tasty drink, but it also is a "traditional remedy that may help loosen catarrh, too," the magazine says. Vitamin C also has a reputation for shortening a cold, but Which? advises that "it is better to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables than to rely on supplements."

The magazine is skeptical about garlic as a useful weapon against viruses and other infections. "There is little proof of its benefits," Which? says, although herbalists still recommend taking garlic throughout the winter, as either food or oil capsules.