When you get sick, everyone has a remedy that will cure you.

Get lots of rest and eat chicken soup, grandma advises.

Drink lots of orange juice and take some zinc lozenges, a coworker consults.

But a medical professional says that the best remedy for a cold or the flu is a healthy lifestyle.

"People should just take good care of themselves," said Melanie Cupp, a PharmaD and clinical assistant professor at West Virginia University School of Pharmacy.

A healthy diet, exercise, rest and a flu shot add up to a strong immune system, Cupp said.

But if you don't get a flu shot and get sick, there are new anti- viral drugs available that can ease your symptoms and shorten the duration of the flu.

Cupp recommends using Tamiflu or Relenza to treat the flu bug.

"These drugs inhibit the virus from spreading," Cupp said.

Tamiflu reduces symptoms, including muscle aches, chills, fever, fatigue and headaches, she said.

People who suffer from the common cold are often told to take vitamin C, echinacea and zinc lozenges. But there is no evidence that any of these suggested remedies has any effect on the cold, Cupp said.

"As far as drinking orange juice to prevent a cold or treat a cold, studies have shown it doesn't help," Cupp said.

Echinacea and zinc lozenges can't prevent a cold, but there is some evidence that both reduce the duration of the cold. Pharmacists recommend using decongestants and nose sprays to treat the common cold.

Medical researchers believe certain foods help to reduce the risk of catching a cold. Garlic lowers the risk of getting a cold by more than half. The active ingredient in garlic, allicin, acts as anti- viral, researchers say.

There is some research that eating spicy foods promotes the germ- ridding mucus secretion. Drinking eight glasses of water daily also helps to thin out and to flush out mucus.

But the best advice Cupp has for the cold season is to eat right, get a flu shot, wash your hands and stay away from sick people.

From Healthy.net