Already suffering from the seasonal sniffles? With the arrival of cold and flu season, you may be tempted to turn to immune-boosting supplements like Emergen-C to save you from a sore throat, runny nose, body aches, and the other energy-sapping side effects of the year-end bug.
Unfortunately, most immune-boosting supplements are nothing more than a waste of money: little clinical efficacy has been shown for Vitamin C in the prevention of the common cold. Taking Vitamin C preventatively can reduce the length of a cold, but not prevent it. However, in the case of extremely active individuals, Vitamin C may offer more protection.
While cold-fighting supplements won’t do much to bolster your immune system, what you eat plays a large role in immune health. The foods and beverages you consume every day will play a much larger role in immune health than many immune supplements, which often offer little more than a placebo effect.
Certain foods and beverages
