Three New Ways to Fight Colds This Winter

You might seriously slash your risk of catching a cold this season if you adopt this immune-enhancing trio: salmon, sunshine, and a vitamin D supplement.

That's right. Prioritizing all three this winter will dramatically boost your vitamin D levels, and that in turn may curtail your risk for upper respiratory tract infections (like the common cold).

Make Room for D
In a large study, people with low blood levels of vitamin D were 55 percent more likely to develop a cold than people with three times as much D in their blood. Yep, it's time to make more room in your life for vitamin D. But getting enough from foods and sunshine can be tricky. In fact, anywhere from 40 to 85 percent of us may have a deficiency. So consider a supplement. You'd need 1,000 or more international units (IU) per day to achieve the blood levels that provided the most cold protection in the study. But find out how much vitamin D the YOU Docs recommended in their daily column.

D is for Defense
How does D defend against colds? Related research suggests the nutrient may facilitate the activity of an antimicrobial protein that's a key player in the body's immune response. In addition to popping some D, try these other immune-boosting strategies as well:

• Sleep on it. Find out how much sleep you need each night to fight winter colds.
• Adjust your attitude. Discover how positive emotions can keep you from getting sick.
• Work it out. Here's how a walk a day helps keep colds away.

Worried about swine flu? Be prepared with these tips from the YOU Docs.