This essential mineral boosts the immune system and is linked to a decrease in viral activity. "Zinc is believed to work by inhibiting viral cell reproduction in the mucus membranes of the upper respiratory system," says Fred Pescatore, M.D., an integrative physician, and president of the International and American Associations of Clinical Nutritionists.

"It works for both cold and flu." A landmark 1996 study of 100 adults at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, found that people who sucked 6-8 zinc lozenges a day felt relief from their colds in 4.4 days, compared with 7.6 days for those taking a placebo.

Take 15-30 milligrams in lozenge form at the first sign of a tickly throat, runny nose, or fatigue, Pescatore says. What about zinc pills?"The lozenge works better because it's at the site of the [viral] action," he says. "Suck on one every couple of hours until you feel better."But stay away from zinc-based nasal sprays, which could damage sensitive olfactory nerves and cause a loss in your sense of smell.

Found in many fruits and vegetables (such as oranges, red peppers, and broccoli), vitamin C has long been thought to reduce the risk of illness. A 2007 review by the Cochrane Collaboration, a nonprofit organization that analyzes health care studies, found that vitamin C taken after a cold had started didn't make a difference: The cold lasted as long and was as severe. But if taken both before and during a cold, it shortened the viral illness's duration in adults by 8%.

"Vitamin C is believed to support the immune system by gobbling up free radicals [organic molecules linked to aging and tissue damage] so the immune system can do its job," Pescatore says.

From November-March (prime cold season), take 500 milligrams of vitamin C six times a day for a total of 3,000 mg daily, Pescatore advises. When you feel a cold coming on, pump up your intake to 500 mg every hour for 24 hours. The powdered drink Emergen-C is Shinto's pick. Each packet has 1,000 mg of vitamin C, plus electrolytes. Drink 2-3 packets daily throughout the cold or flu, she says.

It's soup the way your grandmother made it: golden broth, chicken, carrots, and onions."Every culture has its version as a cold and flu remedy," Pescatore says. "It's the combination of broth, chicken, and vegetables that bolsters the immune system."And its effectiveness isn't just an old wives' tale. Both the chicken and vegetables inhibit inflammation of the bronchial tubes, which causes coughs and congestion, according to a 2000 study at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

Also, chicken soup contains an amino acid that acts like the drug acetylcysteine, which is used to treat bronchitis and other lung ailments. Its heat helps too, according to researchers at the Common Cold Center at Cardiff University in Wales. A 2008 study found that in 30 people with a cold or the flu, hot drinks such as tea were far more effective at easing runny nose, cough, sneezing, sore throat, chills, and fatigue than room-temperature beverages.

That's easy: "Have it whenever you want it until you're feeling better," Pescatore says.

As we all know, spicy food makes your nose run. Garlic, turmeric, hot peppers, and ginger are all potent anti-inflammatories, taming irritation in your nose, throat, and upper respiratory tracts.

For example, capsaicin, the fire in hot chili peppers, inhibits substance P, which revs up inflammation in your body. A small 1994 study at Johns Hopkins University found that capsaicin sprayed in the nostrils of eight people with chronic runny or stuffed noses significantly increased glandular secretions in the nose, thinning mucous. And garlic combats viruses, Klimenko says, by destroying the walls of virus cells before it enters the body.

A 2001 British study found that those who took a supplement containing allicin - a compound found in garlic - for 90 days reduced their risk of a cold by more than half compared to people in the placebo group. And supplement takers who did catch cold recovered faster than those who didn't. Klimenko also recommends turmeric as an anti-inflammatory.

"Cut a garlic bulb in half and just breathe the fumes," Klimenko says. "You inhale antiviral particles that provide relief."

Klimenko also suggests stirring a teaspoon of turmeric in a glass of warm milk and drinking it in the morning and evening."Cooking diminishes the antiviral effect," she says. As for hot peppers, add some chopped jalapenos to a stir-fry or as a pizza topping - you'll soon feel its effect.

The oil comes from eucalyptus trees, native to Australia. Its efficacy is thanks to several compounds, one being cineole, that combat viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Ninety-two percent of people with sinusitis — an upper respiratory condition that causes swelling and excess mucous — who took 200 mg of cineole three times a day had significant improvement in their headaches, stuffed noses, and mucous overflow, according to a 2004 German study; only 45% of those taking placebo felt relief.

And a 2009 study by the University of Heidelberg in Germany found that eucalyptus oil reduced viral infection — the source of colds and flu — in a test tube by 96% by deactivating virus particles.

Fill a bowl or sink with steaming water, add 4-5 drops of eucalyptus oil, and hold your head over it, Shinto says. Make a tent with a towel and inhale the steam for five minutes, adding more hot water if necessary to keep the steam steady. Repeat twice a day. "I don't recommend doing it more than that," Shinto says. "It can be hard on the liver." Some components of the plant's leaves can cause organ damage, so people with liver problems or diseases shouldn't use eucalyptus oil.