Green tea, red wine can reduce cough and cold risk

 

A study by the University of Auckland showed on Friday that eating flavonoids, found in green tea, apple, blueberries, cocoa, red wine and onions can significantly reduce the risk of catching colds and coughs.

The study showed adults could be 33 percent more protected against the common cold, or upper respiratory tract infections, if they eat flavonoids or take flavonoid supplements, compared with those who don't.

People who eat flavonoids also took fewer sick days off work, nutrition researcher Andrea Braakhuis said in a statement.

"These findings show that if you're generally healthy, eating flavonoids found in lots of fruits and vegetables can help stave off the bugs over winter," Xinhua news agency quoted Braakhuis as saying.

Most adults have two or three colds a year and children can have up to five, with symptoms including a sore throat, cough, runny nose and headache.

"We'd all love to make it through winter without one of these nasty colds. They're a leading cause of visits to a doctor, yet antibiotics don't help, so it's worth giving flavonoids a go as part of a healthy diet," said Braakhuis.