With the changing of the seasons from summer to fall comes flu season – and with it, the home remedies, doctor’s orders and WebMD searches on how to avoid catching it and what to do if you already have.
The flu shot is where you should start, according to the Centers for Disease Control. It takes about two weeks after you receive the shot for your body to develop the antibodies that will fight the flu virus, according to the CDC’s website.
But for those who want a little extra protection—or want to shorten the duration of your colds – the Wall Street Journal took a look at a few different studies that could offer some new ideas.
Among the suggestions:
• Mindful meditation: Researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health found that eight weeks of gentle yoga and meditation reduced the intensity and number of colds by 40 to 50 percent in a group of people over 50.
• Singing: A group of Japanese researchers found singing decreased stress-related hormones like cortisol and increased immunoglobulin A, a known fighter of bacteria and viruses, in people over 60.
• Probiotics: People who took specific probiotics, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium animalis lactis, saw reduced duration in their colds, according to a study done by the Rutgers School of Health Related Professions in New Jersey. The probiotic didn’t affect how many colds the people got, however.
