7 tips against colds: "Hardening helps!"

Wet, cold and windy. And dark for a long time. Autumn and winter definitely have their downsides. It's also high season for colds. We asked Dr Christian Gruhn for some tips. He reveals how you can prevent colds and coughs.

1. what really helps best against a cold?

The most effective way to protect yourself is to drink plenty of fluids, get plenty of exercise in the fresh air (vitamin D production through sunlight) and eat a balanced diet. It has been proven that couch potatoes get sick more quickly.

2. vitamins are known to strengthen the immune system, especially vitamin C. Does this apply here? A lot helps a lot?

It does no harm. However, any excess is excreted. If you also want to strengthen your immune system, you can take ginger (has an anti-inflammatory effect) or zinc tablets. This is best if you are at risk, for example because you spend a lot of time with other people. This is where most viruses lurk. Washing your hands frequently also helps.

3. what do you think of vitamin tablets?

Not much, except for zinc tablets. We should take vitamins in their natural form. Autumn and winter is the time for cabbage. These are absolute vitamin C bombs. Kale, savoy cabbage. Ideal!

4. when should you stop exercising if you have a runny nose?

If you have a runny nose, you don't necessarily have to give up exercise. However, if you've really got a runny nose and even have a fever, you should definitely give it a miss. It becomes really dangerous when athletes take symptom-relieving medication. This manipulates your body and turns it into the red zone unnoticed. Possible consequence: myocarditis.

5 How important is sleep?

People who sleep less are less balanced. What few people realise is that sleep is also important for a healthy back. The intervertebral discs need about 6-7 hours to soak up water, so you have to lie horizontally.

6 Some people swear by toughening up. For example, cold showers. Sense or nonsense?

Sense. Hardening up helps to strengthen your immune system. If you can't bring yourself to do it, I recommend at least alternating showers. So cold, warm, cold. The cold stimulus hardens and strengthens the immune system.

7 And the opposite - sauna?

Regular sauna sessions are also a good way to prevent infections! A sauna session once a week would be ideal, whereby not only the sweating but above all the subsequent immersion bath or cold water shower stimulates the immune system.

By the way: Most people think that you catch a cold in winter because of the cool temperatures. This is absolutely not the case! Rather, it is the dry heating air that promotes the colonisation of viruses on the mucous membranes and thus triggers infections. If you keep the humidity at 55 to 60 % at home or in the office, you can effectively prevent infections.