Tonsillitis hit our household this week and my poor husband has been rendered voiceless and bed-bound. Cold and flu viruses love this time of year: we all stay indoors with the heating turned up, creating the perfect conditions for the bugs to thrive and spread. Some people get through winter without so much as a sniffle yet others have relentless colds and need plenty of immune support – so what can be done to help?

If you’re prone to picking up respiratory viruses start by looking at your digestive health. This may sound odd, but 70 per cent of your immune system is located in your digestive tract: if this isn’t working properly, immunity will suffer. Frequent indigestion, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea are all signs of poor digestive function and will impact upon your ability to fight off bugs.

Taking a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a little water before each meal can ease indigestion and bloating whilst probiotic supplements are an excellent way to support your beneficial gut bacteria. These friendly microbes are key players in your immune system. A good quality probiotic supplement should contain several billion bacteria of varying types that are proven to survive through stomach acid. Ask your local independent health store for help and advice when choosing a product.

Cutting down on refined sugars and dairy produce can be helpful when a cold strikes. Sugar compromises immunity and directly blocks the actions of antioxidant nutrients like vitamin C and zinc, both of which are needed to stop viruses spreading. Dairy produce can make respiratory mucous thicker and harder to shift – not ideal when your nose and sinuses are bunged up!

Honey is of course a source of sugar, however in small doses certain types of honey are known to be incredibly helpful for fighting infections. Manuka honey is made from the nectar of manuka flowers, part of the same family as tea tree which produces the well known antiseptic and antimicrobial tea tree oil. Manuka honey contains several different compounds with antibacterial and immune-supporting properties, including hydrogen peroxide and methylglyoxal. These compounds make up the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF); the higher the UMF, the more active compounds the honey contains. Hence the reason why honeys with a high UMF are more expensive!

Manuka honey can be added to warm water with lemon and grated ginger to make a flu-fighting drink, or taken directly from the spoon for instant sore throat relief.

Certain herbs are renowned for their immune supporting actions; Echinacea and elderberry are two of the most well known and are available in liquid, capsule and tea forms. It is worth keeping these remedies on standby during the winter months. The active ingredients in elderberry have been shown to stop flu viruses from getting into healthy cells, thereby preventing them replicating and spreading through the system, whilst fresh herb extracts of Echinacea can reduce the severity of a cold and shorten its duration, helping you recover quicker.

- Sally Duffin is a nutritional therapist and writer based in Holgate, York.