Q The recent outbreaks of Legionnaire's Disease are very worrying; do you recommend anything nutritional as protection and/or treatment?

A Like most doctors, I've never treated a case of Legionnaire's, but I have met one. He developed what he thought was just an ordinary chest infection after returning from a conference in a hotel in the USA.

He treated himself with multivitamins and minerals, plus megadoses of vitamin C - and I do mean mega; at one stage he was taking over 100 grams per day.

And although he was ill for some time, he got over it; there were five cases identified in that outbreak, and one of them died.

So would I recommend refusing antibiotic treatment like he did? Not these days because the antibiotics are that much better - but I certainly would recommend taking the supplements as well.

You have got nothing to lose, and it could just make the crucial difference.

After all, if your immune system is working with the antibiotics, you must have a better chance than without it.

So how would you know if you have the disease?

You wouldn't necessarily, as it can appear to be just an unpleasant chest infection, at least to start with, perhaps with some stomach symptoms as well.

For many people that may be all that they experience, although in some cases - typically the more elderly and more vulnerable - it can become much more serious.

It's not until an outbreak is identified that you are likely to be able to link your illness to that, and seek the appropriate treatment.

So my advice is to approach it nutritionally exactly as you would any chest infection or similar; give your body everything it needs to tackle such an infection.

This means principally the antioxidant nutrients such as vitamins A and E, the minerals Zinc and Selenium, and above all vitamin C.

If you want to take others like the amino acid glutathione or its precursors, or even herbs such as Echinacea, then you certainly won't do yourself harm, but without the key nutrients the herbs won't be able to stimulate your immune system - it's like getting blood from a stone.

This is much the same formula as I would recommend for anyone with an infection, be it a child with one of the familiar childhood fevers (the dose scaled down for their size, of course) or an elderly person who keeps getting infections in winter.

There is a lot of evidence that people, young or old, who are better nourished, get fewer infections and get over the ones they do get more quickly.

There is a famous quote in nutrition, to the effect that "the only people who need supplementary nutrition are the young, the old, the pregnant and the sick" - well exactly!

They are the only ones who need doctors, in fact; and pretty much anyone who needs a doctor also needs a nutritional boost.

So as well as getting medical help when needed, look after yourself as well, by looking after your diet, nutrition and lifestyle.

Updated: 08:53 Monday, September 16, 2002