Tips to prevent, lessen severity of cold or flu

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- What do you do when you feel the cold or flu coming on? Some just let it happen, while others grab a bowl of chicken soup. See what you can eat or do to prevent or at least lessen the length and severity of your illness.

Some are turning to cryotherapy. It's something new to the U.S., but it has been popular in Japan and Europe for years.

"I just can't afford to be down for a day with a cold, running after a 7-year-old and a 5-year-old," said Alexis Learner of Mar Vista, who is giving cryotherapy a try.

The concept?

"We expose you to extreme cold, which is negative 240 degrees Fahrenheit, and in doing that all of your blood is rushed into your core and to all your vital organs, and at that time, your blood is being filled with oxygen nutrients and enzymes," explained Katie Kaufmann, co-owner of Cold & Thirsty, a "Cryosauna" spa in Culver City.

After two minutes in the deep freeze, the claim is that enriched blood goes back to your extremities helping reduce inflammatory responses. One session runs about $70.

"Your body is repairing itself seven to eight hours after the process," Kaufmann said.

Kaufmann and co-owner Brooke Rewa combine cryotherapy with their "Immunity Boost Package" for cold and flu season. It adds herbal juices, wellness shots and broth.

"That's filled with a ton of vitamin C, we have a lot of ginger in there, ginseng also and then our turmeric milk, with turmeric juice, oil of oregano, black pepper, ginger juice and a little bit of lemon," Rewa described.

The collagen-packed bone broth is a big trend that's popular with many.

"It's just loaded with nutrients. I drink that every single day," said Dr. Jonny Bowden, a nutrition expert. "The collagen alone is the biggest most abundant protein in the entire body. So you skin, your hair, your nails, your connective tissue, all need collagen."

There are also supplements - those things that are said not to cure the cold or flu but lessen the severity or length of time that you're down.

"Zinc is really critical for all of the different processes that are activated in immunity," Bowden said.

Bowden suggests 30-50 milligrams a day plus oil of oregano and olive leaf extract as they're anti-microbial - along with sambucol.

"When they gave sambucol, which is elderberry extract, to people with the flu, it cut their sick days by half," Bowden said.