The holidays and cold season seem to go hand-in-hand. In every chorus of fa-la-la, you’re likely to hear a few sniffles and achoos! Despite what you mom may have told you, it’s not the cold weather that brings on colds. Colds are caused by microscopic viruses that waft through the air when someone sneezes or coughs. It’s simple bad luck that puts you in the line of fire.
Unfortunately, all the special communal activities we engage in during the holidays — shopping at the mall, attending school performances, standing in line to see Santa, gathering with friends and family — just serve to paint a bigger bull’s eye on our backs. Every minute we spend in holiday crowds increases our exposure and our risk of catching a cold.
There’s no cure for colds and no definitive proof that taking vitamin C will help prevent colds, but eating a sweet, juicy Florida navel orange a day could help you fight exposure to cold germs. Here’s what the highly respected Mayo Clinic says:
“Taking vitamin C before the onset of cold symptoms may shorten the duration of symptoms. Vitamin C may provide benefit for people at high risk of colds due to frequent exposure — for example, children who attend group child care during the winter.”
No one wants to be sick with a cold over the holidays. Eating a Florida orange a day is a delicious way to give your immune system the boost it needs to fight off cold germs!