Everyone has had a cold at some point of their lives, ranging from stuffy noses to your throat hurting or mild headaches and coughing. The point is, having a cold sucks. Not because you end up missing normal breathing, but because you have that feeling of tiredness that spreads all the way through bone. It makes you regret all those days you actually felt fine. However, fear not. According to science, this is what you should actually take for a cold. Hint: it is not vitamin C. We have all been taught lies.

1. Zinc

Prof of Pot

Though you many not believe it, zinc can actually shorten a cold by at least two days! If you take at least a daily seventy-five milligram dose when cold symptoms start to settle (at least 24 hours), a cold would be shortened by at least two days or one third of the usual length. However, zinc did not affect the severity of the cold, and there are some minor side effects to zinc supplements such as nausea because of the bad taste zinc has. Because of this, zinc's side effects might outweigh the benefits, but it's still worth a try, right?

2. Probiotics

Layers of happiness

In a review between healthy adults and children among thirteen probiotic supplements, those taking supplements were less likely to get a cold. And their colds seem to be shorter, in terms of work and school days missed. Here's the best part, though: most supplements were something tasty, like yogurt. However, like all studies it is not completely accurate and suffers some limitations due to bias.

3. Chicken Soup

The New York Times.

Good, old chicken soup. Miracle soup. In a novel experiment among 15 healthy adults, scientists measured their ability to breathe and expel mucus in order for air to flow more smoothly. This is called nasal mucus flow velocity...Pretty fancy, right? They tasted their mucus velocity after drinking cold water, hot water, and chicken soup through a straw. Safe to say chicken worked best, and researchers attributed it to the smell and taste of the soup that activated the flow of mucus more effectively than the hot and cold water, making us breathe better and in turn making us breathe better.

A pesky little infection that makes us feel awful can finally be tamed! Whether it is by zinc lozenges or old fashioned chicken soup, a cold can be defeated. And, Vitamin C was a lie, of course, but if you like to take those nobody's stopping you. Hopefully, this article can be kept in mind during times of need, and maybe it will even help you fight that nasty cold faster and better than before. But, do not forget that the best way to avoid a cold altogether is to wash your hands and keep up to date with your shots, especially with fall right around the corner. Good luck!