Pop a probiotic. Taking the healthy bugs daily can shave about two days off your cold and make your symptoms 34 percent less severe, according to a study in the British Journal of Nutrition. Probiotics help regulate your immune system's inflammatory response, reducing symptoms like wheezing. Look for the strains Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG and Bifidobacterium animalis BB-12. (Here's more about how to pick the best probiotic.)
Spray away. Start using a saline nasal rinse three times a day. This will flush out the cold virus that is making you sick, as well as compounds like histamines, prostaglandins, and leukotrienes that cause sniffling, reports the Journal of Infectious Diseases and Immunity.
Suck on zinc. These lozenges shorten cold duration by about three days, new research in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology found. Take at least 80 milligrams over the course of a day, starting as soon as you notice symptoms and continuing until you feel better, says lead study author Harri Hemilä, M.D., Ph.D. (Need something that works on Day 1? Here's how to get rid of a cold in 24 hours.)
