3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water

NOT among the recommendations issued by the CDC or WHO. Some individual doctors support the notion that gargling helps prevent the flu, others don't.

• For: "It basically washes the viruses down into the stomach where they can't do any harm." — Dr. Wyn Andrews, UT Health Science Center, Tyler, Texas (Source)
• Against: "I don't even know of any evidence basis for gargling preventing influenza." — Dr. Randy Taplitz, clinical director of infectious diseases at UCSD Medical Center, San Diego (Source)

• Against: "It's hard to say if any of these things work, most of them have not been clinically or scientifically proven. Most children cannot gargle, especially if they're very young. So it's not really even a possibility." — Dr. Gaurov Dayal, Chief Medical Officer for Adventist Health Care, Bethesda, MD (Source)
• Against: "The gargling myth has been around for some time. I think it stems from the flu from 1918. People thought gargling regularly decreases their chance from the flu." — John Monroe, Norfolk Public Health Department, Norfolk, VA (Source)

4. Clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water

This is not among the recommendations issued by the CDC or WHO, though some individual doctors do support the practice.

• For: "Blowing the nose really good once or twice a day and using moistened cotton swabs is a really good idea and can reduce the nasal population of viruses." — Dr. Wyn Andrews, UT Health Science Center, Tyler, Texas (Source)
• Against: "Cleaning your nostrils with salt I have not heard. But it probably does not do a lot to protect you from influenza." — John Monroe, Norfolk Public Health Department, Norfolk, VA (Source)

5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C

This is not among the recommendations issued by the CDC or WHO. Though research suggests that vitamin C indeed plays a role in bolstering the immune system and protecting against disease, there's disagreement within the medical community as to the value of loading up on specific nutrients versus maintaining an overall nutritious, well-balanced diet to fight colds and flu.

Dr. Gaurov Dayal, Chief Medical Officer for Adventist Health Care, Bethesda, MD, sums the prevailing view: "Loading up on Vitamin C will help. That being said, does one specific vitamin prevent H1N1? I don't think that's been proven and again, I would stress that people should have a balanced meal, but not really specifically go for one vitamin over the other." (Source)

6. Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can

This is not among the recommendations issued by the CDC or WHO. Again, there is disagreement among medical professionals as to how valuable this practice is in preventing influenza.

• For: "Hot liquids wash the bacteria into your digestive tract, where the chemical stew in your stomach can kill the germs before they spread." — Dr. Donna Barsky, pharmacist with Texas Star Pharmacy in Plano, TX (Source)
• Against: "The email also suggests drinking warm liquids to wash viruses off and into the stomach, where they cannot survive. Another recommendation is to boost your natural immunity with foods or supplements rich in vitamin C. But Dr. Taplitz says again there's no evidence to support doing those things will help." — Dr. Randy Taplitz, clinical director of infectious diseases at UCSD Medical Center, San Diego (Source)

See the following for RELIABLE swine flu prevention tips:

What Can I Do to Protect Myself from Catching Influenza A(H1N1)?
World Health Organization

2009 H1N1 Flu ("Swine Flu") and You
Centers for Disease Control

Last updated: 10/31/09