With winter sickness bugs and ‘super-flu’ spreading rapidly after festive family gatherings, avoiding illness can feel like an almost impossible task.
But according to Dr Sabine Donnai, a GP and longevity expert, there are simple, science-backed steps that can significantly reduce the chances of becoming seriously unwell.
GPs spend their days advising patients how to recover from illness – from drinking more fluids to getting plenty of rest – but when it comes to colds, flu and winter stomach bugs, what do doctors actually do themselves?
With health chiefs urging anyone with flu symptoms such as fever, extreme tiredness and body aches to stay at home, Dr Donnai revealed the habits she relies on when she feels a virus coming on.
‘When I’m unwell, I focus on staying hydrated and eating simple, home-cooked meals that support the immune system,’ she says.
‘As soon as I, or someone close to me, starts feeling under the weather, I make my mother’s chicken soup – and that’s not just for sentimental reasons.’
While chicken soup is often dismissed as an old wives’ tale, research suggests it may offer genuine benefits.
A recent scientific review found that chicken-based soups made with vegetables and herbs provided modest improvements in symptoms of acute respiratory tract infections, including colds.
One of the best things you can do when you’re sick is focus on nutrient dense foods and get plenty of rest, Dr Donnai says
Researchers suggested the benefits likely come from a combination of hydration, warmth, nutritional content and mild anti-inflammatory effects.
Dr Donnai explains that warm broth delivers fluids and electrolytes at a time when appetite is often low, helping to prevent dehydration. The heat can also ease nasal congestion and soothe a sore throat.
She also prefers to use organic ingredients when she is ill, saying this helps reduce exposure to pesticides and pollutants at a time when the body’s first line of defence is already under strain.
‘I’m very aware of toxicity, because that’s not good for inflammation,’ she says. ‘So I usually opt for organic produce, especially when I’m ill.’
Organic chicken provides easily digestible protein and amino acids such as cysteine, while traditionally made broth – using bones, cartilage and connective tissue – contains gelatin, glycine and proline.
Although much of the evidence is rooted in biochemistry rather than large clinical trials, cysteine is known to support the liver’s detoxification pathways and plays a role in breaking down acetaldehyde, a compound linked to headaches and nausea.
Dr Donnai notes that cysteine is chemically similar to acetylcysteine, a compound used medically to thin mucus and support immune function.
Glycine, meanwhile, has recognised anti-inflammatory effects and is thought to calm the body’s fight-or-flight response, which can be heightened during infection.
‘This may help explain why chicken broth feels so soothing when you’re ill,’ she says. ‘It not only dampens stress responses, but also supports restorative sleep – and sleep is a critical part of immune recovery.’
Her soup recipe typically includes carrots, onions, garlic and celery, all of which may help reduce inflammatory load.
Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, a plant compound the National Institutes of Health says supports immune function and helps combat oxidative stress.
Garlic has also been shown to support immunity, with studies suggesting it has activity against bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.
But beyond individual nutrients, Dr Donnai says soup offers a broader advantage.
‘Soup is gentle on the gut and metabolically low-effort,’ she explains. ‘That allows the body to divert energy towards immune defence and recovery rather than digestion, helping you recover quicker.’
Sleep is equally vital, she adds, as it allows the body to repair itself and strengthens immune responses during infection.
The advice comes as flu cases continue to climb across the UK. NHS figures show more than 3,100 hospital beds were occupied by flu patients every day last week, with 128 people in critical care beds – up sharply on the previous week.
Dr Suzanna McDonald, national lead for the flu programme at the UK Health Security Agency, said the most important step to limit the spread of infection is staying at home when unwell, particularly to protect vulnerable people.
Officials have repeatedly urged eligible adults to come forward for a flu vaccine, warning it remains the most effective way to reduce the risk of serious illness.
Professor Paul Hunter, a virologist at the University of East Anglia, said it remains unclear how high this winter’s flu peak will climb.
‘It is plausible that it peaks this week,’ he said. ‘But it might continue to rise – and we could see a very large peak towards the end of January.’
