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Vitamin E:  Taking 200 IU per day of vitamin E cut the risk of catching a cold by 20 % in a study of nursing- home residents by Tufts University. Vitamin E, an antioxidant, “helps reverse deficits in immune function that occur as you age,” says study coauthor David Hamer, M.D., adjunct associate professor of nutrition at Tufts’ Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition research centre on Aging.

·         How much: aim for 200 IU a day – no more.

·         How to get it: You probably get the RDA of 22 IU if you eat foods such as salad dressing; almonds and walnuts; leafy vegetables, such as spinach; and whole grains. To make up the difference, you need a supplement.

·         Must- know fact:  At high levels, vitamin E may thin the blood. This may help explain the higher death rates in people who exceeded 400 IU in recent John Hopkins research.