When the cold season rolls around it seems that people are always looking for the best remedy to take those symptoms away.

They may settle for Tylenol Cold and Flu, Vicks Formula 44 D, or a slew of homeopathic alternatives but what about the one remedy that our grandmothers told us about -- a bowl of good ol' fashioned chicken soup. For years people have believed that if you have a cold, chicken soup will, in some form, help ease a soar throat and stuffy nose. The reason why? No one seems to know. The New York University Health Services states that although it has never been proven in a laboratory test, there are many loyal believers in the power of chicken soup to cure colds. It is thought that the salt in the soup can help to reduce swelling in your throat while the warmth of it can increase circulation in your throat to promote healing.

And even if you are not a supporter of chicken soup, it is important to keep your body hydrated when you have a cold. It is up to you whether you select chicken soup.

According to the Tufts University Diet and Nutrition Letter about flu, chicken soup, sometimes called "Jewish penicillin'', increases the flow of mucus, researchers found in an experiment at the Mount Sinai Medical Centre in Miami Beach, Florida.

The report reads: "Presumably, that's because vapours from the heat reach the nose and cause it to run.

"Of course, hot water does the same thing. But when the Florida scientists had men and women drink both chicken soup and hot water through a straw to avoid the vapour effect, only the soup increased mucus flow significantly.

"The researchers think that something in the smell and taste of the chicken soup triggers a reaction in the mucus membranes.'' The report also states that investigators at the University of Nebraska Medical Centre also came up with some intriguing findings about chicken soup.

"In an offbeat experiment, when they combined homemade chicken soup with white blood cells in test tubes, the cells' ability to move about thwarted.

Since white blood cells contribute to inflammation, they theorise that in someone infected with a cold, the cells wouldn't be as able to inflame airways -which irritates them and causes phlegm production.

"Of course, no matter what the possible mechanism for how chicken soup may help you feel better, no evidence has ever suggested it will cure your cold or even shorten it. It appears only to be able to relieve symptoms for a little while.'' But for those of you who are vegetarian there are other ways you can relieve a cold than with a bowl of chicken soup. Eating something hot and spicy such as horseradish, spicy mustard, and hot chili peppers all break up congestion and wash away irritants.

In fact, it has been reported that capsaicin, the heat producer in hot chili peppers, is chemically similar to the expectorants found in nearly 75 percent of all commercial cough syrups and cold tablets.

Garlic, onions, leeks, shallots and other members of the allium family have immune-boosting properties that ward off bacteria and viruses. Food rich in beta carotene, including spinach, chard, broccoli, sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, and apricots are extremely effective against bacteria and viral infections. Red and green bell peppers, strawberries, kiwi fruit, oranges, cranberries, tomatoes, cauliflower and other foods high in vitamin C are good choices for building immunity.

Most people have their own strategy to relieving cold symptoms but the basics are always good to stick to. Researchers have proven that some things do work while others really don't.

It is important to follow your appetite -- if you feel like eating eat, if you don't, don't.

" `Starving' an illness is a particularly bad idea if you have a fever.

For every one degree rise in body temperature, there is a seven percent increase in the rate at which the body burns calories to provide energy for such basic functions as breathing,'' it says in the Tufts University Diet and Nutrition Letter.

"That's not a problem for someone with a fever who just doesn't have much of an appetite for a couple of days.

"But, intentionally restricting calories only makes it harder to get over an illness. Even without a fever, the body needs adequate calories to fight germs.'' Drinking plenty of liquids is also important because fluid needs increase when you have a fever.

Most people also reach for the vitamin C when they feel a cold coming on, another well-known form of remedy, but apparently its effects in helping to combat a cold is "sketchy at best''.

"Specifically, some researchers have claimed that taking anywhere from 1,000 to 6,000 milligrams of vitamin C a day up to 100 times the Recommended Dietary Allowance -- could reduce the length of a cold by about a day and slightly decrease symptoms such as a runny nose and sore throat.

However, the findings have not been consistent from study to study, some of which have flaws in the way they were designed.

"It is better to drink some vitamin C-rich orange or grapefruit juice. That will provide the vitamin as well as the fluids and calories your body needs when dealing with a cold.'' Researchers also say avoiding milk during a cold is unnecessary as it does not create more mucus.