The Experts' Guide to Beating Winter's Ills

　　Now is the time to make changes to your life in order to avoid infections, aches, pains and broken bones, protect your heart and maintain your memory and brain power. Next Wednesday, the Royal Institutution will present 'Your Good Health', a day of lectures and displays that concludes this year's Science Today Health Tomorrow series, which is supported by The Daily Telegraph and sponsored by Novartis, a leading healthcare company. Christine Doyle asked the event's four speakers for tips on how to stay in peak condition this winter

　　Colds & flu

　　How do you stay healthy?

　　"As soon as the weather turns cold, I keep my nose warm. The nose dries out in low temperatures or in dry air conditioning, and respiratory viruses become trapped and start to reproduce. We should all wind scarves round our necks and over the nose."

　　Which foods and supplements do you recommend?

　　"As soon as a cold strikes, I take a large dose of vitamin C. Evidence that this or other supplements, such as vitamin E, garlic, zinc or echinacea, work is mixed. But I think it helps to stop my colds developing. It also makes me feel better. I am very keen on curries - and steam or Turkish baths, too. They keep mucous flowing, which drives out respiratory viruses."

　　Which exercise is best to ward off colds and flu?

　　"Regular mild exercise - and sex, say some researchers - is thought to boost your immune system. A good night's sleep also helps. Stress, overwork, late-night partying and obsessive over-exercising all lower it."

　　What are the latest advances in your field?

　　"There are no vaccines or new drugs in the offing - only variations on over-the-counter cold remedies. Next year, however, we may see the launch of a nasal spray to make the inside of the nose more acidic. Cold viruses do not thrive in an acidic environment. "

　　Bones

　　How do you stay healthy?

　　"I run regularly, which strengthens bones in the leg, hip joints and spine. From an early age, we should keep bones and muscles on the move with weight-bearing exercise."

　　Which foods and supplements do you recommend to your patients?

　　"Rich sources of calcium, including dairy food - a pint of milk contains the daily requirement - and shellfish. If you lack sunshine, eat more fish, especially herrings, a rich source of vitamin D.

　　We hope to establish whether fruit and vegetables make a difference. Usually, to counter excess acid during digestion, minerals are drawn out of bone, weakening it. Nutrients found in fruit and veg may help to prevent such loss."

　　Which exercise is best for bones?

　　"Gentle jumping - perhaps dancing, skipping or even trampolining - is a good way to tone spinal bones. I am all for winter holidays in the sun, the natural source of vitamin D, which regulates the calcium levels in the blood."

　　What are the latest advances in your field?

　　"Soon, a once-every-three-months or even a once-a-year injection to treat osteoporosis will be available. Also, strontium ranelate, the first in a new class of drugs that both prevent bone breakdown and stimulate new growth, is expected to be on prescription soon."

　　The heart

　　How do you stay healthy?

　　"I have a treadmill at home which I use regularly, and I aim to take different exercise four or five times a week. That even includes gardening."

　　Which foods and supplements do you recommend?

　　"Fish is an excellent health food for those trying to lower levels of cholesterol. I also recommend Benecol or Flora pro.activ low-fat spreads. But I no longer advise garlic or other supplements to patients. The evidence is not convincing."

　　Which exercise is best for the heart?

　　"Any exercise is good. I often advise patients to exercise with a purpose - walk to the train or shops, and to the off-licence for a bottle of good red wine, which, in moderation, is good for the heart."

　　What are the latest advances in your field?

　　"The most controversial news is that erectile dysfunction, which is linked with an abnormality in bloodflow, among men over the age of 25, could be a stronger indicator of future heart disease than high blood pressure is. A recent study suggests that such men should take statins and blood pressure pills, even if they are otherwise healthy. Plus, a new dual-purpose medicine, which combines a statin with a blood pressure-lowering drug, is likely to become available on prescription next year."

　　The brain

　　How do you stay healthy?

　　"I would be bored if I retired with little to challenge the brain, so I plan to continue with the work I find intellectually stimulating and keep my brain active with challenging hobbies - chess and photography."

　　Which foods and supplements do you recommend?

　　"What we eat from an early age influences whether or not we will suffer heart disease or a stroke or develop diabetes. We can say the same about the state of our brain. A recent study directly linked the number of tangles in a brain in Alzheimer's disease both with raised blood pressure earlier in life and high levels of cholesterol. I favour healthy, simple food with wholesome staples, such as bread, pasta, and plenty of fruit and vegetables. Drink moderate amounts of red wine, too."

　　Which exercise is best for the brain?

　　"All physical activity keeps the grey cells in trim. If the gym is boring, walk briskly for 30 minutes several times a week. Give the brain a mental workout, too."

　　What are the latest advances in your field?

　　"New Alzheimer's drugs are being developed that promise a more sustained impact on reducing symptoms and slowing the death of brain cells. A 'memory' pill seems distant, though recent research suggested that it might be possible to switch off a gene and keep the minds of older people as agile as in their youth."