IT'S cold season, and germ-phobics are preparing for battle. They don't have to look far to find plenty of weapons.

Mother's advice to practice healthy habits is still the best way to dodge a cold. But short of becoming a recluse, there's not a lot that can be done to boost immunity and prevent colds.

Long used in Europe, probiotic dairy drinks have hit the U.S. market with promising results. As the commercials for Dannon's probiotic drink suggest, 70 per cent of the body's immune cells are found in the intestinal immune system. Probiotics, which help stimulate immune cells and reduce inflammation, are commonly used to treat gastrointestinal problems. But a 2001 study in the British Medical Journal found that probiotics also appeared to decrease the severity of colds.