Garlic can help beat the common cold, according to scientists based in Sussex.

They discovered an active ingredient in the plant reduces symptoms including sneezing, coughing and a runny nose, and speeds up recovery.

It also slashes the chance of being re-infected with a new cold by boosting the immune system.

Researchers from the UK's Garlic Centre in Battle, writing in the journal Advances In Therapy, say allicin - a compound from the garlic bulb known to fight bacteria - may be a "cure" for the debilitating common cold.

They undertook a study on 146 volunteers using a garlic supplement called Allimax, which contains allicin.

Those who took Allimax suffered just 24 colds between them and 111 days of "illness" compared with 65 colds and 366 days of being under par among those taking the inactive treatment.

Study author Peter Josling said: "The supplement may represent a cure for the common cold."