People are starting to come down with colds and the flu, and one local nutritionist says some of the most common remedies may just be a waste of money. In fact she says it's all about the vitamins and not the product promising a quick fix.

Beefing up on vitamins is a strategy nutritionist Melissa Pipkin of Primary Care Partners highly recommends. She says, "Children that aren't getting enough vitamin D in their diet or not getting enough exposure to sunshine are experiencing a disease called rickets. So there are certain diseases that can manifest themselves if you are not getting enough vitamins."

Pipkin says a proper diet of vitamins and minerals is a better way of cold and flu prevention than some of the common over the counter immune boosters like Airborne and Emergen C. Pipkin says, "Sometimes there's kind of a placebo effect you feel like you're doing something and so you're going to have a positive effect."

She says the money spent on these types of products can be better spent on actual natural forms of vitamins and minerals such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Pipkin says there have been no conclusive studies to show the effectiveness of over-the-counter immune boosters.