Posted on November 21st, 2008 by Craig Maltby, Editor
Immune health and colds/flu - Straight from Mayo
Mayo Clinic’s infectious disease online instruction on cold and flu remedies pretty much describes what we’ve
been talking about; many of the commercial over-the-counter ”remedies” for colds really don’t add up to much.
Plus, the conventional mindset on supplementation with extra zinc or vitamin C does not have much scientific support behind it. Call it a wives tale if you will.
The tried and true home brewed advice of chicken soup, humidifiers, saline nose spray and/or plenty of water, while washing hands often, still look to be the best approach for avoiding or enduring a cold or flu. Germs and viruses love dried-out mucous membranes in the nose and throat. That makes it easier for those little nasties to plant themselves and multiply. Keeping those areas flushed and hydrated can help increase your defense against them.
November 23rd, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Hm. That surprises me. I find decongestants really alleviate congestion for me. On the flip side, home remedies work for me too (maybe placebo effect?). Definitely good food for thought!
November 24th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Juliet:
Same here. Those cold rememdies do address symptoms, no doubt. Nyquil has been a staple in my house. When my kids were young, Children’s Tylenol was a godsend. Both of these help your body do what it needs to do to get over a cold or flu: Sleep. Big time. But, now with new research on kids and cold remedies, I wish there had been another alternative. It sounds like young children–2 and under–simply should not take cold remedies, and those older than that shouldn’t take anything for more than a couple days.