Beating the common cold

On the BBC News this morning, there was an interesting article about cures for the common cold. Out onto the chilly streets went a number of reporters to discover what people use to treat and prevent the common cold.

“A couple of glasses of whisky”, said one jolly person. “Lemon juice in hot water” said someone else. The list of remedies that people employ was long and interesting, and invariably based on flawed science and medical fact.

Unfortunately the common cold is caused by any number of about 200 viruses and it’s basically up to your bodies natural defences to defeat the viruses as they spread their infection throughout your respiratory tract. Lemon juice, keeping your head warm in the cold and the other wifes tales may well help by making you feel that they work, but the death of those marauding viruses is down to the ability of your bodies immune system.

Of course being predominantly fit and healthy and having a healthy diet can strengthen your immune system and being warm will, of course, allow your body to expend more energy on the battle with the cold viruses, but that is probably the extent of the curative powers of these various remedies.

So I am left wondering about my daily dose of Echinacea. Is it really working? I just don’t know. I went down with a minor respiratory viral infection last week, even though I had been taking these high dose Echinacea tablets for about a month. Of course, though, Echinacea, even if it works, will not stop you being infected with a virus, it will only help your body fight the viral infection.

If Echinacea isn’t going to stop me getting colds, then is it doing any potential harm? Unfortunately, I don’t know that either. So all things considered, the potential downside of Echinacea overrides the potential upside and I have decided that I will no longer take it.

I just hope that I don’t go down with a cold in a few days!

Add comment November 10th, 2006 Written By: chris