![]() However, according to research, some remedies may be helpful in reducing cold symptoms until your body can clear the virus. Ginseng, echinacea, vitamin C, and vitamin D supplementation have not been shown to be effective as remedies for colds.Īntibiotics are also ineffective for colds because they treat bacterial infections, not viruses like those that cause colds. This can help flush toxins from your body, thin out mucus in your respiratory system, and make you feel better.ĭue to alcohol’s immunosuppressive and dehydrating effects, it’s not recommended as a remedy for the common cold.Īlcohol isn’t the only rumored cold remedy that’s ineffective. When you’ve got a cold, it’s important to drink fluids that hydrate you. So, drinking alcohol, even in moderate amounts, can weaken your immune system and make it harder for your body to fight off infections, like the common cold.Īlcohol can also dehydrate you by removing fluids from your body through your kidneys. The reason for this is due to alcohol’s immunosuppressive effect. Not only is alcohol ineffective at fighting off the common cold, it could worsen your symptoms. Instead, it’s just a base for mixing other key ingredients. This means alcohol, like whiskey, isn’t acting as a cough suppressant in cough medicines. Alcohol may also act as a preservative for cough medicines, which helps extend these products’ shelf life. Some of the compounds found in cough medicine don’t dissolve easily in water but do dissolve in ethanol (alcohol).Īs a result, cough syrup manufacturers may incorporate a small amount of alcohol so the medications mix. In addition, there are several natural decongestants that may help ease your congestion, such as:Īlcohol is added to cough medicines, but it’s probably not for the reason you think. Medicines with pseudoephedrine will tighten blood vessels ( vasoconstrict), which is why they can help relieve congestion. Small amounts of alcohol can cause vasodilation - a widening of blood vessels - which can worsen a runny nose or congestion. Myth: Alcohol’s decongestant properties can help treat cold symptomsĪlcohol is rumored to work as a decongestant, but actually, the reverse is true. This means alcohol doesn’t help kill cold viruses or other germs inside your body. In other words, it works on the surface of your skin, but not as a disinfectant when you drink it. However, alcohol is only effective as a topical disinfectant. It’s true that alcohol is a key component of hand sanitizers, which help kill germs that you may pick up when you touch contaminated surfaces. One of the theories as to why whiskey may help treat a cold is because alcohol is a disinfectant. Myth: Alcohol is a disinfectant, so it can help you get over a cold Let’s look at some of the most common and whether there’s any scientific evidence to back up these claims. There are lots of thoughts on why whiskey is helpful for a cold.
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