Honey really works for cold, covid and flu symptoms.
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Cold season is in full swing and there is an active debate on social media: what is the best treatment? Discussions on this topic are not only conducted by sick citizens, but also by scientific and medical experts. After all, new research data arrives every year. What are they talking about? We will not write about medicines here: doctors must prescribe them after interviewing and examining the patient. But there are also non-medicinal methods. Including “medicinal” drinks and products. In fact, food, of course, is not a medicine, experts in evidence-based medicine emphasize. However, certain positive effects can be obtained. This is confirmed by real scientific research! Or… they deny it. About what has been proven and is reliably known to this day is in our material.
TREATMENT AGAINST SOLONGINES
Many people find this absurd and even outrageous: how can this even be recommended?! But year after year, a recipe for soothing a sore throat with… ice cream circulates on the Internet. Most of the time, they are recommended to “treat” a sore throat.
Oddly enough, such a recommendation did not come out of nowhere, notes general practitioner and scientific educator and physician Alexey Vodovozov. In 2020, as part of a study, a cold snack was given – you won’t believe it! – to children aged 3 to 15 who had undergone surgery to remove their tonsils. Children and adolescents had a sore throat. “Scientists have come to the conclusion that ice cream as a painkiller (ie, analgesic – Ed.) among non-pharmacological agents turned out to be better than food at room temperature,” Vodovozov reports in his blog “Military Doctor Observation.” How is this possible?
– Colder foods in the form of melted ice cream may be easier on a sore throat, both in terms of temperature and consistency. It is also nutritious. It is also delicious, which can improve the patient’s mood a little. And this is also important,” explains the expert. However, he clarifies: this is still a single study. In the scientific and medical community, there is much more confidence in meta-analyses, i.e. selections from a series of studies by different scientific groups.
The topic started by Vodovozov is continued by Russian-French immunologist Daria Kartasheva-Eberts. “There are some small studies comparing heat and cold for sore throat/ARVI,” the expert writes on her scientific and educational channel Zen. And these data continue to favor heat. A logical explanation is provided by the theory of how the immune system works.
– Immune cells sleep in the cold and do not function. However, just as the vessels in the throat narrowed due to the cold. There are also extracellular vesicles that transport important substances. And they do not survive well in the cold either,” says Kartasheva-Ebertz.
However, there are no extensive and convincing scientific studies or meta-analyses here. “So, is ice cream necessary for a sore throat? There is no need. But you can do it if it improves your mood, relieves pain, etc. It will help a little,” the immunologist sums up. From the editor: the main thing is not to get carried away. Ice cream contains a lot of sugar, the excess of which is harmful to the body.
HONEY FOR COUGH
But there is already serious scientific evidence here. Yes, honey really works for cold, covid and flu symptoms. That is, it helps with cough. This has been confirmed by a number of studies.
“There is even a meta-analysis in which honey is rated favourably: with the wording ‘better than usual care’, especially for cough,” says Daria Kartasheva-Eberts. – Honey actually has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. Therefore, its ability to relieve symptoms is not surprising, says the expert.
By the way, medical organizations of foreign governments officially recommend honey (if there is no allergy) for colds in adults and children over one year old. It is usually recommended to dilute a spoonful in tea or warm water. Or simply dissolve it in the mouth.
LEGENDARY SOUP
Chicken soup was prescribed for colds by the 13th-century Egyptian physician and philosopher Maimonides. In doing so, he referred to earlier references to the healing power of the broth in Greek works. In modern scientific literature, one can find small studies on the beneficial effects of the legendary dish on ARVI symptoms, reports immunologist Kartasheva-Eberts. In particular, there is evidence of a possible relief of nasal breathing and a decrease in the level of inflammation.
The most impressive experiment was published in 2000 by the American pulmonologist Professor Stefan Rennard. A scientist tested in the laboratory the effect of branded chicken soup, which his wife cooked according to her grandmother’s recipe (!), on neutrophil immune cells isolated from the blood of healthy volunteers. These cells actively participate in inflammatory reactions during ARVI. And, among other things, they contribute to nasal congestion. It turned out that under the influence of soup the movement of neutrophils slows down. And this can alleviate the symptoms.
It certainly sounds impressive. But the behavior of cells in a test tube and in a real human body are two very different things. That’s why Dr. Rennard’s research is considered more of a curiosity in the scientific world than serious evidence. In general, if you like chicken soup, eat it—it definitely won’t make you worse. Don’t count on a miracle effect for a cold, but it can actually make someone feel better, doctors say.
Does it work or not?
Here’s what science knows about the effectiveness of popular cold remedies.
– Lemon (lemon tea), vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
There is no convincing evidence of a significant effect on ARVI symptoms. At the same time, warm tea with lemon is considered beneficial, as it brings more fluid into the body. And it is always recommended to drink plenty of fluids for colds.
– Raspberries or raspberry jam.
The berry contains salicylic acid salts, which have an antipyretic effect. But this ingredient is microscopically small in raspberries. Therefore, studies have not confirmed the effect on ARVI symptoms. However, as a kind of hot drink (with little or no sugar), raspberry juice is a great option.
– Ginger.
There is currently no evidence that it can reduce the severity of symptoms or shorten the duration of ARVI.
– Garlic.
In one study, volunteers took garlic extract capsules for 12 weeks. They caught colds half as often as those who swallowed a placebo (lollipop). However, experts have complaints about the objectivity and quality of this experiment. The antibacterial and antiviral effectiveness of garlic components has been convincingly demonstrated only in laboratory conditions in cell cultures. And this is not the same as the effectiveness in a real human body, experts stress.
– Inhalations.
Inhaling steam from hot potatoes does not help in any way to “kill the virus with heat”. The moisturizing effect of this procedure for dry cough is minimal. In addition, there is a risk of the disease getting worse, warned Professor pulmonologist Kirill Zykov in an interview with KP.RU.
