Cough, sore throat, runny nose: Vitamin C? Warm beer? 8 cold remedies put to the test
Ah-choo! Not only respiratory viruses are on the rise again - but also cold remedies. What really helps, and what's nonsense? Two experts weigh in.
Experts from the German Society for General Medicine and Family Medicine (DEGAM) and the Institute for Quality and Economics in Healthcare (IQWiG) have evaluated common claims about preventing and treating colds. They found that while getting cold or wet does not directly cause a cold, it can weaken the body's defenses, making it easier to get sick.
Taking vitamin C supplements may shorten the duration of a cold by 10%, but will not prevent it, and usually, a balanced diet provides sufficient vitamin C. Rest and sleep can help alleviate symptoms, and certain remedies like ice for sore throats and saline nasal sprays can be effective, but claims about warm beer, sweating out a cold, and using certain nasal sprays are not supported. Typically, colds last one to two weeks and cannot be shortened, but symptoms can be alleviated.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
