St. Anthony’s Medical Center is committed to using its resources wisely.
Nothing to Sneeze At!
Do common nutrition-related cold remedies actually work?
Check out the latest research
Your number one priority in battling colds and flu should be prevention. Heed these tips:
Eat a healthy diet, including a variety of dark gold, red and yellow fruits and vegetables, salmon and low-fat yogurt.Participate in regular aerobic exercise.Wash your hands frequently. Use an alcoholbased sanitizer if you don’t have access to water.Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth.Frequently wash shared surfaces such as phones, keyboards and door handles.Limit exposure to crowds during cold and flu season.Get adequate sleep. Get a flu shot.Do you starve a cold and feed a fever? Treat both the same. Drink plenty of fluids and let your appetite be your guide. A typical healthy adult should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid each day. Fluids such as water, juice and broth are good bets. Stop drinking coffee, caffeinated sodas and alcohol — these may worsen dehydration.
Get a flu shot at any of St. Anthony's four Urgent Care Centers in Arnold, Lemay, Fenton and Big Bend at I-44. Call 1-866-228-0004 for information.
Does chicken soup help? Like many cold remedies, chicken soup doesn’t drive a virus from your body. Hot liquids are believed to temporarily relieve nasal congestion, aid in preventing dehydration and soothe inflamed membranes that line your nose and throat.
Which natural remedies are effective? Vitamin C — Contrary to popular belief, most researchers believe that taking vitamin C won’t reduce the incidence of colds or lessen the severity of symptoms. But for individuals who engage in extreme physical exercise or are exposed to very cold environments — think marathon runners, skiers and even soldiers — some studies have found that taking 200 mg or more of vitamin C daily seemed to reduce colds by 50 percent. More research is needed.
Echinacea — Most authoritative sources consider the effect of echinacea on the common cold to be questionable. Study results are mixed and vary in dosage, duration and the specific variety of echinacea used. Some showed no benefit while others had a 10 to 30 percent reduction in severity and duration if taken for seven to 10 days at the onset of a cold.
Zinc — Multiple studies evaluating the use of zinc acetate or zinc gluconate remain controversial. Widely available as nasal sprays, nasal gels or lozenges, zinc is no more effective than a placebo in some studies. In others, zinc acetate seemed most effective taken as a lozenge or nasal spray within 48 hours of the onset of a cold. Taking food with zinc may reduce side effects of zinc such as nausea and unpleasant tastes. NOTE: Intranasal zinc may result in temporary or permanent loss of the sense of smell.
Sources: American Dietetic Association, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Mayo Clinic, New England Journal of Medicine, Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004.
For information, please call our Health Access Line at 314-ANTHONY (268-4669) or 800-554-9550
or visit find a physician online.
At St. Anthony’s, our vision is to be the area’s premier health care organization
— and your first choice for health care services.