Testing Grandma’s Knowledge – Home Remedies Under Scientific Eye

One of my warmest childhood memories is when my grandmother propped me up in bed with a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup whenever I had a stinking cold. Miraculously, I’d be up on my feet, and as right as rain in no time. How did granny get to be such a medical genius? She, no doubt, learnt it from her mother, who learnt it from her mother, who learnt it from her mother… and there you have the origin of Old Wives Tales (OWT) and the reason they are still with us today.

While granny was on the mark with some cures, others were somewhat suspect. Let’s look at the truth and fallacies of some OWT.

Chicken Noodle Soup is the Best Remedy for the Common Cold – TRUE!

Granny was spot on with her cure. Researchers offer that steaming soup clears nasal congestion and provides the body with necessary hydration to flush out viral bugs. According to an ABC News report, Dr. Stephen Rennard, a pulmonary expert at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, found evidence that the soup contains anti-inflammatory properties that may help prevent a cold’s wretched side effects.

A University of California study has shown amino acid cysteine to be a common by-product of chicken soup. This amino acid has the same components as acetylecysteine, an antibiotic prescribed to people with respiratory infections.

Don’t Go Out With Wet Hair, You’ll Catch a Cold – FALSE!

Many are the times I’ve ascribed a cold to a particular event such as my head getting wet and cold thereby lowering my resistance to cold germs. But what about those times I got wet from walking in the rain, and did not catch a cold.

Scientists tell us that colds are caused by over 200 different strains of viruses known as rhinoviruses. (It should be noted that colds are not caused by the same viruses responsible for influenza.) The Common Cold Unit in Salisbury, England, conducted repeated experiments in which people were left shivering in the cold and did not come down with any more colds than those who stayed warm. Finger to nose contact is the most likely means of viral transmission. Viruses are passed on from person to person through spray from coughing or sneezing. Physicians say the best way to avoid colds is to keep hands clean and keep them away from noses.

For an Upset Tummy Drink Flat Coke and Eat Crackers – TRUE!

Tell someone you have the trots or skitters and it seems to induce mirth. Diarrhea is no matter for merriment, especially for the sufferer. Health Care expert Anna Mickell tells us this most commonly caused by a virus or bacterium that has made its way into food or water. Other causes may include rich food, too much alcohol, emotional upheaval, reaction to drugs and food allergies.

Preventing dehydration is the main treatment in the initial stages of diarrhea. Mickell recommends small amounts of clear, lightly sweetened fluid every hour. Ideal fluids include flat coke, diluted lemonade and weak cordial. When the diarrhea has subsided, the patient should eat bland, non-greasy foods such as dry bread, crackers, clear soups and poached eggs.