Grandmother Knew Best

(Page 3 of 3)

September/October 1980
By the Mother Earth News editors 
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WATCH WHAT YOU TAKE!

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Most commercial cold preparations are combinations of antihistamines, aspirin or aspirin substitutes, and caffeine (which is thrown in to counteract the drowsiness that's induced by antihistamines). Remember that damaged cells release histamine, which brings white blood cells and antibodies into the fray against the virus.

Antihistamines may help dry up a runny nose, but by doing so they hinder the body's fight against the virus. Too many people swallow aspirin and aspirin substitutes with reckless abandon because these are nonprescription drugs and presumably "safe". The drugs have a place in some medicine cabinets, but they have many side effects—some of which are quite serious—and should be used with caution. Pregnant women, for example, should avoid cold preparations, because they contain aspirin (which has been linked to miscarriages) plus caffeine (which has been linked to birth defects).

Cold sufferers who take pills in order to continue their daily routines not only ignore their bodies' signals to rest, but also are likely to spread the virus. And that's just fine with the manufacturers of cold preparations, whose products now gross about $500 million a year. The firms want the infection to spread, because more illnesses mean more sales!

So the next time you feel a cold coming on, forget the pills and take your grandmother's advice: Climb into bed, bundle up, rest, relax, and drink plenty of hot liquids. You might also pick up a copy of Cold Comfort by Hal Z. Bennett ($4.95, Yolla Bolly Press/Clarkson N. Potter, 1979). It's a wonderful book, and the source of much of the information in this article. I reread it every time I come down with a cold.

EDITOR'S NOTE: You can subscribe to Dr. Tom Ferguson's quarterly magazine, Medical Self-Care, for $10 per year. Back issues cost $3.00 each, or $20 for a complete set of eight. A brochure is available free. Send all orders (with your full payment) to Medical Self-Care, Dept. TMEN, Box 717, Inverness, California 94937.

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