Gargle a bowl of chicken soup, sage tea and inhale with salt water – these and other home remedies are said to help with a cold. But behind many home remedies there is more tradition than scientific evidence. Only a few have been proven to alleviate the symptoms of illness. Which home remedies actually help with a cold? And which supposedly tried and tested measures have no effect?
Only a few studies have so far tested the effectiveness of home remedies. Pharmaceutical companies are not interested in funding studies on home remedies because they cannot benefit from such research. However, there is usually no public research funding for this class of substances: home remedies are not innovative enough and are used more for simpler illnesses – therefore no funding. What do the few studies that have been carried out say about the effectiveness of common home medicines?
Chicken soup and calf wraps
Not only is love said to go through the stomach, but also the cure for colds: chicken soup, as cooked by grandma, is said to have a healing effect. However, this effect can only be partially confirmed. Although the results of a study with 15 healthy volunteers showed that eating chicken soup made nasal secretions drain faster for about 30 minutes, spooning hot water had a similar effect. The warmth of the soup dilates the blood vessels so that the tissue is better supplied with blood – this has a beneficial effect and loosens annoying mucus. So chicken soup helps against a cold, even if only indirectly. In addition, the nutrients it contains can generally help the sick body heal.
Calf wraps are said to help with colds and fever. There is no scientific evidence of the effectiveness of this home remedy. It can actually reduce the fever, but only very slightly: If you leave the calf wraps on three to four times for ten minutes each, you can ideally reduce your body temperature by just 0.5 degrees.
Gargling and nasal douche
Gargling salt water or sage tea is said to help with a sore throat and reduce inflammation in the throat. Gargling actually moistens the mucous membranes and can therefore reduce the pain caused by the inflammation. However, there is no sufficient scientific evidence of an effect against sore throats. Because the active ingredients from salt and tea only reach the surface when gargling – they do not reach the deeper inflammation. . There is also no scientific evidence for the effectiveness of neck wraps.
Nasal rinses with salt water can have a slightly positive effect on a cold, as five studies show. However, these studies have weaknesses in study design and implementation and are therefore only of limited significance. Nasal showers can still help to flush out the secretions. However, anyone who has severely inflamed sinuses should avoid using this home remedy, as the swollen mucous membranes can hinder the drainage of salt water.
Honey and inhalation
Honey is said to have an anti-inflammatory effect and is said to provide relief, especially for coughs. In fact, there are several studies that confirm the effectiveness of the food on acute coughs in children. The honey ensured that coughing attacks occurred less frequently and were less severe in the young patients. However, it is unclear how much honey should be taken to achieve this effect and whether it can also help adults. Because honey can contain bacteria that are harmful to babies, children under one year old should not consume honey.
Inhaling hot water vapor is also said to help against coughs. In studies, however, this practice neither improved nor worsened symptoms. It has not been researched whether additives such as salt or chamomile would help when inhaling better than pure water. In principle, inhalation can support the natural cleansing function of the mucous membrane.
However, placebo effects cannot be ruled out for all home remedies – perhaps the chicken soup doesn’t just do something good for the stomach.