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Dr. Mercola
January 01 2008
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Can Alcohol Really Help You Beat a Cold?

alcohol, cold, brandyBrandy, whiskey and other alcoholic beverages have long been recommended as “just the thing” to treat a cold. But do they really work?

It turns out that alcohol may help to temporarily relieve cold and flu symptoms, but it will not “cure” the cold or kill any germs in your bloodstream. A cocktail may also be counterproductive because the alcohol may dehydrate you and ultimately lengthen your symptoms.
 
However, while alcohol will not heal a cold, it may make you less likely to get one.

A 1993 study by Carnegie Mellon researchers found that moderate drinkers had increased resistance to colds. A second study conducted in 2002 and published in the American Journal of Epidemiology also found protective effects of alcohol.

In the study of 4,300 adults, those who drank eight to 14 glasses of wine per week (and red wine in particular) had up to a 60 percent reduced risk of developing a cold. The researchers suggested that the wine’s antioxidant content may have been responsible for the beneficial effect.

Dr. MercolaDr. Mercola's Comments:
I personally do not advocate drinking any amount of alcohol for any reason, including relieving the symptoms of a cold. Though there may be some temporary relief, alcohol will not help your body defeat the underlying cold virus.

Alcohol is, in fact, a neurotoxin that can poison your brain. It can also cause serious disruptions to your delicate hormone balance.

In addition to that, excessive drinking may be the cause of several types of cancer, including cancer of the:
  • Mouth, larynx and esophagus
  • Liver
  • Colon
  • Breast
  • Pancreas
  • Lungs
On top of that (as some of you New Years revelers may know all too well today!), if you drink too much you’ll have to deal with hangover symptoms, which are caused by acetaldehyde, a chemical that alcohol breaks down into. This chemical has toxic effects on many tissues and organs in your body, and it can also cause mental and emotional disturbances.

Just about the only good thing I can say about alcohol is that it positively impacts your absorption of resveratrol. This powerful antioxidant found in grape skins and red wine belongs to a family of compounds known as polyphenols, which combat damaging free radicals in your body.

Resveratrol lowers your "bad" LDL cholesterol while raising "good" HDL cholesterol and decreases the production of a protein that plays a major role in your development of heart disease.

Even more exciting is the fact that resveratrol was also found to extend the lifespan of yeast cells by up to 80 percent, and researchers are hoping to prove that the molecules will have similar effects on worms, fruit flies and even humans.

Now, because this antioxidant is soluble in alcohol you will get far more absorption if you consume it in an alcohol base as opposed to swallowing it from a pill. So while there are clearly distinct and negative consequences to consuming alcohol, these are partially compensated for by its ability to increase the absorption of resveratrol into your blood where it performs its magic.

Please recognize, though, that this is really only applicable for red wine, as the amount of resveratrol in white wine and other liquors is minimal or non-existent.

What REALLY Works For Your Cold?

If you do come down with a cold, an over-the-counter medication is not the answer, and neither are antibiotics, which will do absolutely nothing to treat the underlying viral infection.

What IS the answer is what you already intrinsically feel like doing: taking care of yourself.

At this time of the year there are four primary reasons why you get a cold. The first is unresolved stress.

If you feel under the weather, you must rest, eat good food, drink plenty of water and do some light exercise, if you feel up to it. And you must certainly keep your stress to a minimum and be sure you are releasing past emotional challenges you are holding onto with the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).

Second is eating too much sugar during the holiday celebrations. There is simply no question that eating sugar will suppress your immune system. So if you have a cold the FIRST thing you should do is stop ALL sweets and sugars. Avoid them completely until you recover.

Thirdly you may not be getting enough sleep. Read my recommendations on how to address this if this is one of your problems.

Fourth would be low vitamin D levels due to insufficient sun exposure (remember if you live in the northern hemisphere this is the LOWEST sunshine period of the year -- and even if it were out, it typically is too cold to have enough skin exposed to generate sufficient vitamin D levels).

So ideally get real sun exposure to remedy this, or get access to a safe tanning bed or use something like cod liver oil very carefully.

Amazing Remedy For Colds

One of the most amazing (and inexpensive) therapies I have ever seen for colds, which works especially well if you catch the cold early, is to use a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in your ears.

I have no idea why or how this works, but I can guarantee you three things:

1. It is incredibly effective for relieving cold (and flu) symptoms
2. It won't hurt you
3. It only costs a few cents so there is nothing to lose

How to Keep the Common Cold Away

Most Americans get two colds every year. But if you follow the advice below, you won’t have to worry about getting any colds at all. Virtually all of the patients who come to my clinic and follow this regimen report back that they simply stopped getting colds, flus and coughs.
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Community Comments ( 49 )
 Comment on this Article
  
  
samurai
 [ Joined on 04/07 ] [ Posted on December 19, 2007 ]
14 Points        
   
 
Savvy User
Alcohol helps a cold in the same way money helps depresson.
In other words, money cannot make you happy, but it sure makes misery a bit easier.  If you feel ill, a bit of Rumpleminz doesn't cure it, but it makes feeling like hell a bit easier.
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
New to Natural
 		[ Joined on 11/07 ]  [ Posted on December 20, 2007]
9 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
Peppermint Schnapps and Hot Chocolate is GREAT for the sinuses! 
  
  
Nathan210
 [ Joined on 03/07 ] [ Posted on December 20, 2007 ]
11 Points        
   
 
Apprentice User
Wine is not healthy, it has alcohol which has been proven to be very unhealthy. Saying that wine is healthy just because it has some antioxidants is ingrediocentrism, which is defined as focusing on one or a few ingredients/nutrients.

The funny thing is that there are actually more antioxidants in real grapes than wine, because wine does not have the grape skins.

Nathan210
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
samurai
 		[ Joined on 04/07 ]  [ Posted on December 21, 2007]
2 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
You are exactly right Nathan210.
  
  
Aaltrude
 [ Joined on 04/07 ] [ Posted on December 20, 2007 ]
10 Points        
   
 
Savvy User
I recently found a remedy for colds and the flu that does seem to work - on two occasions now for me. It is Olive leaf. If you don't have access to unsprayed Olive trees, then Olive leaf extract is available from health strores.
As far as the alcohol goes, I have found that whisky is better at easing a sore throat than any commercial prep I have tried however its continual use for this reason seems to actually give you a sore throat after a while.
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
Aaltrude
 		[ Joined on 04/07 ]  [ Posted on December 20, 2007]
14 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
I'd like to know why I got the negative points for this post. Is there a problem with letting people know what has worked for me?
Mercola
  
Reesacat
 		[ Joined on 01/07 ]  [ Posted on December 20, 2007]
12 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
Thank you, Aaltrude.  I read all your posts and was looking at olive leaf in the health food store last week-they have the dried whole leaves-after what you had shared. 

I am a big fan of whiskey, tea, honey and lemon for a sore throat myself.

I think the Grinch came here to spoil everyone's Christmas with the negative points.  Again.
Mercola
  
Aaltrude
 		[ Joined on 04/07 ]  [ Posted on December 20, 2007]
10 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
Thank you for the thumbs up Reesacat. If everone passes on solutions they have found to health problems then other folk can benefit as well. I have found both Dr Mercola's site and the V V community very useful in helping with some of the health problems I have.
I'm feeling a bit down and shaken at the moment because a ferret just got in to our chicken run and has killed most of our young chickens. When we heard the commotion we raced over but were only in time to save five - four chickens and one mum. There were twenty one chickens and two mums. The other mum is still alive but has been attacked and it will be touch and go if she makes it. My husband is at the moment holed up over there with a shot gun waiting. This is off topic I know, but it is therapeutic to talk about it.
Mercola
  
samurai
 		[ Joined on 04/07 ]  [ Posted on December 21, 2007]
4 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
Aaltrude,
The ferrets are probably someone's pets.  Look for the owner, and have them buy you new chickens. 
Mercola
  
samurai
 		[ Joined on 04/07 ]  [ Posted on December 21, 2007]
8 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
Yes Aaltrude, I know how you feel.  Once I put up a post for a recipe that "made me feel good" which included rice protein, and someone verbally "dinged" me by chiming in that people should be wary of my recipe because it promotes MSG. 
Mercola
  
Aaltrude
 		[ Joined on 04/07 ]  [ Posted on December 22, 2007]
3 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
Samurai - the ferret is now pushing up daisies. Our concern now is that it might have a mate out there somewhere. We live in a rural area and know all our neighbours. They definitely do not have any pet ferrets. Ferrets were introduced into the wild in New Zealand to try and control the large wild rabbit infestation. Replacing the chickens is not easy. We are in the process of convering to organic certification and any chickens that come on to our porperty must be certified organic or less than two days old. Hatching our own chickens is the easiest.
Mercola
  
samurai
 		[ Joined on 04/07 ]  [ Posted on December 23, 2007]
6 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
Aaltrude,
Oh.  I didn't realize that you were in NZ... 
We have the same problem with Racoons.  Again, I am so sorry about your chickens.  I guess it's time for y'all to buy some traps, yes?  Oddly, I used to have some ferrets as pets.  Yet one day my Rottweiler (I lived in a dangerous area of Albuquerque while going to college and didn't want to own a gun-- and you guys thought I was a native Texan) had enough of them and well, turned them into chicken satay. 
OK  I completely went off the topic here.  Just wanted to say this....
Mercola
  
degwar
 		[ Joined on 12/07 ]  [ Posted on January 1, 2008]
4 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

Aaltrude, being a Kiwi you should know:

manuka honey, lemon juice and a little ginger is the best relief from symptoms, sleep is the best cure.

I didn't think ferrets were that common, the baiting of rabbits wiped out a lot of them didn't it?

I don't think putting cyanide baits in the bush is a good idea, but apparently it was effective on ferrets and rabbits.

Sorry for your loss, I hate losing animals.
Mercola
  
Aaltrude
 		[ Joined on 04/07 ]  [ Posted on January 1, 2008]
3 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola

Degwar - We regularly have a hot drink made with grated ginger, lemon juice and manuka honey every morning however taking olive leaf at the very first sign I might be getting a cold has twice so far prevented it developing into the need to do anything to relieve symptoms.

Unfortunately the ferret had a large family waiting in the wings. Four of them have been dispatched so far and there are still more of the juveniles to get. The surviving chickens have been confined to their secure chicken coop much to their disgust but at least they are alive and well. The surviving injured Mum is slowly recovering and we have had one more lot of chickens hatch out. Because ferrets can carry TB, the local farmers have been helping us in our attempt to get rid of these pests, by providing extra resources.

  
  
Jeremy
 [ Joined on 06/06 ] [ Posted on December 20, 2007 ]
10 Points        
   
 
Savvy User
The rest of the article-

"The study, in The American Journal of Epidemiology, found no relationship between the incidence of colds and consumption of beer, spirits, Vitamin C or zinc. But drinking 8 to 14 glasses of wine per week, particularly red wine, was linked to as much as a 60 percent reduction in the risk of developing a cold. The scientists suspected this had something to do with the antioxidant properties of wine."

??

No relationship with Vitamin C or zinc? I find that hard to believe...
if so the dosages might have been too small or poor preperations..

(One should view the study to see if the people even got 8 -14 doses of vitamin C in a week.. or if they just got a 1,000 mg a day..)

 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
Sheila C
 		[ Joined on 12/06 ]  [ Posted on December 22, 2007]
7 Points