Having a winter cold is no fun, what with the freezing weather and all that congestion you’re dealing with. And when your throat gets scratchy and you’re coughing so much your abs hurt, you’ll try anything for relief. But that cough syrup we thought was helping isn’t actually the best solution – it turns out it’s booze we should be drinking for relief!
The smarties at the YouTube channel Reactions did their research, breaking down each and every active ingredient in standard cough syrups, checking out their purpose and how effective they are. The science-driven series also reviewed 19 studies and found that 15 of them concluded the medicine added no benefit or the results were conflicting. One of the reviews even said cough syrups “are no better than a placebo.” So we’ve pretty much been wasting our time and money on meds that don’t help.
So what will ease our hacking? Good old-fashioned remedies like drinking lots of water can help by diluting and loosening the mucus your body is trying to get rid of. And a steamy shower or humidifier can help, too.
But one of the best treatments might surprise you – whiskey with lemon and honey. Yep, a hot toddy could help you beat your winter cold. The honey will soothe a sore throat and the steam opens sinuses. Plus the whiskey will help you drift off to sleep. And it tastes pretty good as well!
Source: Delish