By: Joe Graedon February 16, 2017 10 Comments
    Is Vitamin D Good for Colds? Will it Battle the …

    Grandmothers in Scandinavia have been forcing children to swallow cod liver oil for hundreds of years. They knew it acted as a tonic in the winter to keep colds and other upper respiratory tract infec…

    By: Joe Graedon February 6, 2017 86 Comments
    Terpin Hydrate Cough Medicine Disappearance Can …

    One of the most popular cough medicines in pharmacies for over 100 years was terpin hydrate. It was an expectorant, meaning that it was prescribed by physicians to loosen mucus and ease congestion. It…

    By: Terry Graedon January 30, 2017 6 Comments
    How to Soothe Your Cough with Cayenne Pepper

    In the winter, when colds and flu viruses are common, one of the most common complaints is a cough that lingers long after the infection has cleared up. Of course, the congestion, sneezing and general…

    By: Terry Graedon October 31, 2016 8 Comments
    Will Extra Vitamin C Prevent Colds?

    Every winter, millions of people suffer with congestion, coughs, fever and other symptoms of the common cold. They may lose days from work. (If they don't take time off, they spread the virus causing …

    By: Terry Graedon February 8, 2016 8 Comments
    How to Prevent Colds by Taking Supplements

    People have been searching for centuries for a way to prevent colds. That, we've been told, was one of the motivations for dosing children with cod liver oil in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Non…

    By: Terry Graedon January 4, 2016 14 Comments
    How to Cut Your Chance of Catching a Cold

    Even if you didn't go over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house in the past few weeks, there is a good chance you did some traveling. That means you almost assuredly were exposed to …

    By: Joe Graedon November 2, 2015 4 Comments
    Tincture of Thyme Fended Off Cold

    Physicians don't usually learn much in medical school about herbs, home remedies or even dietary supplements. As a result, they often tend to be skeptical of these unconventional approaches to healing…

    By: Joe Graedon September 3, 2015 1 Comments
    Sleep Deprived People Caught Colds Easily

    New research confirms your grandmother was right: getting enough sleep keeps your immune system in good working order. Those who get less than five hours nightly should be considered sleep deprived pe…

    By: Joe Graedon July 8, 2015 5 Comments
    Tart Cherry Juice for Marathon Runners

    Tart cherry juice has anti-inflammatory properties and may help athletes recover faster from intense exercise. Tart Cherry Juice Study: British investigators found that if marathon runners drank tart …

    By: Terry Graedon February 26, 2014 3 Comments
    Will Echinacea Prevent Colds? Results from Studi…

    Many people think of Echinacea as a natural way to prevent or fight off colds. The independent evaluators at the Cochrane Collaboration analyzed 24 randomized controlled trials of Echinacea for the co…

    By: Terry Graedon December 15, 2013 18 Comments
    Could Vitamin D Keep You Healthy This Winter?

    Despite increasing scientific scrutiny of the benefits of vitamin D, there is still mystery and confusion about this essential nutrient. Part of the complexity is due to the fact that vitamin D is not…

    By: Terry Graedon November 11, 2013 9 Comments
    Should You Choose Medication or Home Remedies to…

    Are you sniffling and sneezing yet? If not, chances are that you soon will be. Cold season is upon us! Experts estimate that adults will average two to four colds this year. Kids often get six to ten …

    By: Joe Graedon January 7, 2013 15 Comments
    Does a Chill Cause a Cold?

    Q. When I get sweaty from working outside in the winter and then get chilled, I frequently start to feel a sore throat coming on within several hours. It often develops into a full-blown cold. I belie…

    By: Joe Graedon October 25, 2012 4 Comments
    Probiotics Against Colds

    College dormitories are breeding grounds for colds and other upper respiratory infections. The young people in them live in close quarters and are often sleep-deprived. But research suggests that prob…

    By: Joe Graedon October 3, 2012 5 Comments
    Vitamin D No Help Against Colds

    Vitamin D was not helpful in reducing the number of upper respiratory tract infections such as colds or flu. The New Zealand researchers recruited more than 300 healthy adults to get either vitamin D …

    By: Terry Graedon September 9, 2012 2 Comments
    Tips to Avoid Colds and Flu

    Cold and flu season is around the corner. When children go back to school, they start trading viruses at a feverish pace. Then they take their new "friends" home to the rest of the family. Once virus…

    By: Terry Graedon March 5, 2012 3 Comments
    Remedy Required for Nasal Congestion

    Q. I've had a cold and been very stuffed up for several days. I'm in a quandary about treating it. I've read that nasal sprays can cause "rebound congestion" when taken for too long. I've also heard …

    By: Joe Graedon November 21, 2011 0 Comments
    Home Remedies for Holiday Hazards

    Coughs & Colds: As much as we look forward to Christmas and New Years, this time of year can be fraught with unexpected hazards. For one thing, there is the traveling to gather with family and fri…

    By: Terry Graedon September 22, 2011 6 Comments
    Probiotics to Ward Off Colds

    Probiotics may help children as well as grownups fight off colds and other upper respiratory tract infections. That's the conclusion of a new analysis of 14 randomized controlled studies carried out a…

    By: Terry Graedon December 9, 2010 2 Comments
    Kids in Daycare Get More Colds

    Daycare is notorious as an opportunity for young children to share germs, so it is not surprising that a Canadian study found that toddlers in daycare had 60 percent more respiratory and ear infection…

    By: Terry Graedon November 10, 2010 6 Comments
    Vicks against Chest Congestion

    Vicks VapoRub is an old-fashioned approach for easing coughs and congestion. How well does it work? A researcher at Penn State has found that the 100-year old remedy actually is helpful for coughs and…

    By: Terry Graedon November 4, 2010 1 Comments
    Exercise Helps Ward Off Colds

    There is no way to prevent or cure the common cold. Researchers tell people to wash their hands, but this has a limited impact on the number of colds people catch. That's because many of the cold-caus…

    By: Terry Graedon April 6, 2010 1 Comments
    The Common Cold

    Learn prevention tips and common cold remedies in this video with Joe and Terry Graedon.…

    By: Terry Graedon September 10, 2009 8 Comments
    Probiotics May Ward Off Colds or Flu

    Perhaps seniors should be getting more probiotics as the flu and cold season approaches. That's because data are accumulating to suggest that good bacteria may be able to help ward off these viral dis…

    By: Terry Graedon August 6, 2009 1 Comments
    Probiotics May Help Prevent the Common Cold

    There's no cure for the common cold, and it is not even clear it can be prevented. But a study on Chinese children suggests that giving kids beneficial bacteria may reduce their susceptibility to cold…

    By: Joe Graedon October 27, 2008 2 Comments
    What Can Parents Do Without Cold Remedies?

    Little kids catch lots of colds. That’s because they’re not very careful about washing their hands or keeping their fingers out of eyes, noses and mouths.When children catch colds, everyon…

    By: Joe Graedon December 24, 2007 1 Comments
    Cold Remedy Ads Fool Parents

    Parents ought to be outraged. They have been betrayed by drug companies as well as the Food and Drug Administration. For decades the FDA has allowed hundreds of cough and cold remedies to be sold for …

    By: Terry Graedon November 25, 2007 1 Comments
    Cold Remedies Pose a Dilemma for Parents

     When a child has a drippy nose or a nasty cough, parents are caught in a bind. They want to do something to ease cold symptoms, but pediatricians and now the FDA warn against giving kids cold me…

    By: Terry Graedon October 9, 2006 8 Comments
    Beware Brand Name Creep in the Drugstore

    There was a time when buying over-the-counter medicines was pretty simple. If you wanted a non-aspirin pain reliever you bought Tylenol, the brand name for acetaminophen. If heartburn was a problem, y…

    By: Joe Graedon November 29, 2004 0 Comments
    How Good Are Children’s Cold Medicines?

    Americans spend billions each year on cough and cold remedies. Much of that money is wasted. Many products on drug store shelves are ineffective, but don't tell Dr. Mom that. It will just make her mad…

    By: Joe Graedon December 22, 2003 0 Comments
    Preventing And Treating Colds Is Tricky

    The flu has arrived ahead of schedule and is hitting hard. Millions may suffer, but doctors speculate some might side-step problems with a flu shot. The vaccine is not a perfect match for the dominant…