Can a hot beer beat a cold? German grandmothers… say "yes".
Hot beer has anti-inflammatory action thanks to humulone, a chemical compound derived from hops. This is supported by a scientific study of the Japanese University of Sapporo. In reality, however, they need more than 20 liters of beer in order for it to have antiviral action.
Many Germans believe that the cold current that hits the throat can cause everything from colds to migraines and the flu. However, German virologist Ortwin Adams considers it "nonsense", as there is insufficient medical evidence to suggest that cold air makes the body more vulnerable to colds.
Warm compresses with lukewarm water on the feet for about half an hour is a well-known German medicine that helps treat the common cold. This is because in this way the fever can fall faster than with the compresses on the forehead. This "method" is unreservedly recommended by many German doctors. The symptoms of the common cold and even muscle aches disappear when the body comes in contact with chamomile extracts. Chamomile has the property of minimizing the risk of inflammation, inhibiting the action of harmful pathogenic enzymes and reducing cough and nasal congestion.
Many believe that the viruses that cause malaise can be fought with a bath or sauna at a fairly high temperature. However, the German doctor Adams considers that the artificial increase in body temperature is ineffective, as it fails to defeat the pathogenic microorganisms.
What does science say about the classic German anti-cold drink, milk with honey? Here the scientific findings are positive. According to US research in 2007 and 2012, a moderate spoonful of honey in milk before bed can significantly reduce children's cough and even more effectively than medicinal candies with honey on the market. According to an old German medicine, hot onion broth increases the resistance of the immune system to airborne viruses. This particular drink helps hydrate the afflicted body, however there is no further scientific evidence to prove that it is indeed more beneficial than mountain herbs.
As for who suffers the most from the pains of the common cold? Many say that when men get sick, they cry like little children. However, according to a Stanford study of approximately 160.000 hospital cases involving 250 diseases, it was women who said - at least according to medical records - that they suffered the most from pain.
Source: KYPE