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WHEN Nick Rous feels a cold coming on, he starts taking vitamin C and lots of garlic. When people around him come down with the flu, he reaches for echinacea and a homeopathic remedy, Oscillococcinum.
As a last resort, Rous, 30, says he turns to Tylenol and the nasal spray Afrin. "But I try to avoid that stuff as much as possible," says the saxophone player, who lives in San Francisco. "They just treat symptoms, but I feel like it's more productive to do things that boost your immune system and your strength."
Like Rous, many Americans are putting their faith in old standbys, such as vitamin C and zinc, and in relative newcomers.
Homeopathic remedies such as Oscillococcinum and combination products such as Airborne are apparently especially appealing.
In 2006, sales of homeopathic immune boosters grew 13%, according to data collected by the Nutrition Business Journal; Airborne's sales jumped nearly 50%, according to company figures. Although sales of formerly popular alternatives such as zinc and echinacea are lagging somewhat (sales dropped more than 6% and 16%, respectively, in 2006, according to the Nutrition Business Journal), they're still among the top sellers for cold and flu - and both, along with vitamin C, are common ingredients in many patented blends.
"People will go out and spend a whole lot of money on these different products, and unfortunately there's not that much that's been shown to be effective," said Dr. Ian Paul, a pediatrician at Penn State College of Medicine who has studied alternative remedies for coughs in particular (his research has so far shown that honey works better than cough syrup for kids).
In the absence of a cure for the common cold or flu, what most people are seeking is a little relief.
With alternative remedies, as with over-the-counter remedies, said Paul, that relief often comes from the belief that the treatment is working. "There's such a large placebo effect with a lot of these things," he said.
Andrew Shao, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade association, agreed. "To say that things like vitamin C and zinc don't work wouldn't be totally accurate, because clearly for some people they do."
The research may be equivocal, Shao added, "but you hear people all the time saying, 'Well, I swear by it, it works for me.' "
There are, of course, better ways to treat or prevent a cold or the flu. A healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables helps keep the immune system strong. Getting enough rest is critical for prevention and recovery. Exercise has been shown to reduce cold and flu infections, and so, of course, has frequent hand-washing.
And nothing is more effective at preventing the flu, Paul pointed out, than getting the flu vaccine.
As a last resort, Rous, 30, says he turns to Tylenol and the nasal spray Afrin. "But I try to avoid that stuff as much as possible," says the saxophone player, who lives in San Francisco. "They just treat symptoms, but I feel like it's more productive to do things that boost your immune system and your strength."
Like Rous, many Americans are putting their faith in old standbys, such as vitamin C and zinc, and in relative newcomers.
Homeopathic remedies such as Oscillococcinum and combination products such as Airborne are apparently especially appealing.
In 2006, sales of homeopathic immune boosters grew 13%, according to data collected by the Nutrition Business Journal; Airborne's sales jumped nearly 50%, according to company figures. Although sales of formerly popular alternatives such as zinc and echinacea are lagging somewhat (sales dropped more than 6% and 16%, respectively, in 2006, according to the Nutrition Business Journal), they're still among the top sellers for cold and flu - and both, along with vitamin C, are common ingredients in many patented blends.
"People will go out and spend a whole lot of money on these different products, and unfortunately there's not that much that's been shown to be effective," said Dr. Ian Paul, a pediatrician at Penn State College of Medicine who has studied alternative remedies for coughs in particular (his research has so far shown that honey works better than cough syrup for kids).
In the absence of a cure for the common cold or flu, what most people are seeking is a little relief.
With alternative remedies, as with over-the-counter remedies, said Paul, that relief often comes from the belief that the treatment is working. "There's such a large placebo effect with a lot of these things," he said.
Andrew Shao, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade association, agreed. "To say that things like vitamin C and zinc don't work wouldn't be totally accurate, because clearly for some people they do."
The research may be equivocal, Shao added, "but you hear people all the time saying, 'Well, I swear by it, it works for me.' "
There are, of course, better ways to treat or prevent a cold or the flu. A healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables helps keep the immune system strong. Getting enough rest is critical for prevention and recovery. Exercise has been shown to reduce cold and flu infections, and so, of course, has frequent hand-washing.
And nothing is more effective at preventing the flu, Paul pointed out, than getting the flu vaccine.
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