For years, a certain loudmouthed former hockey coach has been especially vocal about one thing - and no, it isn't the Europeans.
Don Cherry has been a long-time pitchman for Cold-FX, extolling the virtues of the ginseng-based alternative remedy since 2004. It's worked for him, and now, the science appears to back up his claims.
Seniors who had already been inoculated with the flu shot seemed to benefit by taking the cold fighter.
The three-year double-blind study showed that trial participants who took Cold-FX were about one-third less likely to get a "Jackson" cold or flu.
That's huge in a country where upper respiratory infections affect about 25 per cent of the population.
The research was led by Dr. Gerald Predy, Medical Officer of Health for Alberta Health Services, and you can
find out more on it here.
"One of the key things here is that it's been approved by Health Canada," explains
CityNews Medical Specialist Dr Karl Kabasele.
"[Health Canada] also agrees with the product manufacturer's assertion that this will help to prevent colds and also to reduce their length and severity," he added.
City Of Toronto Influenza Fact Sheet
Flu Myths & Facts
Myth: "I didn't get a flu shot last year and I didn't get sick.
Fact: Even though you have avoided getting the flu so far, it doesn't mean that you will not get sick this year. Every year, different strains of the flu virus circulate. By not getting the flu shot, you are increasing your chances of becoming ill.
Myth: "I'm young and healthy. I don't need a flu shot."
Fact: Even healthy children and young adults can become seriously ill. On average, the flu can leave you ill for up to seven days, causing lost time from work, school or vacation. Plus, there's a chance you might infect others at much greater risk than you of becoming seriously ill: young children, the elderly, or someone with a medical condition. These groups, among others, could develop serious complications from the flu and may need to be hospitalized.
Myth: "Getting a flu shot will give me the flu."
Fact: The vaccine does not contain live virus. Many people confuse the flu with a cold or other respiratory infections, which the flu vaccine will not protect you against.
Myth: "The flu is just a bad cold."
Fact: The flu is much worse than a cold. Cold symptoms and complications are much milder than that of the flu.
Myth: "Flu shots aren't worth getting because they're not very effective."
Fact: A flu shot is usually 70 to 90 per cent effective in preventing flu in healthy adults, when the vaccine is a good match to the strains. In children, it's about 83 per cent. Among the elderly, the vaccine can help prevent pneumonia and hospitalization in about six out of 10 people and is up to 85 per cent effective in preventing death. Vaccine effectiveness varies from one person to another, depending upon their general state of health. Some individuals who get a flu shot can still get the flu. But if they do, it's usually a milder case than it would have been without the shot.
Myth: "I don't need another flu shot. I got one last year."
Fact: A flu shot is needed every year. There are many strains of the flu virus with slightly different characteristics. The strains change, and each year a new vaccine is produced that provides protection against the three most common strains predicted for the coming season. Protection from the vaccine develops by about two weeks after the flu shot, and may last up to one year.
Source:
Ont. Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
File photo.