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Cold & Flu Products Not Selling So Hot Anymore

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Dec 30, 2008 6:57 pm US/Mountain

Cold & Flu Products Not Selling So Hot Anymore

Reporting
Dr. Dave Hnida
DENVER (CBS4) ― In 2002 almost 10 percent of Americans went right to the vitamin shelf when they started coughing or sneezing.

Zinc, vitamin C and echinacea are all popular cure alls, but no longer. Over the past five years sales of the products have dropped like a rock. And the formerly popular product Airborne has just settled a lawsuit with the Federal Trade Commission for claims it couldn't prove.

A new study says it's not money that's the issue -- it's science.

More and more research says these products are no better than placebo when it comes to curing the common cold, a disease that has no cure.

"So many of us are saying, 'Why put something into our system that isn't going to help?'" CBS4 Medical Editor Dr. Dave Hnida said. "Sure, maybe the money is an issue. Why put out the dough for something that's not going to help?"

Hnida said rest is huge when it comes to illness, especially the early stages.

"When you're feeling better, walking and easy exercise can boost immune function," he said.

Saline nasal spray also helps by keeping airways from drying out. It also helps wash viruses away.

As for fluids, Hnida said they are important, but not as much as a vaporizer or humidifier.

"Then there's chicken soup -- it does work -- and it's not just the hot steamy vapors," Hnida said. "It does help kill off germs somehow and in some way that grandma knew."

Additional Resources

Lots of CBS4 viewers missed Dr. Dave Hnida's report where he provided a chicken soup recipe that helps to fight colds and the flu. Get the complete recipe here.

(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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