Article: Advice to Drink Liquids During a Cold Questioned

[Guest guest]

I just shake my head at what " researchers " are coming up with these

days.

 

Annette

 

 

Advice to Drink Liquids During a Cold Questioned

Thu Feb 26 2004

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Drinking plenty of fluids while suffering from a

cold or respiratory infection could cause more harm than good,

researchers said Friday.

 

Doctors often recommend drinking liquids to prevent dehydration but

Chris Del Mar, of the University of Queensland in Australia, said

not enough research has been done to prove it is good advice.

" We found data to suggest that giving fluids to patients with

respiratory infections may cause harm, " Del Mar said in a report in

the British Medical Journal.

 

The body releases large amounts of a water-conserving hormone when a

person has a respiratory infection such as a cold or bronchitis.

Drinking more when these levels are high could lead to fluid

overload and a condition known as hyponatraemia, or low

concentrations of sodium which is needed for normal body functions.

 

Del Mar and his team searched the medical literature and talked to

experts but could not find any randomized controlled trials

comparing the impact of increased or restricted water drinking

during a cold.

 

" Until we have this evidence, we should be cautious about

universally recommending increased fluids to patients, especially

those with infections of the lower respiratory tract, " Del Mar

added.