Originally published October 21 2005
Japanese researchers claim gargling can prevent colds
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Kyoto University public health researcher Kazunari Satomura found that participants who gargled with water once a day were one-third as likely to catch a cold as those who did not.
Japanese researchers say yes, but a U.S. expert tells WebMD that the idea sounds all wet.
In a newly published study, people who gargled every day with water had fewer colds than those who didn't gargle or those who gargled with an antiseptic mouth rinse containing iodine.
Iodine mouthwashes are popular in Japan due to the common belief that they protect against colds and flu.
The iodine rinse was not found to be protective in the new study.
"This study suggests that simple water gargling is effective to prevent upper respiratory tract infections among healthy people," Kyoto University public health researcher Kazunari Satomura, MD, and colleagues wrote.
But infectious disease specialist Aaron Glatt, MD, says the study falls far short of convincing him that gargling with water is an effective weapon against the spread of the common cold.
Glatt is a spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America and is chief of infectious diseases at New York Medical College's Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center.
"I certainly wouldn't recommend it based on this study."
Vanderbilt University professor of preventive medicine William Schaffner, MD, was also skeptical, but less critical of the study.
"My interest is certainly piqued, but these findings certainly need to be replicated," he tells WebMD.
"But it would be wonderful if this easy, natural intervention really does reduce the risk of infection.
A total of 387 healthy volunteers were followed for two months during cold and flu season.
One third of the participants were told to gargle with water at least three times a day, another third were told to gargle three times daily with a mouth rinse containing iodine, and the rest did not gargle at all.
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