> People with colds need plenty of rest, and caffiene interferes

That's not the reason. Caffeine is itself a diuretic and triggers the
body to eliminate fluid. While part of the reason for increasing fluids
is to help the body flush away toxins, the goal is to have lots of
excess fluid for the body to use to make urine, not to force the body to
waste fluid from the bloodstream as diuretics would do.

> I'm avoiding saying that it is mucous producing because I have no
idea what the actual science to this is.

First of all (not just to you) it's mucus-producing. "Mucous" is the
adjective: your mouth is lined with mucous membrane, for example.

Second, dairy does trigger increased mucus production. I don't remember
the details either but it's well-documented.

Third, the thick-feeling mucus is part of the miserable feeling a bad
cold can give you. Because it's thick, it's hard to sneeze or cough
out. Guaifenisin (probably misspelled) is the only medication I know of
that is effective at thinning the mucus and helping you cough it out,
which relieves the congestion. Increased liquids will help thin the
mucus as well.

> You could try almost any remedy and discover that the symptoms went
away in a week!

Well, more or less. A cold *can* progress to a viral or bacterial
infection, and the treatment can affect how miserable that week is.

> I think milk makes me feel worse

That's enough reason to avoid it when you have a cold right there.
There is SO much variation between people as to what affects them. Find
out what makes *you* feel better or worse and make use of that
knowledge, but realize the list won't necessarily be the same for your
spouse or friend or even your sister (who presumably has very similar
genetic material).

More than you ever wanted to know about colds? <g>

--
Sylvia Steiger RN, homeschooling mom since Nov 1995
http://www.SteigerFamily.com
Cheyenne WY, USDA zone 5a, Sunset zone 1a
Home of the Wyoming Wind Festival, January 1-December 31
Remove "removethis" from address to reply