Fact Check: A shot of rum cannot cure cold and cough overnight

Hyderabad: A post claiming rum to be a panacea antidote to cure common cold and flu is being widely shared on social media.

In the viral post, you can see the user flaming a piece of mud pot to smoke a glass of rum. He further claims that this alcoholic tonic if taken before bedtime, would clear the cough congestion and cold just in one night.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is false.

“No, alcohol cannot treat or cure the common cold,” says Medical News Today. Colds are the result of a viral infection. Cold usually causes inflammation of the membrane that line the nose and throat. There are over 200 different viruses and a cold could be a result of any of these but rhinoviruses cause most colds. Contrary to what people believe, cold weather or being chilled does not cause cold. You can get a cold and cough throughout the year during any season.

No health authority or doctor would ever recommend having a rum shot or an alcoholic toddy to fight cold. Also, as most colds are mild and short-term illnesses it may not require medical treatment and subside within 10 to 14 days.

According to Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, alcohol consumption is associated with a variety of short- and long-term health risks. It further states that people must avoid consuming alcohol if they are pregnant, below the age of 21, are on certain medications for medical conditions that might interact with alcohol, could potentially show side effects and people with a history of alcohol abuse.

A myth-busting article on Healthline seems to disagree with the claim too.

Answering a long-standing myth about the decongesting properties of alcohol it says, ‘Alcohol is rumored to work as a decongestant, but actually, the reverse is true. Small amounts of alcohol can cause vasodilation — a widening of blood vessels — which can worsen a runny nose or congestion. Medicines with pseudoephedrine will tighten blood vessels (vasoconstriction), which is why they can help relieve congestion.’

Busting another myth regarding alcohol acting as a cough suppressant it says that alcohols are usually added to cough medicines but that should not be the reason that you think alcohol arts as a cough suppressant.

There are some compounds in cough suppressant tonics that do not easily dissolve in water but it does in ethanol. Ethanol also provides a longer shelf life to the cough suppressant tonics. So, it’s not the alcohol that quotes cough but the other key ingredients or compounds in the tonic that work.

Cleveland Clinic warns, ‘Alcohol gives you a false sense of warmth.’

“Basically, you’re turning on your radiator to send your heat out into the environment. You might feel warm, but it creates a dangerous situation,” it further adds.