The surprise sweets that could help you when sick with a cold
Scientists find sucking on this sweet can help people with a common cold
- Scientists at Cardiff University conducted a study to determine if eating peppermints could enhance mood and performance in individuals suffering from a common cold.
- The research involved monitoring 81 students over 10 weeks, including 17 who developed a mild upper respiratory tract illness, with some given peppermints, some butterscotch, and others no sweets.
- The study confirmed that having a cold was associated with slower reaction times, reduced eye movements, and decreased alertness.
- It was found that sucking a peppermint significantly increased alertness in both healthy participants and those experiencing a cold.
- Dr Andy Smith, the lead researcher, noted that peppermints help alleviate the general discomfort of a cold by soothing signals from the body to the brain, although they did not significantly impact performance.