Can whisky help a cold?
At this time of year, we couldn’t think of a better question to ask the internet! The only problem is knowing which little corner of the online world to come to when you want an answer that you can put your house on. Well, luckily for you, you’re already here, which means all you have to do is keep your eyes open long enough (less than 5 minutes, we promise!) to get to the end of the following wise words…
Here’s everything you need to know to answer your query in style folks…
How can whisky help a cold?
The first thing to clear up here is what a cold actually is. You might think that it’s obvious, but everyone has their own little definition of a cold that only they and their family uses. To make sure no stone is left unturned, we’re going to clear this one up right now!
Colds are not the same as the flu. The flu is a serious illness where you often can’t get out of bed and will sometimes need to go to hospital — whisky won’t be much use in this case. A cold is a runny nose, sleepiness, a headache and some aches and pains that are typically gone inside a week. If that sounds like what you have right now, or just something you want to be equipped to deal with like a pro, keep reading my friend.
The key thing to know here is that two of the main symptoms of a cold — headaches and runny noses — are both due to blocked mucous membranes. Not got a clue what we’re on about because you’re just here to buy some custom labels? It’s just a fancy medical term for a blocked up, or bunged up, nose. Don’t worry, you’re in good hands.
Now, where were we? The clever thing about whiskey is that because of it’s high alcohol content, it’s actually a rather good decongestant. It gets to work the moment it enters the blood stream, dilating (opening up) the blood vessels in and around the nose. This helps all the nutrients and minerals in your body to get to where they’re needed that little bit faster so that your nose gets the extra dose of TLC that any doctor will tell you is going to make the world of difference. But there’s a few other things you need to think about…
Can whisky help a cough?
It sure can my friend, it sure can! While you want to be careful with how much you drink (getting drunk isn’t going to pay you any favours) you can experiment a little bit with the type and temperature of your whiskey.
Having a hot drink with a dash of whiskey is a great way to free up some much needed airway space in your nose, throat and mouth. The steam from the drink will percolate through your sinuses and blood vessels, helping things to get moving again, just the way nature intended. Once that’s started happening, the alcohol fumes given off by the whiskey will then come into their own, adding the decongestant properties we already clued up about in the last section!
The end result is a warm, delicious drink that effectively lines your throat with a mild form of anti inflammatory which will reduce your need to cough. So, by removing the gunk that’s blocking you up, and soothing the lining of the throat, a warm whiskey really can help a cough. Now you know that, let’s figure out how to fine tune your mixture.
Which whisky is best for health?
This very much depends on your tastes, your budget and just how poorly you are. If you can readily afford it, we always recommend a single malt whiskey due to the high antioxidant content. The exact numbers are going to vary from brand to brand, and vintage to vintage, but it will comfortably be more rich in antioxidants than red wine. When you factor in that red wine is derived from some of the tastiest, most delicious grapes out there, it’s not hard to see why whisky has long had a reputation as the drink to turn to when you need a lift in the cold winter months. It also has that warming quality as it goes down your throat that only a rich and refined spirit can give you. Ideal if you want to warm yourself up from the inside when you could do with something to smile about.
How much whisky should you drink for your health?
The more you drink the more likely are you to get drunk, that much is obvious! The reason we’re saying this is because when you get drunk you dehydrate yourself, and when you’re dehydrated you suppress the actions of your immune system. That means too much whisky means more than just a day in bed with a hangover; it can mean a day in bed with hangover and a cold that was worse than when you first started drinking the good stuff.
Clearly no one wants that, which is why moderation is the key here folks. Don’t worry, we’re not going to turn into the fun police or anything like that, we just want to make sure you get back to your old self, and ready for a good time, as quickly and easily as possible.
From our own experience, we recommend having a measure first thing in the morning and a double measure just before you turn out the lights at the end of the day. By giving yourself a morale boost in the morning you can increase the likelihood that you’ll make the positive decisions that will help you accelerate your recovery. And with a double measure before bed, you can help soothe your throat and lungs so that you stand the best possible chance of sleeping right through the night. Ideal if you want to make sure that you maximise your shuteye so that your mind and body can really start to repair and put the cold to bed once and for all.
Good luck!