Got your back

Your mom's a liar

Cold weather won't make you sick, insist experts

By Amy Minsky

The Concordian (Concordia University)

MONTREAL (CUP) - You probably heard this a thousand times each winter while growing up: "Bundle up before you go outside. You'll catch your death of a cold out there."

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but moms are liars - or at least, very ill-informed.

There is absolutely no causative relationship between cold weather and colds, says Dr. Ariel Fenster from McGill University's Office of Science and Society.

"No matter what your mother told you, it's not true," Dr. Fenster recently told his classroom full of students. "There is no indication this is the case."

Yes, more people get more colds during the winter, but it has nothing to do with the bitter cold. People in the Caribbean get more colds during the summer months, which is their rainy season. The wet weather tends to discourage people from going outside.

"This brings this whole notion to why we get more colds in winter," Dr. Fenster said. "We're spending more time indoors, in close contact with one another, which leads to more colds."

If you're around someone who has the virus, being in the cold won't help your chances of fighting it through.

Dr. Joe Schwacz, director of the Office of Science and Society, said cold weather can act as a stress on the body which, in t urn, can compromise the immune system.

But, you still can't catch a cold unless you come into contact with the cold virus.

"You can toll around naked in the snow at the North Pole," Dr. Schwarcz said. "But you'll not catch a cold unless you meet someone who is also rolling around . . . and has a cold."

How people get sick is one thing - how people get better is a more pertinent question.

Dr. Fenster said North Americans spend about $4 billion per year on cold remedies, despite the fact there is no cure for the common cold.

Medications treat the symptoms," he said. "You'll feel less miserable, but they will not shorten the duration of the cold."

Natural remedies like vitamin C and Echinacea don't appear to be much better in curing the cold. Studies carried out at University of Toronto with respect to vitamin C's effect on colds showed no amount of the vitamin can prevent the cold. It can, however, alleviate the symptoms.

Under a double-blind test, the ginseng-based (and NHL player-endorsed) medication Cold-FX didn't prove to be useful in helping fight cold viruses.

What does help, said Dr. Fenster, is chicken soup. He said the broth actually increases the release of mucus from the nasal passages, helping sick people breathe better.

Dr. Schwarcz had a simple recommendation for reducing the chances of getting a cold: wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your eyes and mouth.