Vicks on soles of feet quells cough

November 8, 2007 at 2:00a.m.

Q. I think you do your readers a disservice by failing to mention a very old but effective cough suppressant. The pediatrician told my mother about it in 1960, and I have used it on myself and for my own children — nighttime only — when no one can sleep.

I realize that this is susceptible to abuse, but used appropriately, it is safe, effective and cheap.

The recipe: equal parts bourbon, honey and lemon juice. One teaspoon for a 10-year-old, and calibrate from there. If you disagree with using this concoction, I’d be quite interested in knowing why.

A. Hot toddies and other remedies containing alcohol have been popular treatments for coughs and colds for years. Decades ago, doctors may well have recommended such remedies. Most pediatricians nowadays discourage the use of alcohol in any treatments for children. They are especially susceptible to low blood sugar after consuming alcohol.

Parents are in a quandary these days because they have been told not to use drugstore cold and cough remedies for children under 6. A nighttime cough, however, can keep everyone awake.

Some parents report that Vicks VapoRub on the soles of the feet can ease nighttime coughs. Socks protect the sheets. We heard from one reader: “Last night when the cough was getting a little too wild and the prescription didn’t seem to be doing any good, I decided to try Vicks on the feet. Long story short, it not only worked, it worked within minutes.”

Tea made with thyme or fennel from the kitchen spice shelf can also calm a cough. We offer several other approaches in our Guides to Cold Remedies and Unique Uses for Vicks.

Q. I’ve read that resveratrol is good for us, but I don’t know the right dose. I know it is found in red wine, but more than one glass a day is over my limit. Are there any other sources that are beneficial?

A. Resveratrol is an antioxidant found in grapes. A recent study shows that mice fed resveratrol are much less likely to develop prostate tumors. Other animal research suggests that resveratrol may be helpful against inflammation, heart disease and diabetes. No one knows how well the animal research will translate to humans.

For those who would like to get more resveratrol but don’t want to drink too much wine, muscadine grapes are a great source. Juice or wine from this grape has five times more resveratrol than other wines. There also muscadine supplements.

XIn their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or e-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.