Vasculitis: Symptoms, Types & Treatment

Should I Take The Homeopathic Remedy Oscillococcinum (Oscillo) For The Flu?

— -- Question: Should I take the homeopathic remedy oscillococcinum for the flu?

Answer: This remedy is one of the homeopathic remedies in which the active ingredient is diluted to a very, such that there's a very small amount of the active ingredient left. So as far as I'm able to tell, taking this homeopathic remedy would be probably equivalent to drinking water.

And drinking water is okay. That's a good way to keep yourself hydrated while you have a viral infection, but to my knowledge there's no clear evidence of benefit from this. However, if you think it makes you feel better, I'm not opposed to your using it because water is good.

Next: What Natural Approaches Do You Recommend For Cold Symptoms Such As A Cough Or Sore Throat?

Previous: Is There A Natural Remedy For a Fever?

Oscillococcinum: Not Exactly A Flu Remedy For Vegetarians

We are such a gullible country. You tell us something in Latin and we accept it without question.

It must be true: It's in Latin!

So if someone offers us an over-the-counter flu medicine like Oscillococcinum, whose active ingredient is anas barbariae hepatis et cordis extractum 200CK HPUS, we can't help being impressed and grateful.

Not only does it have a long, science-y name, but its main ingredient is spelled out in Latin, and, even better, comes with numbers and an acronym. The box doesn't actually say it cures the flu, but it does claim to reduce "flu-like symptoms," which is close enough when you actually have them.

Curious about those ingredients, I checked in with my wise old neighbor, Prof. Google. He knows Latin. He knows everything, come to think of it.

Professor Google's translation:

Extract of Muscovy Duck liver and heart.

So basically ... Paté.

Diluted paté.

Its inventor was a French doctor who claimed to discover a bacteria responsible for the 1917 flu pandemic in the liver of a duck. Eeuww. (Of course, the stuff would be French; they do so love their liver-y substances, n'est-ce pas?)

On the theory that "like can cure like," he came up with an extremely diluted version of duck-liver-and-heart goop. The list of diseases he felt this would cure was endless, up to and including cancer.

Never mind that this turned out to be bunk, and we now know flu is caused by a virus.

The manufacturer claims 63 percent of people in a study felt better after two days. Of course, in that same time period, 48 percent of the study's placebo group felt better, too. Of course, this same crowd concluded that people who take extract of sea horse — double eeuww — experience a "strong theme of isolation, coupled with a need or desire for solitude, and therefore, an aversion to company." At least that's what Prof. Google says. They're also studying house flies — triple eeuww — so stay tuned.

It's important to keep an open mind about medicine that comes from unlikely places.

After all, one of the stellar drugs in the arsenal against breast cancer is tamoxifin, which was originally derived from the bark of the Pacific yew tree.

Yet here's how you know that's legit: They don't go around hiding its origin by reaching for the Latin dictionary and calling it Taxus brevifolia.

New health care motto: Don't put anything in your mouth whose name hasn't been translated into English, including anas barbariae hepatis et cordis extractum 200CK HPUS.

Although, I do hear it's delicious on a toasted crostini with some Grey Poupon.

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Oscillococcinum Awarded The Parent Tested Parent Approved Seal Of Approval

NEWTON SQUARE, Pa. — PTPA Media, a volunteer parenting testing community, recently recognized Boiron's Oscillococcinum for helping families nip flu-like symptoms. Oscillococcinum was awarded the Parent Tested Parent Approved Seal of Approval from the group. 

"At PTPA Media, we are proud to play a role in certifying innovative products that families can trust," stated Sharon Vinderine, CEO of PTPA Media. 

"When consumers search for our Seal of Approval on product packaging and websites, they are essentially searching for validation from their peers," she said. "Their peers will have objectively tested and approved these products based on their performance in a real life environment. That type of resource for families is priceless."

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