The search to find possible cures for certain diseases or pathologies has been present in our lives since time immemorial. Due to this, in turn there are like many false drug solutions, so we must keep ourselves actively informed about all kinds of cures that we are going to supply our body.
Oscillococcinum is a homeopathic medicine , intended for the symptomatic treatment of flu and colds. In turn, homeopathy is a medical discipline used for the prevention of certain pathologies; for example, it is used in common illnesses such as the flu, digestive disorders, migraines, chronic conditions such as asthma or allergies, and throat and ear infections.
Find out all about this common medicine, and if Oscillococcinum really helps cure the flu .
What is Oscillococcinum?
Oscillococcinum is a homeopathic medicine used to relieve colds and flu . That is, it serves to prevent and eliminate the symptoms of the flu and the common cold; such as body pain and headache, nasal congestion or fever.
During the 1920s, French physician Joseph Roy believed he discovered a type of oscillating bacteria in people who had the Spanish flu, and thus the drug was created. In turn, he claimed to see the same strain of bacteria in the blood of people with other conditions, such as cancer, herpes, chickenpox and tuberculosis.
What ingredients make up Oscillococcinum?
Oscillococcinum is formulated with an active ingredient that is extracted from the heart and liver of a certain type of duck. It also contains sucrose and lactose. From there, it is prepared by dilution; that is, by reducing the concentration of the substance, which is the most common administration system of active principles in homeopathy.
This method of dilution is the most worrying part of this medicine, since the mixture is diluted with one part of duck organ to 100 parts of water. The process is repeated 200 times until hardly a trace of the active ingredient remains in the final product. The controversy in this regard lies in the belief that dilution in homeopathy increases the potency of a preparation.
Oscillococcinum efficacy level
The doctor who is credited with creating Oscillococcinum also believed that this type of bacteria could be beneficial in treating many other conditions, as mentioned earlier. However, scientists are now aware that influenza is caused by a virus (the name by which the flu is also known) rather than bacteria.
Due to these unresolved spaces, and weak foundations at the time of its creation, it is unclear how effective Oscillococcinum can be , given that it is based on theories that have since been proven false.
Studies on Oscillococcinum
Studies on the effectiveness of Oscillococcinum have yielded mixed results. For example, a study in 455 people showed that Oscillococcinum was able to reduce the frequency of respiratory tract infections. However, other research found that it may not be particularly effective, especially when it comes to fighting the flu.
Another study showed that Oscillococcinum was not effective in preventing influenza. These results suggested that Oscillococcinum was able to decrease the duration of influenza but only by an average of less than seven hours.
On the other hand, some studies suggest that it can provide a placebo effect. For example, in a review of seven studies, no evidence was found to suggest that Oscillococcinum could effectively prevent or treat influenza. However, the researchers noted that people taking Oscillococcinum were more likely to find an effective treatment
Clearly the tests and studies have not been completely conclusive, as there are various results that are not at all conclusive. Therefore, better high-level research is needed to discover the true efficacy of Oscillococcinum .
Oscillococcinum side effects
Oscillococcinum has been on the market for more than 80 years, and has an excellent safety profile due to the lack of reported adverse effects, because although it is not known with certainty if it can help alleviate flu symptoms, studies have confirmed that it is generally safe and can be used with minimal risk of side effects.
There have actually only been reported a few cases of patients experiencing angioedema , a type of severe inflammation, after taking Oscillococcinum. However, it is not clear if the preparation caused it or if other factors may have been involved.
Therefore, even if it does not have specific and clearly specified side effects, it is preferable to take due precautions if it is consumed at the same time as other medications. It is also necessary to monitor its intake when it is administered in chronic diseases, during pregnancy and during lactation. Likewise, it is recommended not to take it if there is lactose intolerance.
conclusion
It is important to know everything that we supply to our body, and more so when it comes to fighting infections such as the flu, as there is a wide variety of solutions to this problem.
One of them is Oscillococcinum, which is a homeopathic preparation used to treat the symptoms of the flu or cold, which has not completely proven its effectiveness, so more studies must be carried out to verify it, however, there are no side effects of the medication, thus being considered safe.
References
- Link, R. Does Oscillococcinum Work for the Flu? An Objective Review. For Healthline. [Revised October 2018].
