Health
Do You Know Your Cough Syrup?
When you've got a hacking cough and a monstrous cold, you're not likely to carefully read the label on your over-the-counter medication. So it's a good time now, before the cold season is in full swing, to find out what your medicine chest really contains.
You might be surprised to discover how much sugar is added to these drugs -- and if you're one of 16 million Americans with diabetes, you'll definitely want to know. Health Care Products, which makes Diabetic Tussin, says cough and cold medicines can contain 46 percent or more sugar.
And sometimes, it's a hidden sugar, such as fructose or sorbitol, which you might not recognize as sugar when you see it on the label. Gary April, president of Health Care Products, says most consumers, not just diabetics, are not aware of how much sugar -- and other unnecessary ingredients -- are in cough and cold medications.
For diabetics, it's important to know because when they suffer cold or flu symptoms, blood glucose levels typically rise due to the stress of the illness on the body. When they take a high-sugar cough or cold remedy, it could have serious health affects.
Click to the ThirdAge Guide to Alternative Medicine for information on alternative health treatments.
You might be surprised to discover how much sugar is added to these drugs -- and if you're one of 16 million Americans with diabetes, you'll definitely want to know. Health Care Products, which makes Diabetic Tussin, says cough and cold medicines can contain 46 percent or more sugar.
And sometimes, it's a hidden sugar, such as fructose or sorbitol, which you might not recognize as sugar when you see it on the label. Gary April, president of Health Care Products, says most consumers, not just diabetics, are not aware of how much sugar -- and other unnecessary ingredients -- are in cough and cold medications.
For diabetics, it's important to know because when they suffer cold or flu symptoms, blood glucose levels typically rise due to the stress of the illness on the body. When they take a high-sugar cough or cold remedy, it could have serious health affects.
Click to the ThirdAge Guide to Alternative Medicine for information on alternative health treatments.
