Bust this myth: Dairy intake during a cold increases mucus

I was talking to a friend of mine who has a cold and she mentioned in passing that she misses her morning yogurt. As soon as the cold symptoms started up, she stopped eating yogurt to avoid a mucus buildup.

When she said that, it hit me: I bet the link between dairy product intake and mucus production during a cold is a myth.

So I checked. And it is.

I found a study (in the American Review of Respiratory Disease) that tested milk consumption and mucus production in 60 volunteers with bad colds.

Results: “We conclude that no statistically significant overall association can be detected between milk and dairy product intake and symptoms of mucus production in healthy adults…with rhinovirus infection.”

But this study did turn up an interesting detail: Those who believed that “milk makes mucus” had more cough and congestion symptoms than those who didn’t believe.

Another study (in Journal of the American College of Nutrition) came up with similar results: “In individuals inoculated with the common cold virus, milk intake was not associated with increased nasal secretions, symptoms of cough, nose symptoms or congestion. Nevertheless, individuals who believe in the mucus and milk theory report more respiratory symptoms after drinking milk.”

So, Brenda…if you’re reading this (and you better be!) Let go of your milk/mucus beliefs, enjoy your yogurt, and feel better fast!

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson

Sources:
“Relationship between milk intake and mucus production in adult volunteers challenged with rhinovirus-2” The American Review of Respiratory Disease, Vol. 141, No. 2, February 1990, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
“Milk Consumption Does Not Lead to Mucus Production or Occurrence of Asthma” Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 24, No. 90006, 2005, jacn.org