Ever since childhood, mothers and grandmothers scared us with sore throat, if we are very addicted to a cold delicacy. And a cold and a sore throat completely deprived us of an ice dessert. But there is an opinion that ice cream in this case can play the role of a healing potion!
We asked a general practitioner if this controversial assumption could be trusted, and, as it turned out, there is a completely rational explanation for this.
– Yes, a real chilled dessert can have an anti-inflammatory property and play the role of an anesthetic, says Natalya Soldatova, therapist. – During a cold and due to a tearful cough, the mucous membrane becomes inflamed, there is a burning sensation, the throat just burns. And ice cream in this case, providing a slight chill, reduces pain. But this does not mean that you can safely take out a half-kilogram briquette of ice cream from the freezer and crack it with a large spoon! And in general, the habit of eating frozen ice cream can lead not only to problems with the throat, but also has a devastating effect on the enamel of the teeth. Yes, forget about the habit of biting off ice cream. Let it melt, settle a little, literally ten minutes. Another controversial point in favor of a chilled dessert. We are all accustomed to drinking hot tea with raspberries, honey, lemon and ginger during a cold. Note – it is hot, not boiling water! Many, zealous in the fight against colds, proudly endure, drinking a fiery hot drink. I hasten to note that this threatens not only irritation of the mucous membrane, but also its burns. In this case, too, do not be zealous – hot tea and small sips.
You shouldn’t overuse ice cream during a cold either, but if you just can’t see life without your favorite treat and, in your opinion, this is the only way to please yourself during a period of illness, then it is advisable to melt the ice cream a little first. With a cold throat, it is very difficult to swallow food, and we gather strength before each sip. Because the sensations are as if a vegetable grater was passed down our throat! Chilled ice cream is easier to digest, and a good (high-quality) creamy ice cream contains a large amount of proteins and carbohydrates. And this is very important for a weakened organism. But I still would not advise you to get carried away with such a sweet treatment: do not forget that desserts contain sugar, which contributes to the development of bacteria. And the cooling effect of ice cream is only a temporary effect, it simply dulls the nerve endings, and there is no question of any treatment. Gargling, a timely visit to the doctor and proper treatment – do not neglect this and be healthy!