Hokey Ads, but Great Product!
Written: Feb 28 '09 (Updated Mar 01 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Mild tasting, gentle acting, no rebound effect.
Cons: None.
The Bottom Line: Best cough drop I have ever used. Mild enough to use as many as needed. Effective enough not to need too many.
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| hularider's Full Review: Ricola Natural Herbal Cough Drops, Original - 15 D... |
Among the many hats I wear is Entertainer. Each week I host a live show at the Palace Theater in Hilo. I can't afford not to have my voice working. Between asthma, allergies, colds, and hay fever, I sometimes need a little something to help my throat do its job. I've used a number of different cough preparations, and I like Ricola the best.
Many of the other preparations feel great while I am sucking on the lozenge, but once it is gone, the stuffy sinuses, sore throat, and "gallas" come back worse than before. They also make my mouth water for some time, which makes speaking and singing problematic.
Ricola Natural Herbal Cough Drops ease my throat gently, with no "rebound effect." The realtively mild flavorings also do not make my mouth water too much.
It took me a while to get used to the Ricola products, as I was used to the stronger preparations which feel like they are blasting the nose and throat clear. Ricola gently eases the passages open.
The active ingredient, Menthol (4.8 mg - Cough Suppressant), naturally found in members of the mint family, has been used from ancient times for its cough suppressant and counter-irritant properties. Today, it can be synthesized as well. Anyway, it's one of those "oldies but goodies."
The inactive ingredients are claimed to be grown in "carefully chosen" areas in the Swiss mountains to assure quality:
Caramel Color, basically, cooked sugar. I make it myself when I am into candy-making. Makes a nice color and enriches flavor.
Extract of Ricola's Herb Mixture
Elder, extract from the blossoms of the Sambucus nigra tree. It is considered useful in the tratment of coughs.
Horehound, Marrubium vulgare, a member of the mint family which provides a bitter juice that is used as an expectorant, laxitive, and vermifuge.
Hyssop, another member of the mint family, I suspect they are using Hyssopus officinalis, which is often chosen for its antiseptic, cough relieving, and expectorant properties.
Lemon Balm, Melissa officinalis, has a lemony flavor and antibacterial and antiviral, as well as numbing and soothing properties.
Linden Flowers, Tilia cordata / T. parvifolia, are used to discharge mucus and relieve stuffy sinuses.
Mallow, the huge number of mallow plants makes it difficult for me to know what they are using, but my own experience with herbal remedies suggests that they are using one of the mallows known for its expectorant properties.
Peppermint / Peppermint oil, Mentha × piperitathis hybred mint is often considered one of the world's oldest medicines, and believed by some to have been in use for over 10,000 years. It is a popular flavoring, and considered a digestive aid.
Sage, Salvia officinalis, is valued in cough preparations for its antibiotic, antifungal, astringent, and antispasmodic properties.
Thyme, Wild Thyme, Thymus vulgaris, is valued as an antiseptic and anti-inflamatory.
Starch Syrup, I couldn't find out anything about this ingredient.
Sugar, Yay! REAL sugar! I do not tolerate the artificial sweeteners well, so I am always searching for brands that use real sugar.
The more I use this stuff, and learn about it, the more I like it.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
hularider
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Member: Leilehua Yuen
Location: Hilo, Hawaii, USA
Reviews written: 70
Trusted by: 8 members
About Me:
HulaRider is an author, artist, and educator who specializes in Hawaiian culture and arts.
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