What are the benefits of drinking salt water when you have a cold

When the seasons change from autumn to winter, influenza is rampant and many people will catch a cold. When you have a cold, many people drink hot salt water, or gargle with salt water, or add salt to warm water with lemon. Some people say that drinking this way can kill bacteria. Does salt water really have such a bactericidal function and can it cure colds? What are the benefits of drinking salt water when you have a cold?

1. Salt is a compound produced by the neutralization reaction of acid and alkali, usually referring to sodium chloride. Salt has four major functions in the human body:

1. Regulate the body's water balance and osmotic pressure.

2. Maintain the balance of acidity and alkalinity.

3. Convey stimulation to muscles and nerves.

4. Form gastric acid to help digestion.

2. Salt is an essential substance in human life and everyone needs to consume it in moderation.

It is an exaggeration to say that salt has a bactericidal effect. It should be noted that colds are caused by acute inflammation of the nose, mouth, throat (pharynx, larynx), collectively known as the "upper respiratory tract" of the bronchus. The reason why gargling with salt water is effective is possible for the following reasons:

1. Warm water can raise the temperature of the throat, making it difficult for bacteria to survive.

2 High salinity changes the environment in the mouth or throat, making it more difficult for germs to attach.

3. It has a flushing effect. By gargling or drinking water, the germs can be washed away, reducing their concentration, which can naturally improve symptoms.

4 Therefore, the more correct statement should be: Salt can "inhibit bacteria" and play an anti-inflammatory and bactericidal role.

3. However, washing your nostrils with salt water may have a certain effect on treating colds. Because there are certain germs in the nostrils in the early stages of a cold, as long as the germs are cleared away, it will be effective in suppressing the cold.