The real value of these 21st century replicas might be uncertain (in common with many products available via the internet); however, there is no doubt 2000 years ago gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh would have been well received.

As well as its value as a precious metal, gold has also been used in healing. In the 17th century, gold cordials (gold mixed with alcohol) were prescribed for such ailments as melancholy, fainting, swooning and fevers. However, there is no evidence that these treatments were in any way successful.

Frankincense, as the name implies, for much of its 4000-year history, has been used for its aromatic qualities. Today it is in use as a component of perfumes and toiletries. Records of its medicinal use date back to the 3rd century, when it was recommended for gout, catarrh, colic and gastrointestinal haemorrhage.

In a pharmaceutical sense, myrrh seems to have the best credentials. As recently as the middle of the last century, Australian doctors prescribed pain relieving mixtures containing tincture of myrrh. In Hebrew tradition, myrrh was often mixed with wine and given to a condemned man as an anaesthetic. These days myrrh is valued in some cultures for its antiseptic, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties.

If you can’t (or don’t want to) get your hands on those Middle Eastern perfumes and pain relievers and you haven’t yet completed your Christmas shopping, health-related gifts might still be an option. If jewellery is on your shopping list, you might consider something that will not only last a lifetime, but might save a life as well – a MedicAlert bracelet or necklet.

MedicAlert is much more than a piece of jewellery. It’s the ultimate in patient protection in emergency situations or unforeseen adverse events.

The MedicAlert service begins with a wrist or a neck emblem individually engraved with critical medical facts and a 24 hours hot-line telephone number. Doctors, paramedics, hospital staff or other emergency responders can work quickly and confidently in the case of an accident or other emergency. They can also call the MedicAlert centre at anytime from anywhere in the world for additional medical details – information that can help avoid life-threatening complications. Check out the website www.medicalert.org.au for more details.

There are other healthy alternatives you might consider at this time as well.

If you or someone in your family has high blood pressure and gadgets are your go-to items for gift ideas, then an electronic home-use blood pressure measuring device (called a sphygmomanometer by the medicos) could be ideal. Meanwhile, for people with diabetes, you might like an upgrade to the new miniature-sized blood glucose meters – about the same size and shape as a mobile phone but at a fraction of the cost and without the bothersome phone calls.

Of course if you must have something near your ear, the electronic ear thermometers, widely used in hospitals and now available for home use, provide a simple, safe and accurate way of measuring body temperature.

Still searching for ideas? How about a first aid kit? There are ready prepared varieties for work, home or keeping in the car; or better still, your pharmacist can help tailor-make one for your own personal needs. And if you already have a first aid kit, make sure the contents are still usable and not out of date. Ask at your local Self Care pharmacy for more advice and pick up a First Aid in the Home fact card. For the location of your nearest Self Care pharmacy, phone the Pharmaceutical Society on 1300 369 772 or log onto the website www.psa.org.au and click on Self Care.

In fact, despite the known consequences, for some people a culture of drinking to excess is very much a part of every celebration.

So, it’s about this time of year we begin to consider once again whether there might be a cure of hangovers.

An internet search provides more than 500,000 website results for the entry “hangover cures”. It’s an indication that either there are many effective treatments, or on the other hand, nothing really works. Unfortunately, the latter is the case.

Clearly the best way to avoid the problems of an alcohol-induced hangover is to practise abstinence – or at least moderation. However, there are some simple remedies that might reduce the severity of the symptoms of that morning-after agony.

A few years ago the respected US-based business magazine Forbes published an article titled “Ten Top Hangover Cures”. Some were more mythical than medical; they included concoctions such as extract of prickly pear (said to be able to help overcome nausea, loss of appetite and dry mouth) and tripe soup made from the lining of cow’s stomach with the addition of chilli, garlic and other seasonings.

Much more likely to be effective are the fluid and electrolyte replacement products. The reason is because despite being liquid themselves, alcohol–containing drinks (wine, beer and so on) actually take water away from the parts of our body where we need it most. Drinks containing caffeine such as coffee, tea or cola can have the same dehydrating effect.

To help prevent morning-after headaches, alternate your alcoholic drinks with plenty of water. Before going to bed, it can be helpful also to drink a long glass of sugar-sweetened cordial, an isotonic sports drink or, even better, some Hydralyte or Gastrolyte. It may not seem like the ideal beverage at the time, but it could prevent that really awful feeling the next day.

If that pain you feel needs a pain reliever, then products with paracetamol are probably the best bet; they’re less likely than aspirin to cause stomach upset. Nausea and indigestion are also often part of the problem caused by too much of a good thing.

After a rich meal our stomachs have to work harder and pump out extra acid to help digest the food and alcohol. The pain or discomfort that follows this exercise in overindulgence can also occur with stress, cigarette smoking, pregnancy and some medicines.

Apart from that uneasy, queasy feeling, often symptoms of indigestion include belching or burping and heartburn (known medically as reflux). A recent electronic newsletter to Australian GPs identified obesity and barbecues as two of the main factors explaining why we experience regular reflux. Quite clearly, being overweight puts pressure on the valve at the top of our stomach and allows the backwash of acid, whilst fatty meat and spicy sauces are also triggers for reflux.

So, if heartburn is your cause of your festive season discomfort, you might get some temporary relief with a liquid antacid like Gaviscon; and a range of more potent antacids in tablet form is also now available without prescription (Somac is one example). For headache and nausea, the combination paracetamol/metoclopramide (Anagraine or Metomax) might help.

For more advice and information tailor-made to your need to cope with the after effects of the festive season, or morning-after problems at anytime, ask at your pharmacy for one of the Self Care fact cards titled Headache and Heartburn and Indigestion.

They’re available from pharmacies around Australia providing the Pharmaceutical Society’s (PSA) Self Care health information. You can call 1300 369 772 for the nearest location or log onto the PSA website www.psa.org.au, click on Self Care then Self Care Pharmacy Finder.

Since then, World AIDS Day has been established as one of the world’s most successful commemorative days. As the “red ribbon day” it is now recognised and observed by millions of people in more than 190 countries. And the day has also become an opportunity to highlight the need for continued development of education and prevention strategies.

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is primarily transmitted in blood, semen and vaginal fluids via unprotected sex or sharing injecting equipment. HIV belongs to a group of viruses called retroviruses known for the capacity to copy their genetic blueprint onto the genes of the host person’s cells. HIV has been identified as the virus that causes AIDS.

AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is not a single disease. It is a broad range of conditions that occur when a person’s immune system is seriously damaged after years of attack by the HIV. The terms HIV and AIDS are not interchangeable. It is important to remember that a person who is infected with HIV does not necessarily have AIDS. However, all people with AIDS have been infected with HIV.

The ability of HIV to live outside the body is very limited and, therefore, HIV is not particularly easy to transmit. It is a communicable disease, but it is not contagious like air-borne viruses such as influenza. HIV cannot be transmitted by hugging, shaking hands, coughing or sneezing. Nor can it be transmitted by sharing glasses, cups or utensils or by insect bite.

There are three main modes of HIV transmission: unprotected anal and vaginal sexual intercourse; sharing drug injecting equipment; and mother to child transmission during pregnancy, birth or breast feeding.

Exposure to HIV contaminated blood is another potential route of transmission. Injecting drug users who share needles and syringes are at risk of HIV infection because there is often a small amount of blood left in the syringe after injection. So there are definitely times when sharing is not always caring.

This type of exposure can also occur during skin piercing and tattooing procedures if equipment has not been properly sterilised after having previously being used on someone with HIV. Body piercing or tattooing should always be undertaken at licensed studios that use new inkpots for each procedure and disposable needles or anautoclave to sterilise equipment.

At the end of 2010 it was estimated that there were about 34 million people living with HIV worldwide, and although global rates of HIV infection have fallen dramatically, there were still around 2.7 million new HIV infections last year and about 1.8 million people died of AIDS related illnesses. Nevertheless, measures such as improved medical treatment prevented an estimated 700,000 deaths in 2010. Here in Australia, where transmission occurs primarily through sexual contact between men, the number of new cases of HIV infection diagnosed is now stable at around 1000 per year.

Wherever we live we can combat AIDS by “respect and protect”. By respecting and protecting ourselves and others we can stop the spread of the HIV and put an end to prejudice. Check out the World AIDS Day website at www.worldaidsday.org and two excellent Australian websites www.worldaidsdaynsw.org and www.worldaidsday.org.au.

Or you can get more information about HIV and AIDS from pharmacies around Australia providing the Pharmaceutical Society’s Self Care health information. Phone 1300 369 772 for the nearest location and ask for the HIV/AIDS fact card.

The study shows that psychiatric illness is now the biggest source of ill health in Europe. Almost 40 per cent of the region’s population – around 165 million people – experience a mental disorder each year. Anxiety is the most common condition, followed by insomnia and depression.

Meanwhile, in Australia, whilst our economy is in reasonably good shape – at least by comparison – we cannot afford to be complacent with respect to mental health. According to the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (the latest figures available), 45 per cent of Australians aged 16–85 years had at some point in their lives experienced a mental disorder.

As in Europe, anxiety is the most common condition, with women more likely to be affected than men. So-called substance use disorders – involving the harmful use of, or dependency on, alcohol or other drugs – are more common in men.

Of course, it’s normal to feel anxious now and again. We’ve all had that experience of butterflies in our stomach maybe before an exam or a job interview. Anxiety is actually a normal and reasonable response to danger or stress; it’s an emotion that triggers our body’s nervous system to be able to make quick, and hopefully, correct decisions.

Some studies suggest that we inherit the tendency to feel more stress. Other studies describe stress as a response that is learned over a lifetime. In any event, people who experience high levels of stress, tend to hold beliefs which make them feel threatened, ultra vigilant and out of control.

There is no doubt too much stress can be a health hazard; so the first important step in stress management involves being aware of when our stress levels become unhealthy. Once stress overload is recognised there is a range of stress management skills available to address the problem.

We probably don’t need to be reminded about stress, but perhaps we do need to be reminded about how best to manage it. And during Mental Health Awareness Week (9-15 October) each year we are encouraged by the Mental Health Association of Australia to consider how our “overall wellbeing should encompass mental health as well as physical, social, spiritual and community health”. In some states of Australia the emphasis on mental health awareness has been extended from a week to all of October. In fact it’s an issue that deserves our attention year round.

If you feel tense or “stressed out” almost all the time, and anxiety is affecting your everyday activities, then it’s time to have a chat with your GP. You might also benefit from the top ten Stress-Less Tips. Check out the website www.stresslesstips.org.au

Your pharmacist can help too. There is a series of mental health information cards available from pharmacies around Australia as part of the Pharmaceutical Society’s (PSA) Self Care Program.

No doubt throughout life there’ll be plenty of stressful situations for us to cope with. Just how we cope will determine how healthy we stay. So, for a little extra help on how to stress less, ask your Self Care Pharmacist for the fact card titled Anxiety.

There are also useful cards on subjects such as Depression, Relaxation Techniques, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Sleeping Problems. For the location of the nearest pharmacy providing the Self Care information, log onto the PSA website www.psa.org.au and click on Self Care Pharmacy Finder or phone 1300 369 772.

Maybe with a little effort we could claim to be a mentally as well as an economically healthy country.

Symptoms of asthma include shortness of breath, wheeze, chest tightness and persistent, dry, irritating cough – symptoms which can also indicate other conditions; but when occurring together make asthma the likely diagnosis; especially if triggered by exercise, allergy, viral infection or if worse at night. Diagnosis can be confirmed by the doctor using a lung function test known as spirometry.

Sadly, despite the effective management strategies now available, many people continue to suffer unnecessarily; and through ignorance and/or complacency put themselves at risk of serious, sometimes fatal, consequences.

Asthma is thought to result from a combination of inherited and environmental factors – environmental factors such as inhaled grasses and pollens, mould, dust mite and their droppings, the hair and dead skin cells from domestic animals (cats seem to be a particular problem) and exposure to tobacco smoke; both active and the passive form. These trigger factors are similar to those which cause hay fever in many people. In fact, most people with asthma also get hay fever and many people with hay fever have asthma, too. So, if you sniffle and sneeze and then maybe get a blocked-up nose, and sometimes get watery, itchy eyes; and if you occasionally get a bit wheezy as well, you should definitely get along to your doctor for a check-up.

Asthma occurs more often in children, but can actually begin at any age. Children who have eczema, particularly when occurring with hay fever, are nine times more likely to develop allergic asthma later in life. This is one of the conclusions from a recent study published online in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

In what is known as the Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study (TAHS), participants were assessed in 1968 at age seven and then followed up in 2004 when they were in their mid 40s. Melbourne-based PhD student, Pamela Martin, who was involved with analysing the survey results, said that implications of this study are that prevention and rigorous treatment of childhood eczema and hay fever may prevent the persistence and development of asthma.

Both with asthma and hay fever, if the triggers can be identified then we should take whatever steps possible to avoid them. Exercise is the exception. People with exercise-induced asthma should still exercise, but will reduce the possibility of an asthma attack by using a reliever medicine before exercising.

Some trigger factors are very difficult to avoid. Changes in weather or air temperature (especially during the night or early hours of the morning) affect some people with asthma; emotional stress and even laughter can also trigger asthma. Viral upper respiratory infections can be a problem (even more troublesome at this time of year), so all people with asthma should have an annual flu vaccine.

Some medicines are known to trigger or worsen asthma. These include some non-prescription and complementary medicines. In particular, Royal Jelly and echinacea should be avoided, but people with asthma should be careful with any herbal product. And importantly, there is no good evidence yet to recommend any herbal or other complementary product to treat asthma.

For more evidence-based information on how best to manage asthma, and how to make breathing just that little bit easier, ask for one of the “fact cards” on Asthma and Asthma Medicines from pharmacies providing the Self Care health information. Check out the website www.psa.org.au for the nearest location.

In any event, apples are a good source of fibre and vitamins – especially vitamin C, but some other vitamins and minerals as well. In the fibre department, apples contain both soluble fibre – such as pectin which helps prevent the build-up of cholesterol in the lining of the blood vessels – and insoluble fibre, which provides bulk in the intestinal tract. This bulk enables a quick passage of food through the digestive system – just what the doctor ordered.

Probably the best known Australian apple is the green “Granny Smith”. However, it’s the red apple which has greater significance this month. The red apple is the symbol of the Bowel Cancer and Digestive Research Institute; and Red Apple Day during June each year aims to increase awareness of bowel cancer and other gastro-intestinal problems.

Other than skin cancer, bowel cancer is the commonest of all cancers affecting both men and women. There are 10,000 new cases of bowel cancer diagnosed every year; and there are twice as many deaths from bowel cancer in Australia as from motor vehicle accidents. One Australian dies from bowel cancer – also known as colorectal cancer (CRC) – every two hours.

Perhaps because these statistics are so frightening, there is a reluctance for us to seek medical attention or even acknowledge the possibility of CRC; but bowel cancer is both treatable and curable.

In the early stages, bowel cancer often has no symptoms; but blood in the bowel motions, persistent changes in bowel habits (diarrhoea or constipation) frequent “wind” pains and loss of weight for no known reason, should all be investigated by your doctor. If a close relative has had bowel cancer, your own risk increases significantly, and a regular check-up is necessary.

When you turn 50, 55 or 65 you’re eligible to receive a free bowel cancer screening test as part of the Australian Government’s recently restored National Bowel Cancer Screening program. Whilst this initiative has been widely applauded, the decision by Government to defer the funding of two medicines used to treat bowel cancer has been roundly criticised. Gut Foundation President, Professor Terry Bolin stated that he couldn’t believe such a rich industrial country like Australia “can’t afford to pay for the treatment of the commonest cancer in the community”.

Another screening strategy is a colonoscopy whereby small growths called polyps are detected and, if found to be cancerous, are removed. Apart from the existence of polyps, bowel cancer appears to be more common in people whose diet is high in fat, and low in fibre, fruit and vegetables. Smoking and alcohol consumption may also add to the risk.

So just crunching an apple a day won’t mean we have no need for a regular check-up; but along with other fruit and vegetables the apple may reduce our bowel cancer risk. We also need to limit our alcohol intake to no more than two drinks a day and we should definitely not smoke. It seems regular physical activity also reduces the risk.

Pharmacies providing the Pharmaceutical Society’s Self Care material can give you more information about bowel cancer. Ask the pharmacy for the fact cards titled Fibre and Bowel Health and Fat and Cholesterol. They contain some great hints on how to keep your bowel and also the rest of your body healthy and functioning well.

To find your nearest Self Care pharmacy phone 1300 369 772 or visit our website www.psa.org.au.

Generally, underwear is not as immediately obvious as some other articles of clothing; but neither is kidney disease usually foremost in our mind. As the Kidney Health website says it’s time to give some decent exposure to chronic kidney disease (CKD), a disease which has flown under the radar for far too long – just like our undies??

In any event, we can’t over estimate the importance of our kidneys and the significance of kidney disease. One in three adults is at increased risk of developing CKD.

The kidneys are two small fist-sized, bean-shaped organs situated on the lower back of the abdomen. Small they may be, but they do an enormous job. In fact, one functioning kidney is essential for life.

If the lungs are our air-conditioning unit, then the kidneys are our body’s washing machine and waste disposal system. They’re also a superbly effective filter system with about 200 litres of blood passing through 2 million tiny filters every day; resulting in the removal of about 2 litres of waste products and unneeded water.

As well as enabling us to excrete certain unwanted and toxic substances, the kidneys produce hormones and regulate water levels and blood pressure.

Of course, properly regulated blood pressure is critical for good health. While there are no firm and fast rules about what constitutes a normal blood pressure reading – blood pressure varies from person to person and with individuals from time to time – a confirmed reading of greater than 140/90 is considered sufficiently high to require treatment.

There is a close relationship between high blood pressure and kidney disease: high blood pressure can cause kidney damage and kidney damage can cause high blood pressure.

Uncontrolled blood glucose levels (ie:diabetes) is another major risk factor for CKD. Around half of all people with diabetes develop kidney damage; so it’s important for people with diabetes to have regular kidney function tests.

With diabetes, all the small blood vessels in the body are damaged; and those in the kidneys are especially vulnerable. The blood cleaning activity of the kidneys does not operate effectively; the body retains more salt and water than it should, leading to swelling of the ankles and weight gain.

Being overweight or obese are in themselves risk factors for kidney disease. As well as increasing the likelihood of both blood pressure and diabetes (and therefore increasing the risk of CKD), as we get bigger and more overweight, the kidneys have to cope with a greater workload.

Being overweight is a very visible characteristic, but having high blood pressure and diabetes can often go unnoticed until the CKD is well established and difficult to treat. So a regular visit to the doctor is essential. The kidney health check involves a blood pressure test, a urine test for protein and blood test for a substance called creatinine.

Prevention strategies (and often initial treatment as well) involves dietary and lifestyle changes – losing weight, cutting down on alcohol intake, exercising regularly, consuming less salt and stopping smoking. If medication is necessary it may involve life-long treatment.

You can get more information about diabetes and high blood pressure and their relationship to kidney disease from pharmacies throughout Australia providing Self Care health information. For the nearest location phone the Pharmaceutical Society on 1300 369 722 or check the website www.psa.org.au and click on Self Care Pharmacy Finder. You’ll have to bring your own red undies.

In any event, the World Health Organization (WHO) has praised the Australian proposal in its most recent public health news bulletin, stating that we would be the first country to implement a specific recommendation of the so-called Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). This convention or treaty is the only one ever negotiated amongst countries under the auspices of the WHO and it confers legal obligations on the parties that have formally acceded to the treaty.

This year on World No Tobacco Day, 31 May, it is the aim of WHO to highlight the importance of the FCTC.

Obligations under the treaty include: adopting price and tax measures to reduce the demand for tobacco; protecting people from exposure to tobacco smoke; banning tobacco advertising and promotion; offering people help to overcome their addiction to tobacco; and regulating the packaging and labelling of tobacco products.

Regardless of how cigarettes are presented, there would hardly be a man, woman or even child in Australia who doesn’t know about the dangers of smoking.

We know that smoking is the greatest single preventable cause of death and disease in the world. This year nearly 6 million people will die from a tobacco-related heart attack, stroke, cancer, a lung ailment or other disease. This doesn’t include the more than 600,000 people (about a quarter of them children) who will die from exposure to second hand-smoke. So why would anyone still be a smoker?

Well, there are probably many reasons why people begin to smoke – peer pressure is a particularly relevant factor in young women – and the reality is, once you start smoking it’s mighty hard to stop. Nearly two thirds of smokers would like to stop smoking, but fewer than 1 in 20 people who try to quit will actually remain non-smokers after three months.

Up until recently, it was thought that stopping smoking completely – either cold turkey or with the help of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) – was the best way to ensure becoming a long term non-smoker. But this “quick stop” method doesn’t suit everyone.

The “cut down then stop” (CDTS) method has now been given the official seal of approval. Evidence has shown that reducing the number of cigarettes smoked with the assistance of NRT, makes it easier for some heavily addicted smokers to ultimately quit completely.

Also, the simultaneous use of more than one nicotine replacement therapy product used not to be considered appropriate. But experience has shown that some smokers who continue to have cravings with single therapy, or those who have quit in the past and then relapsed, will benefit and become long-term quitters by using the patches and gum together.

NRT can be a useful tool for just about everybody to assist with smoking cessation; that is everybody regardless of age, sex or medical history; and using NRT to quit is always safer than continuing to smoke.

There are many myths and misconceptions about the effects of nicotine and NRT. If you need some help to quit, make sure you get the facts and the right advice on what products will suit you best. Ask for the fact cards on Smoking and Staying a Non-smoker from one of the pharmacies around Australia providing the Pharmaceutical Society’s Self Care health information. Phone 1300 369 772 or check out the website at www.psa.org.au for the nearest location.

More recently, in 2005 and 2006, some health workers advocated the use of face masks to help prevent the spread of SARS – severe acute respiratory syndrome.  Then again, last year the use of face masks was promoted to reduce the likely spread of swine flu.

Of course there are other precautions we can take too.  Respiratory infections are spread principally by droplets of viruses and bacteria being coughed up by one person and inhaled by another.  However, colds and flu can literally be caught!  We are all taught to politely cover our mouths when we cough; but viruses can survive on the hand for hours, and even the hand to hand contact of a simple greeting can result in unhealthy consequences.

Coughing or sneezing into disposable tissues rather than hands or a handkerchief is a far better option.  If no tissue is available try coughing or sneezing into the inside of you elbow.

Medically speaking, a cough is the automatic defensive action our body employs to clear and protect our lungs from such things as dust, foreign bodies, smoke, fumes and viral and bacterial infections.  We cough with such force that the explosion of air from the lungs travels at a speed of approximately 900kms an hour and may propel bacteria and virus particles up to 240cm.  That’s real germ-spreading power.

Most people will get a cold this winter; some who are unlucky or ill-prepared might even get the flu.  So chances are you will need to seek the advice of your pharmacist to recommend something to relieve those frustrating symptoms.

There are a number of coping strategies you can use to minimise the discomfort: drink plenty of fluid, get plenty of rest and eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables to supply natural anti-oxidants – all simple strategies to strengthen the immune system.  And of course, depending on the type of cough and cold symptoms you have, you might choose to take a medicine to make life a little more bearable.

A cough may be classified as “productive” where you have plenty of mucus or phlegm irritating the airways and just itching to be coughed up, or it may be described as “dry” – nagging and annoying to the person with the cough and all those close enough to be within earshot.

Coughs may also be described as “acute” or “chronic”.  Acute coughs are generally caused by a viral or bacterial infection – perhaps a cold, the flu or pneumonia.  They may also be caused by a foreign body or environmental pollutants such as smoke or fumes.  Chronic coughs, those lasting many weeks or months, are usually caused by cigarette smoking (both active and passive form of smoking).  The most likely causes of chronic cough in non-smokers are post-nasal drip, asthma and so-called gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (a more persistent and usually severe form of heartburn).  Some prescription medicines, especially those used to treat high blood pressure may also cause a chronic cough.

However long the duration of your cough, whether you’ve got a hacking cough or just a tickle and especially if you’re taking other medicines, check with your pharmacist before you self select a treatment.  And ask for one of the fact cards titled Cough or Colds and Flu.  They’re available from pharmacies around Australia providing the Pharmaceutical Society’s Self Care health information.  Phone 1300 369 772 or check out the Pharmaceutical Society website at www.psa.org.au (click on Self Care Pharmacy Finder) for the nearest location.

It was on the 29th of April 1770 that Captain James Cook’s Endeavour first made landfall on mainland Australia.  The place was Kurnell on the southern shores of Botany Bay. Cook claimed the east coast for Britain and the colony of New South Wales was established less than 20 years later.

James Cook was widely acknowledged as the greatest explorer of the 18th century; but this reputation was not only due to his navigational skills; also well recognised was his ability to keep his crew fit and healthy for the duration of long voyages – no mean feat at the time.

Cook carried good provisions including citrus fruits, and it is likely his decision to do so was, at least in part, encouraged by another James – Dr James Lind.  In 1753 Dr Lind published his study titled Treatise of the Scurvy which indicated the then frequently fatal disease was a dietary deficiency from the lack of fresh fruit and vegetables.  It was later that vitamin C was named as the essential component.

So, basic research into the effects of vitamin C is certainly not new. In fact it’s likely that the Chinese navy was well aware of the importance of diet in protecting its sailors from disease centuries before the western world came to the same conclusion.

These days scurvy is not so common (the amount of ascorbic acid – the chemical name for vitamin C – required to prevent scurvy is as little as 60mg a day), whilst the common cold is very common indeed.  So an equally easy way of preventing colds and flu would be really welcome.

Sadly the evidence to support the use of vitamin C in either preventing or treating the common cold is not that good.

Some years ago a review of 29 studies into the effects of vitamin C undertaken over more than 60 years concluded that the vitamin does not prevent the common cold in the general population; daily doses up to 2g were investigated.

However, there was some good news.  In a sub group of six of those 29 trials involving marathon runners, skiers or soldiers who were exposed to physical exertion or extreme cold, there was a reduction on average of about 50% in the incidence of colds – and this with a daily dose of about 200mg.  It seems that for us mere mortals vitamin C won’t do much to prevent the infection, but for supermen and women under great stress there could be some benefit.

Furthermore, the studies showed that adults who developed a cold and were taking vitamin C had, on average, an 8% reduction in the duration of symptoms. Children fared even better still with a 14% reduction in the number of days with cold symptoms.

So, while vitamin C might help us manage a cold just a little bit, it’s clear that antibiotics do not.  It seems the myth still exists that antibiotics might be somehow useful in treating a cold.  However, not only are antibiotics useless against the cold virus, taking antibiotics when we don’t need them can make them less effective when we do.  This is the message which has been enthusiastically delivered by the National Prescribing Service (NPS).

According to the NPS the best treatment for the common cold is a good dose of common sense, maybe we should also take some oranges if we’re going on a long boat trip.