A pharmacy is not such a bad place, but choose tried and tested products

Two trends

There are two opposing trends in the approach to products sold in pharmacies. The first is to take various medicines or dietary supplements just in case, so that in the event of flu or cold, we are as well prepared as we can be. This might be a tablet to strengthen our immune system, a few vitamins, or a powder to pick us up when we feel weak – something we buy to give ourselves a sense of control and peace of mind. The second trend is to treat the entire pharmaceutical industry as the embodiment of evil, with a corresponding return to our roots and nature that is so extreme that virtually any modern medicine or dietary supplement is, in effect, excluded. So even if a child has a cough, there is no thought of buying a children’s cough syrup.

Common sense

The best solution is common sense when it comes to health and a good immune system. In fact, the biggest impact on the prevention of infections is proper diet and physical activity. Healthy and balanced meals, and at times of increased susceptibility to flu and colds, the addition of such products as ginger, garlic and turmeric, is half the battle. However, even adhering to the most restrictive rules, it is still possible for an infection to “stick” to us. In the event of an infection your child will certainly benefit from a tried and tested wet cough syrup for children, unless the nature of the ailment is different and you need to ask the pharmacist for a good dry cough syrup for children.

What to look for

However, it must be remembered that not all products are the same, so it is good to know what to look for when buying a dietary supplement based on plants. A vegetable extract is a concentrated plant preparation obtained by dissolving the plant material in water or other solvent and then concentrating it. As a result, we get more therapeutically active compounds in a smaller volume. The content of active substance with a given therapeutic activity can be determined due to standardisation. Thanks to this we know how many active ingredients there are in a single dose. It is important to pay attention to the ingredients in a product, as the real contents of the substance guarantees the effectiveness of the product. For example, elderberry syrup or elderberry syrup for children should have the right amount of extract.

Check the ingredients

No less important, especially in the case of dietary supplements given to children, are the ingredients in a product and you should ensure that it contains only natural ingredients, without flavour enhancers, preservatives or sweeteners. Medicines for children’s colds differ in many different ways. Therefore, a good syrup for children’s immunity should be compliant with the standard for the extract used and contain natural ingredients.