Canadian Research proves that Vicks on the feet cures coughing?-Fiction!

Canadian Research Group Says Vicks VapoRub on the Bottom of Feet at Bedtime Stops Coughing-Fiction!

Summary of eRumor:

The email says that the Canada Research Council doesn’t know why but has found that using Vicks VapoRub on the bottom of the feet at bedtime will stop nighttime coughing.  

It says that even persistent, heavy, deep coughing will stop in about 5 minutes and that relief will last for hours.

This was discovered as part of a research project about the effectiveness of prescription cough medicines compared with alternative therapies in children.
 

The Truth:

There is no “Canada Research Council” but the National Research Council of Canada did issue a statement about this eRumor.

The Council said that it had never conducted any such research about Vicks VapoRub and that it does not, as the eRumor suggested, do research on “alternative applications of medicines.”  

It is popularly believed that rubbing Vicks VapoRub on the feet can help coughing.  We’re not aware of any official research that found that it works.

The Vicks company has never made such a claim although Vicks VapoRub and its formula of camphor, eucalyptus oil, and menthol is formulated to deal with coughs.  The company recommends rubbing it on the chest or throat for relieving coughing during a cold or on muscles and joints for relieving minor pain.

The eRumor, however, appears to have been fabricated by someone who believed in the efficacy of rubbing the product on the feet and who wanted to be able to cite official research supporting it.

Updated 7/10/07