Flour Sack Mama: Product Review: Oscillococcinum

I liked the sound of the phrase, "Works Naturally with Your Body" as described by the Boiron company about its popular Oscillococcinum product. ?I understood that I'd get to sample a free product that had something to do with relieving flu-like symptoms. ?Being a mom who strives for a healthy lifestyle and religiously encourages my children and husband to eat their vegetables, the sound of something "natural" seemed better than some alternatives.

Awkward Moment #1: ?Waiting around to catch the flu. ?Even though our family chose not to get flu vaccinations this year (I'm not a health expert and am certainly not trying to tell you what to do in that regard, your own physician probably thinks they're great), we have been fortunate to stay pretty healthy this winter. ?We'd heard of other local families coping with the flu, and I tried to find another mom to sample the product for me, with no luck.

Finally, feeling perfectly well, I decided to simply try a dose myself. ?The stuff is easy to take, is like tiny little beads of candy (sweetened with lactose and sucrose), and has no bad taste. ?It was a lot like taking a sugar pill.

Awkward Moment #2: ? Discovering what I just ate. ?As I sat down to write this review, I thought it was time to look up the active ingredient in the Oscillo, "Anas barbariae hepatis et cordis extractum 200CK HPUS." ?Turns out, that's a fancy way of saying there's a tiny bit of duck liver and heart, diluted by a homeopathic method, that is supposed to be the main ingredient in this product. ?Apparently, there are mixed opinions on whether such a tiny bit of an active ingredient can do anything.

Well, since I wasn't feeling sick in the first place, I cannot tell you whether the product eased my feeling of any flu-like symptoms like headache, chills or fatigue. ?I like the general idea that a more "natural" product offers no side effects and won't make me drowsy. ?I'm also not sure it did anything at all.

While searching for "natural" ways to fend off winter illnesses, it will take a lot to impress me any more than the traditions my mama taught me, like "get extra rest," "drink plenty of liquids," and "eat your vegetables."

*I received a free sample of Oscillococcinum, and my opinions are clearly my own.

Source: http://floursackmama.blogspot.com/2013/01/product-review-oscillococcinum.html

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