Despite popular belief, neither garlic nor chili is an effective weapon against A/H1N1 influenza, health officials said yesterday.
The price of garlic - a popular flu remedy in traditional Chinese medicine - has skyrocketed by more than 500 percent this winter amid public fear about the spread of the potentially deadly virus. Recent media reports said that the demand for chili is also increasing.
"There is no scientific proof that either garlic or chili is effective against the flu," Wu said during a live web cast on Qianlong.com, the municipal government-run news portal.
"The two ingredients may work for people to improve their digestive functions and stay healthy, but they are definitely not useful for curing the flu," said the official.
"It is pure rumor that red pepper farmers and sellers are stocking up on the ingredient and waiting for the prices to soar like garlic," Liu said.
clipped from www.chinadaily.com.cn
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