Why Japanese people say this:Japanese medicine greatly emphasizes temperatures of bodies and how this could have an effect on bodily functioning. The belief is that being cold in the winter will make your body weak and vulnerable to sickness. To keep the body warm, Japan even has scarves for your belly called haramaki.

1. “Keep your

body warm”

1. “Keep your

body warm”

On a similar note, taking baths are discouraged when you have a fever, since getting out of the bath will cool your body down quickly. Quick showers are thought to be fine, as long as you completely dry your hair afterwards.

Does it work?

Maybe. This is said in many places around the globe, but it is especially emphasized in Japan. Putting your body through extreme temperatures could be draining, so being in a comfortable temperature is probably best.

We need to be most careful of high levels of stress that can make you vulnerable to infections. Perhaps you should wear stomach scarves if cold weather stresses you out.

1. “Keep your

body warm”

Why Japanese people say this: It is not just the layers of sweaters that can warm your body in East Asian remedies: Foods can have warming and cooling effects too.

When you are sick, it is encouraged to consume foods that have warming effects. Foods that are easy to digest are also recommended when you are sick to lower the efforts the weakened body must exert for digestion.

As a result of these beliefs, there are many things you should and should not eat in Japanese folk medicine.

2. “Eat easy-to-digest

foods, and foods that

warm the body”

Eating rules:

・Eat soft carbs that are easy to digest, especially savory rice porridge, or okayu.

・Avoid fatty/oily foods and fibrous veggies because they are difficult to digest, including fatty meat and deep fried foods.

・Avoid raw foods, like sashimi, because they are hard to digest, have a cooling effect on your body, and you could get a double whammy getting food poisoning as well.

2. “Eat easy-to-digest

foods, and foods that

warm the body”

Eating rules:

・Eat foods with body-warming effects such as ginger. Garlic should be eaten for preventing colds.

*Once sick, do not eat anything too spicy since the harshness of the spices may aggravate your body.

2. “Eat easy-to-digest

foods, and foods that

warm the body”

Does it work?

It could. The warming and cooling effect of foods have mixed support, but the heavy emphasis food is given is something that we can all learn from.

For getting over being sick, easy-to-digest foods are generally encouraged in many cultures, and they are nice soul foods to have.

2. “Eat easy-to-digest

foods, and foods that

warm the body”

One thing the Japanese folk remedy has wrong is the discouragement of meat. Lean meat is not too difficult to digest, and amino acids are essential part for your body to rebuild and heal itself.

3. “Take medicine

with warm water”

Many Japanese people would tell you not to take medicine with tea or juice, since they could react with the medicine and

make it ineffective.

“Shot of pills” (CC BY-NC 2.0) by sparktography

3. “Take medicine

with warm water”

Does it work?It did. In the past, there were certain medications

in Japan that were not compatible with certain chemicals in some beverages. This fact stuck with the people, even though advances in medicine no

longer require this kind of attention, unless specified by your doctor.

“Shot of pills” (CC BY-NC 2.0) by sparktography

“Schoolboys with Masks, Yamashita Park, Y” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by fakelvis

There are so many Japanese people wearing masks during the winter, both for prevention of colds and not to spread colds.

4. “wear a mask”

“Schoolboys with Masks, Yamashita Park, Y” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by fakelvis

Does it work?

Maybe. The reviews are mixed about the effectiveness of masks. It could help if you apply a mask (with minimal amounts of moisture) properly on the face with clean hands.

This is still not complete since pathogens can enter your body through multiple avenues, including your eyes. Wearing a mask when you have a cold is more of a social courtesy to make people around you feel slightly safer from your sprays.

4. “wear a mask”

5. “your cold will be

cured if you give it

to someone else”

5. “your cold will be

cured if you give it

to someone else”

Does it work?

I guess... since by the time the other person gets sick, you would have gotten better.

Washing your hands is a mantra that has been chanted by doctors everywhere. On top of that, Japanese people swear by gargling’s effects on preventing colds.

The belief is that gargling will cleanse the throat of pathogens, washing them away before they can infect the throat.

There are many variations of gargling, including gargling with tea, with salt water, and with iodine medicine made especially for gargling.

6. “wash your hands

and gargle everyday”

“Look how high I can gargle” (CC BY-NC 2.0) by Tropikamalina

Does it work?

Not really. An American study pointed out that gargling and drinking water would, and should have the same effect on the throat. Though, it could temporarily soothe a sore, dry throat.

6. “wash your hands

and gargle everyday”

“Look how high I can gargle” (CC BY-NC 2.0) by Tropikamalina

7. “when your

throat hurts,

wrap green onion

around it”Even Japanese people can’t explain this beyond “this is what I was told when I was growing up.”

7. “when your

throat hurts,

wrap green onion

around it”

Does it work?No. Eat the darn thing.

8. “Put a cold,

wet towel on

the forehead”

“It rained - we got wet” (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) by purplemattfish

8. “Put a cold,

wet towel on

the forehead”

Does it work?

No. Though it feels nice, fevers, or core temperature, cannot be lowered simply by cooling the forehead.

“It rained - we got wet” (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) by purplemattfish

9. “stupid people don’t

catch colds”

WHAT?

9. “stupid people don’t

catch colds”