# Milk and nasal/throat congestion **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 21, 2011, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-nasal-throat-congestion/568420 "2011-01-21T05:30:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-nasal-throat-congestion/568420/1 "2011-01-21T05:30:28Z")
The PiperCub’s been having a fair bit of nasal and throat congestion recently. A friend suggested switching to soy instead of milk, because she’s heard that milk can increase congestion. I’ve never heard that, so I thought I’d ask you folks (a) if you’ve ever heard this; and (b) if there’s anything to it. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-nasal-throat-congestion/568420/2 "2011-01-21T05:55:00Z")
I certainly think that milk congests the throat. We have an unstated rule in the choir that nobody is to have milkshakes or ice cream before a performance. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-nasal-throat-congestion/568420/3 "2011-01-21T06:09:35Z")
Milk, ice cream, & similar liquid dairy products DO tend to coat the throat. This is bad if you are a choir member about to start singing. This is good if you have a raw, sore throat, like after a couple days of coughing, after a tonsillectomy, after vomiting, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-nasal-throat-congestion/568420/4 "2011-01-21T06:10:24Z")
I have heard of it too, but I have no idea if there’s anything to it or not. I do know that a milkshake feels awful damned good on a sore throat. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-nasal-throat-congestion/568420/5 "2011-01-21T06:50:04Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Milk, ice cream, & similar liquid dairy products DO tend to coat the throat. > > This is bad if you are a choir member about to start singing. > > This is good if you have a raw, sore throat, like after a couple days of coughing, after a tonsillectomy, after vomiting, etc. But it’s bad if that sore throat is caused by congestion. It will just make it feel like it’s even harder to breathe, which will make you cough more. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-nasal-throat-congestion/568420/6 "2011-01-21T11:45:41Z")
I heard from a doctor on a radio program that milk increases mucous excretion. Now, hot milk with honey is a traditional “cold medicine” in Spain, and one I had handy - was there any truth to what she said? Some informal testing proved that yes, a milk-less cold soon produced unpleasant consequences linked to lack of mucosity, which were solved by the ingestion of hot honeyed milk. So, for someone who’s clogged, milk is not good (hot honeyed lemon or tea is still a nice way to warm up, it doesn’t clog them up). For someone who, like me, gets a dry throat with the possibility of bleeding, milk is a godsend. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-nasal-throat-congestion/568420/7 "2011-01-21T12:09:22Z")
I think most research proves, like [this](http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/full/24/suppl_6/547S), that mucus is only increased in people who believe that milk increases mucus secretions. _“The belief that milk consumption leads to an increased mucus production is present among some members of the public. The following conclusions can be drawn from the results of the different investigations: People who believe that milk increases mucus formation are more likely to report changes in sensory perceptions related to mucus after drinking milk than those who do not hold the same belief. In a double blind trial, symptoms of increased mucus formation were detected by healthy adults after consumption of both cow’s milk and a non-milk beverage with similar sensory properties. Furthermore, persons who were convinced of mucus formation due to milk consumption showed more respiratory symptoms.”_ ---
**Author:** ![ecseas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ecseas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ecseas)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-nasal-throat-congestion/568420/8 "2011-01-21T12:12:24Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > I certainly think that milk congests the throat. We have an unstated rule in the choir that nobody is to have milkshakes or ice cream before a performance. You shouldn’t have anything salty, fatty, dairy or really cold before singing. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-nasal-throat-congestion/568420/9 "2011-01-21T12:17:21Z")
Hey, I don’t care why it works, so long as it does. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-nasal-throat-congestion/568420/10 "2011-01-21T16:21:59Z")
The only scientific connection is that the OP’s baby may have a mild dairy protein allergy. In that case switching to soy would definitely help. Many babies have milk allergies when young but all except about 2% of the population grow out of them by about the age of three. Other than that, don’t ask has it right. Though many, perhaps most, people believe milk causes mucus production I know of no study that backs that up and many that completely debunk it.