Why fish spray could banish common cold

Could cod hold the key to fighting the common cold?

A mouth spray that contains an enzyme found in the Arctic cod more than halved the length of a cold, a small trial found. German researchers will now ask 600 people to use the spray — brand name ColdZyme — or a placebo when they feel a cold coming on, and monitor their quality of life. It is claimed the enzyme attacks the cold virus, making it harder for it to infect the throat.

‘This trial, backed up by the initial study, has huge potential to reduce undue suffering from the common cold,’ says Jaydip Ray, a professor of otology and neurotology at the university of Sheffield.