Soothing Cough Syrup
Alcool Free

All catarrhs of the respiratory tract and upper respiratory tract infections: coughs, hoarseness, colds, bronchitis, laryngitis, etc.
As a prevention during periods of contagious or winter colds.
As a supportive therapy for pneumonia.

More Info

Composition

Each mL contains:
Juice and extract of fresh wild Spruce bud (Piceae abies) 21.3 mg
Non medicinal ingredients:
Unrefined cane sugar, honey, concentrated pear juice.

Historical overview

Conifers (evergreens) produce several health-promoting substances. Pine needles are used in distillates for their creosote content (efficient but very irritating and with controversial safety concerns). Fresh Spruce bud extract is very efficient against upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) but much less irritating and with a better taste (which is always a plus, especially when children are involved!)
Spruce bud extract is used for all catarrhs of the respiratory tract.
Nicolas Culpeper (1616-1654) mentions: « It is of a mollifying, healing, and cleansing nature (…) It is likewise a good pectoral, and often given in diseases of the breast and lungs. »(1)

Actions and pharmacology

Spruce buds are rich in terpenes (bornyl acetate, limonene, camphene, alpha-pinene, etc.). These small molecules have antiseptic, mucolytic and antibacterial properties. Terpenes are particularly interesting in cases of cough and bronchial infections because of their volatility, which promotes pulmonary excretion. The effects of terpenes are therefore concentrated at the site of action, thus increasing the respiratory effectiveness of Spruce buds.(2)
The German Commission E acknowledges its benefits in cases of: catarrhs of the respiratory tract.

Scientific studies

Santasapina has been studied in 83 children with acute mucopurulent bronchitis. During the 8-10 day treatment period, coughs and night waking rapidly decreased, the mucus liquefied, its coloration became clearer and the expectoration improved. The treatment efficacy was considered good (68.7% good and 16.9% average by the physician, and 77.1% good and 9.6% average by the patients and their parents). 75% of the children said they would take the syrup again. Only 3 of the 83 children did not like its taste.(3)

Precautions, contraindications and interactions

Contraindication: known allergy to one of the ingredients.
Consult a physician in cases of a persistent cough or sore throat accompanied by fever or lymph node inflammation.
Because of its high sugar content, this product should not be given to people with diabetes, hypoglycemia or Candida albicans.
Santasapina is not recommended in high-risk pregnancies.

References

1-Culpeper N. The Complete Herbal. Foulsham &co, London, UK.

2-PDR for Herbal Medicines. Physician's Desk Reference 1999. Medical economics Company, Montvale, New Jersey, USA.

3-Shah D, Trost P. Bronchite aiguë chez l'enfant : Traitement par le sirop pour la toux Santasapina. Schweiz Zschr