Yunker Kicks Colds, Numbs Taste Buds

 

Last week, I caught a cold. It was going around. So I took off early from work, put on an extra layer, and proceeded to hibernate. I spent a lot of time making chicken soup, rice porridge, and ginger honey tea. I brought my laptop and blanket to the couch so I could veg out and occasionally check in at work.

Everyone has their own idea of what the best remedy for a common cold is. My friend Kayoko, a doctor, recommends Yunker. Go to your Japanese supermarket, she said, and buy a bottle of Yunker, or Zena, or one of those other Japanese energy drinks. Chug it and go to sleep.

So I went out and bought this Yunker 3-pack for $14 (it even came with a free Sato-chan elephant cell phone strap).

The main ingredients in Yunker are water, sugar, and alcohol, and it's infused with things like royal jelly, Asian ginseng, riboflavin, and hawthorn berry extract. And it tastes like crap. Not the kind of crap that makes you nauseous, but more like a really strong shot of spicy-sweet liqueur.

I don't know if it was the Yunker or the strain of cold I had this time around, but I completely healed two days later.

Comments

[pirikara]

Interesting~~ Yeah, I've never used Yunker even though it's always sitting there near the checkout counter. Now that I know what it really is I'll try it!

[mom]

Many years ago, I used to take yunker (yunkeru) when I felt like I was catching a cold. It' s pretty strong stuff -so now occassionally (like once a year or so) I take the one for ladies' since that is much milder.

[mom]

Many years ago, I used to take yunker (yunkeru) when I felt like I was catching a cold. It' s pretty strong stuff -so now occassionally (like once a year or so) I take the one for ladies' since that is much milder.

[Dak Roland]

AUGH! Where was this post 2 weeks ago!? *sobs* I got sick back on the 4th and wound up having to go to the Doctor's last tuesday, pay for a visit and medicine. At least now I know. Anyone know where I can get it in Western NY?

[Hema-kun]

Japanese doctors scare me to death. I have some medical knowledge and I'm a microbiologist by trade, so I know a little bit about things like infections and viruses.

Imagine my horror when a Japanese "doctor" prescribed 4 kinds of antibiotics for a simple EYE infection!

Yunker, and most of the other energy drinks, are just sugary Red Bulls with herbs and other useless things in them. Japan would be better served by educating doctors on not overprescribing antibiotics and telling the public that drugstore energy drinks can't cure viral infections.

ARRRRRRRRRGH, it frustrates me. I'm glad you're well, though!

[kungfupiggy]

I'd like to refer back to Hema-kun's comment above. Fact: we can send people to the moon but can't cure common cold. Doctors only prescript medicine for symptoms, which actually drag the illness even longer by slowing the body self-defense system. We should not reject the ideas of these cold remedies!

I got sick 2 days ago and remembered this post. I tried it today and it warm my body all day long. I think what make it work is perhaps the body heating property. Hope I will wake up all well tomorrow!