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Of all infectious diseases Western Australians bring home from travel, 41% are picked up in Indonesia.
The most common is gastro, also known as Bali belly. But this doesn’t stop us.
Indonesia is the top holiday destination for Australians. Roughly 1.5 million Aussies visit each year, and half of those are from WA.
If you have visited Indo, you have probably been given tips on avoiding Bali belly.
Some Bali veterans share their advice online, and many claim red cordial is all you need.
DOES SCIENCE AGREE?
In 2001, microbiologist Dr Heather Cavanagh heard anecdotes of farmers putting raspberry cordial into livestock water troughs if there was diarrhoea in the herd.
To investigate the idea, she tested a range of commercial cordials, fresh berry juices and raspberry leaf extract on bacteria, viruses and fungi that can cause gastro.
Cavanagh found raspberry cordial was special. It significantly reduced the growth of E. coli and several Salmonella species, but only if the cordials contained at least 35% raspberry juice.
However, it had no effect on viruses that can also cause Bali belly.
Credit: Bill Branson/Wikimedia commons
WHAT ABOUT US?
Cavanagh says that, while raspberry cordial could have some anti-gastro effects, human trials are needed before we can say for sure.
For many Bali travellers, their own experience provides all the evidence they need. Many have even created their own dosing schedules, which they share on sites like Bali Best Things.
Some swear by taking a shot each morning leading up to the trip, others prefer to mix a little into drinks while travelling.
For a treatment so affordable and promising, where are the human trials?
MONEY TALKS
The drug companies that develop our medicines can’t patent a substance that’s already available on supermarket shelves – like cordial. This means they can’t make a profit from researching medicinal properties of these substances.
If we’re ever to see a study on raspberry cordial in humans, it’ll be conducted by whoever is set to make the profit.
It’s time to ask Cottee’s to dust off their lab coats and settle this debate once and for all.
