Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to over-the-counter (OTC) medication.
DayQuil is a popular OTC cold and flu treatment sold by a company called Vicks, and similar to our review of NyQuil ingredients, our goal is to publish a review of the ingredients in DayQuil from a health and efficacy perspective. Vicks claims that this product provides relief from nine different cold symptoms like sore throat and runny nose.
But what are the active ingredients in DayQuil and are they safe and effective based on medical research? Does the product contain any questionable additive ingredients? Are DayQuil LiquiCaps a better option than the liquid version of DayQuil? And is there a natural alternative?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more as we review the ingredients in both DayQuil Liquid and DayQuil LiquiCaps based on medical studies to give our take on whether the cold medicine is likely to be effective and if it's healthy or not.
We'll highlight some questionable additive ingredients in DayQuil products, and share a natural alternative.
DayQuil Liquid Active Ingredient Analysis
DayQuil Liquid contains three active ingredients.
Acetaminophen is a pain reliever, and a medical trial on patients with post-operative surgical pain found it to reduce pain in 35% of trial participants.
Dextromethorphan hydrobromide is approved by the FDA as a cough suppressant. Drug ingredients require significant clinical backing before FDA approval, so we consider this ingredient to be effective.
The manufacturer of DayQuil was sued in 2022 over this ingredient. The product is marketed as "non-drowsy," and the plaintiff alleges that dextromethorphan hydrobromide causes drowsiness, and cites a study which found that over 10% of people using this ingredient experienced drowsiness.
Phenylephrine hydrochloride is described by the manufacturer as a nasal decongestant, but it may not be the most effective choice. A clinical trial published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology journal tested this ingredient and found that it did not cause a significant improvement in nasal decongestion scores.
A more recent clinical trial reported similar results: even when dosed up to 40 milligrams (mg) every four hours, which is 4x the dose in DayQuil, phenylephrine hydrochloride was no better than placebo relieving nasal congestion in patients with allergies.
We believe that this formulation is likely to be effective overall, and especially for pain relief and cough suppression. We find the medical backing for the nasal decongestant ingredient to be lacking.
A one minute animated video from Vicks explains how these ingredients work:
Questionable Additive Ingredients in DayQuil Liquid
DayQuil Liquid contains a number of questionable inactive ingredients.
Sodium saccharin is an artificial sweetener that was found to be associated with increased risk of diabetes, obesity and impaired kidney function in at least one animal study.
Sucralose is another artificial sweetener which has been clinically shown to have negative effects on blood sugar and insulin, as we documented in our review of 5 Hour Energy ingredients.
FD&C Yellow No. 6 is an artificial food dye which was found in a medical review to contain carcinogens.
Citric acid is a preservative and flavor enhancer which often produced using a fungus called Aspergillus niger, according to a medical review published in the Toxicology Reports journal. It was found to cause whole-body inflammation in some individuals.
Do LiquiCaps Have Better Ingredients?
The active ingredients in DayQuil LiquiCaps are the exact same as those in DayQuil Liquid. The inactive ingredients, shown above, are slightly different.
This product contains two artificial colorants rather than one. It contains the same FD&C Yellow No. 6 as the liquid formulation, but also contains FD&C Red No. 40. A medical review documented that Red No. 40 contains a compound called benzidine which is carcinogenic to humans and animals.
Titanium dioxide is included in this formulation, and is banned for use as a food additive in the European Union (E.U.) due to toxicity concerns.
We consider the LiquiCaps to be healthier than the Liquid because they are free of artificial sweeteners and citric acid.
Our Natural Cold Medicine Recommendation
Our top pick for natural cold medicine is Maty's Organic Cough Syrup.
This syrup is sweetened with organic honey, which has been shown in medical research to have antibacterial and antiviral properties.
Clove is another natural ingredient in this formulation, and may have the capacity to treat respiratory ailments according to a medical review published in the Molecules journal.
Zinc is a mineral in Maty's, and has been shown in a meta-study to reduce the duration of cold symptoms in adults by over two full days.
Most importantly, this cough syrup has no questionable additive ingredients like artificial flavors or artificial colors.
Interested consumers can check out Maty's Organic Cough Syrup at this link to its official Amazon listing.
We're not suggesting that Maty's Organic Cough Syrup is likely to be as effective as DayQuil or that it should be used to treat any health condition. It doesn't contain active drug ingredients. We're just offering it as an alternative for consumers who may prefer to take natural products.
